You love playing sports, but it’s not a risk-free proposition.
Maybe you like going hiking, or doing something else where you could potentially injure yourself.
Did you know one of the most common injuries is a mouth injury?
It’s true.
Here’s how to protect yourself.
Basic Precautions
Before you go out and do whatever it is you’re going to do, you need to think very carefully about
how to prevent injuries.
First, think about the types of injuries you might sustain in any given activity.
Next, think about ways in which you could avoid those injuries.
Maybe part of it includes getting more practice in, or special training, or maybe it includes taking
basic safety classes or courses because going out on your own.
For most people, it will include wearing safety equipment that doesn’t interfere with your ability
to engage in your chosen activity.
The Mouth Guard
The mouth guard is a basic piece of safety equipment.
Most people wear them when playing sports that are “contact sports.”
They also wear them when biking or engaging in an activity where they may run into, or hit, something.
It doesn’t take much to knock out a tooth.
If you don’t wear a mouth guard, you may end up visiting an emergency dentist in San Francisco to have
your tooth put back in, if it’s even possible.
Mouth guards are cheap insurance against permanent damage to your mouth.
There are several types you can buy.
First, there is the kind your dentist issues you.
These are the best since they’re custom made for your mouth and face.
However, if you can’t afford one, you can still wear a stock guard which either is a simple “mold and wear”
type or a boil and bite piece you buy from the drugstore.
These are not the more tight-fitting, but they’re better than generic mouthguards without a semi-molded
feature.
The custom made mouth guards are made for you personally.
They’re more expensive than other versions because of the individual fit.
The boil and bite guards are plastic guards you put into a pot of boiling water, dry off, and put in your
mouth warm.
You bite down on them and the plastic molds to your teeth.
Stock guards are pre-formed hard plastic and come ready to wear.
Not surprisingly, they are also the least comfortable and least protective.
Face Cages
A face cage protects your whole face from trauma.
This is especially important when you pace full contact sports, like baseball or hockey.
If you’re a catcher, or a hockey player, your risk for injury is especially high.
A face cage can be stock or custom made.
Like mouth guards, the best cages are custom made for your face.
Can Knocked Out Teeth Be Repaired?
Sometimes, knocked out teeth can be repaired.
The sooner you get to a dentist, the better.
Knocked out teeth with the highest chance of being saved are seen by the dentist and returned
into the socket within an hour of being knocked out.
If your tooth has been knocked out, rinse any debris off it, and make sure it did not come into
contact with pathogenic bacteria.
Most of the time, you will want to use mouthwash, or some type of alcohol to quickly clean and
disinfect the root end of the tooth, dry it carefully, and reinsert it into your mouth.
Make sure you push the root in until the tooth sticks.
It will hurt, but it will get the tooth back in.
Then go to the dentist.
If you can’t get the tooth back in, go to the dentist immediately.
About the Author
Carolyn Hill works in the cosmetic dentistry field. When time allows she enjoys sitting down and writing articles, mostly focusing on educating people on how to care for their teeth and smile.
How do you protect your mouth and teeth from harm?
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