Sports provide athletes with a healthy, fun, and engaging way to get in shape and build life-long friendships. However, as every experienced athlete can attest to, occasional injuries do appear during practices and games, and in these instances, the appropriate safety precautions should be implemented. Moreover, the appropriate safety precautions are implemented in the vast majority of instances.
With that said, dental injuries incurred during sports practices and games are often incorrectly treated—mostly because quite a few adults aren’t equipped to treat them. In other words, while ice bags and bandages and athletic tape are usually available during sports games and practices, emergency dental-care products usually aren’t available.
The trend doesn’t have to continue, as every sports player can prepare to treat dental injuries by packing three simple items.
To protect teeth and minimize discomfort, let’s take a look at these three items!
Mouthguard
Athletes, regardless of whether they’re participating in a contact or non-contact sport, should wear a mouthguard. Mouthguards protect the teeth and work to minimize damage in the event of trauma, including trips and falls. Stated in short, mouthguards save teeth.
And even if an athlete doesn’t want to wear a mouthguard full-time—perhaps he or she is participating in a non-contact sport—it’s still worth having one available. With mouthguards, mild injuries can be stopped from becoming major injuries, and discomfort can be reduced.
Mouthwash
Mouthwash (preferably a travel container) should also be brought to sports practices and games. Athletes who accidentally bite down on their tongue or check should rinse with water until the bleeding stops, and to be on the safe side, they should also take a quick swig of mouthwash. Doing so will reduce the prevalence of germs and bacteria in the mouth, which minimizes the chances of an infection developing.
Their Dentist’s Phone Number
Last but certainly not least, athletes should have their dentist’s phone number on-hand during sports practices and games.
Emergency dental work—in the case of a chipped tooth, a lost tooth, or another oral injury—is never pleasant, but the sooner a dentist is contacted, the better things bode for the patient. As such, athletes should make sure that they have a way to get in touch with their dentist quickly, just in case emergency dental work is required.
Speaking of getting in touch with dentists quickly, anyone who lives in or around the Ogden, Utah area shouldn’t hesitate to contact the expert team here at North View Dental.
Our dentists are caring, our offices are comfortable, and we can’t wait to provide you with the top-quality dental experiences that you deserve. We offer everything from cleanings to emergency work.
Thanks for reading, and here’s to happy and healthy teeth!
