Bloomsburg, Danville, and Lewisburg, PA
Sports-related injuries can end games, seasons, and careers for athletes. Torn ligaments, blown muscles, and concussions are the injuries most people think of when we talk about athletic injuries. Hamilton Dental Care wants to talk about the most preventable, and often under-discussed, type of sports injuries—dental injuries.
Dental Injuries in Athletics
Orofacial injuries affect the mouth, jaw, and connecting facial structures. Did you know that injuries of this type affect 10 percent of athletes annually? Moreover, 33-56 percent of athletes sustain some type of orofacial injury during their careers. Meanwhile, the American Dental Association reports that 13 to 39 percent of all dental injuries are sports-related. Orofacial injuries are often preventable, but many sports don’t require protective equipment that could prevent these injuries.
The orofacial dental injuries that are most common among athletes include:
- Bone fractures (in the face or jaw)
- Cracked or broken teeth
- Jaw injuries, including jaw dislocation
- Tooth loss
- Injuries to the tooth roots
- Displacement or intrusion
- Gum injuries
A limited contact sport is still a contact sport
You might be saying to yourself that you don’t need a mouth guard because you don’t play a contact sport. However, the American Dental Association reported that basketball saw more dental injuries than football. The problem with this is that currently, the National Federation of State High School Associations only mandates mouth guards should be worn in four sports: football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and field hockey. Wrestlers are mandated to wear mouth protection if they have fixed orthodontic appliances such as braces. The American Dental Association recommends that any adult or child should wear a mouth guard if they play the following sports: gymnastics or acrobatics, football, basketball, boxing, ice hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, rugby, martial arts, racquetball, roller derby, shot put, skateboarding, cycling, skiing, skydiving, soccer, squash, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, wrestling, baseball or softball.
Dental sports injuries can happen at any time
Dozens of professional athletes have experienced dental injuries during the peak of their athletic careers.
Some recent examples of athletes who suffered dental injuries during a sport include:
- Tristan Thompson of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers had his two front teeth knocked loose during a game from an accidental elbow to the face.
- Carl Lawson, who lost two teeth making a tackle for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals.
- Jaromir Jagr, lost four teeth after taking a hockey stick to the face while playing for the NHL Washington Capitals.
- Aaron Judge, a Major League Baseball player who lost a tooth celebrating the New York Yankees’ victory in MLB when a stray helmet was thrown into the air.
- Even in professional wrestling, the WWE wrestler Cesaro had his teeth horribly busted when he was launched into the ring post.
Sports Guard in Bloomsburg
Sports-related dental injuries don’t just happen to the pros. These injuries could happen to you or your child. Every athlete, no matter their sport, is putting their body and teeth on the line. Don’t risk a preventable injury. Let Hamilton Dental Care help protect you by supplying a professionally-made, high-quality mouth guard. For more information, contact Hamilton Dental Care today at (570) 387-0533 to schedule a consultation if you live in the areas of Bloomsburg, Danville, and Lewisburg, PA.
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