Being active is great for your health and wellbeing, but it can put you at a higher risk for injury, including dental injury. Here are some tips to prevent injuries and what to do if they happen.
Protect your teeth. A properly fitted mouth guard is your best defense. It should be comfortable and stay in place while you are wearing it, be flexible so it won’t break or tear and be easy to clean. It should be worn both during practice as well as games/events. Rinse your mouth guard both before and after wearing it with cold water. Clean it in cool water with an antibacterial hand soap then rinse thoroughly after each use. Store it in a firm, perforated container to allow air to get in. Avoid extreme heat – such as sun, hot water or hot surfaces as heat may distort the mouth guard.
Common Dental Emergencies.
Knocked-out tooth. Hold the tooth by the crown and rinse the root in water. Don’t touch the root, and don’t scrub it or try to remove any tissue. Gently put the tooth back in the socket if possible, and if not, put the tooth in a container with milk. Contact your dentist immediately!
Broken Tooth. Rinse your mouth with warm water and use cold compresses to control the swelling. Contact your dentist immediately and take the broken fragment wrapped in a wet towel or gauze with you.
Broken Jaw. To control swelling, apply cold compresses to the area and contact your dentist or go to Urgent Care immediately.
Toothache. Try rinsing with warm water and use dental floss to remove any trapped food caught between the teeth. Go to your dentist as soon as possible.
Bitten tongue or lip. Gently clean the area with cold water and a cloth and apply cold compresses to control the swelling. If the bleeding is heavy or doesn’t stop in a relatively short time, seek care from your dentist or Urgent Care.
