The 3 Most Common Tooth Injuries In Sports
Sports can cause injuries to teeth and oral tissues. A properly fitted mouthguard reduces the risk, and prompt dental assessment after an injury can improve the chance of saving a tooth. Not every injury can be fully repaired.
The 3 most common tooth injuries are:
Cracked/Fractured Teeth
A cracked tooth has a split that begins at the crown of the tooth and extends down into the tooth. You could crack your tooth if you play a sport and sustain a blow to the face. Severity of this type of injury ranges, but could lead to tooth extraction or a root canal to avoid infection.
Symptoms you might experience include:
A sharp pain when you bite down, which vanishes afterward
Tooth pain that isn’t constant but on and off
Pain when eating or drinking particularly hot or cold foods
Losing a part of the tooth’s enamel shell
Fractured Roots
A root fracture is a break in the root of a tooth and may occur even when the crown looks intact. Dental trauma needs prompt assessment. Treatment depends on the location and direction of the fracture and the health of the pulp; a root canal is not automatically needed for every root fracture.
Tooth Intrusion
This type of injury occurs when the tooth is driven back into the jawbone. This injury is most common in children with their primary teeth due to softer alveolar bones, the bone that holds the tooth sockets.
A few complications you could expect with a tooth intrusion are:
Destruction to the tooth pulp
Root resorption, which can shorten or damage the roots
Ankylosis which is fusion of the root to the alveolar bone
A mouth guard is your first defense in protecting the teeth and mouth. Using a mouth guard will minimize the risk of suffering broken teeth, a broken jaw, and as well as other injuries to the lips, face, and tongue.
While most people may associate a mouth guard with football, baseball, lacrosse, or hockey, mouth guards should also be a part of any activity that involves any contact sports, as well as solitary sports that have a higher risk of injury such as skateboarding, and BMX biking. A sports induced injury could cause long-term dental problems without immediate attention. If you've experienced any injury like the ones listed above, contact Smiles by Bergen Dental and make an appointment with Dr. Liany Farinas-Han.
Smiles by Bergen Dental, located in Bergen County NJ, provides quality dental care and treatment by practicing the most up to date dental procedures & the latest technology. We welcome new patients! Smiles by Bergen Dental is conveniently located in Midland Park New Jersey, within minutes from Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Glen Rock, Paramus, Ramsey, Allendale, Saddle River, and Ho-Ho-Kus.