The American Dental Association estimates that approximately 15 million Americans experience a sports induced dental injury each year. Here are three of the most common dental injuries that occur in sports.
1. Cracked Teeth A blow to the face may result in a cracked or fractured tooth. A cracked tooth may result in sharp pain, pain while eating or drinking, loss or a section of enamel. A cracked tooth isn’t always visible or won’t always cause pain meaning it may not be noticed until your next dental checkup. If the crack extends beyond the gumline, it may require tooth extraction to prevent infection. 2. Fractured Roots A blow to an athlete at a certain angle may result in a cracked root, meaning instead of the crack originating at the top of the tooth it originates at the root. Fractured roots are often invisible to the naked eye and may not be discovered until infection begins. Root canal treatment to prevent further infection of the dental pulp is often recommended. 3. Tooth Intrusion Instead of knocking teeth out, some sports injuries can actually knock teeth further into the jawbone. This type of injury is called an intrusion and may result in dental pulp decay or shortening of the roots. To help prevent these dental related athletic injuries, call Prestige Oral Surgery today at 732-297-7000 to discuss mouthguard options.