What to Know About Oral-Facial Sports Injuries

What to Know About Oral-Facial Sports Injuries

By Richard Anthony, DDS MS

www.BlackhawkLivingCA.com

Oral-facial injuries can have significant negative functional, aesthetic, and psychological effects both on children and adults. A study on consumer products and activities associated with dental injuries to children treated in United States emergency rooms from 1990-2007 indicated that an average of 22,000 dental injuries annually occurred among children less than 18 years of age. Over half of the injuries involving primary (baby) teeth of children under the age of 7 were from accidents with household furniture. For children between the ages of 7 to 12 years, most of the oral-facial injuries occurred during outdoor activities— over half of these involved bicycles. Older children of age 13-17 primary had oral-facial injuries during sports activities. For this group, the most prevalent injury occurrence was during baseball and basketball.

The person least likely to be present when a sports injury occurs is a dentist. What should athletes, parents, trainers, coaches, and care providers know about oral/facial sports injuries and their prevention? Fortunately, there is an excellent reference titled “The Field-Side Guide to Dental Injuries” by Drs. David J. Kenny & Michael J. Casas that provides practical guidance.

Most sports-related dental injuries can be classified into three broad categories resulting from impacts to the soft tissues, the jaws, and the teeth themselves. Also, more specifically, dental injuries can be categorized into treatment needs as follows:

Immediate – Within 5 minutes: A tooth completely avulsed (knocked out of socket) requires treatment immediately to have any chance of saving the tooth long term.

Urgent - Within 6 hours: When a tooth is still in the mouth but has been moved, either in or out, or to one side or the other, this is considered an acute injury.

Less Urgent – Within 12 hours: Injuries in which the teeth are broken or chipped but not bodily moved from their original position.

Of course

the first line of defense is accomplished by the consistent use of an appropriate mouth guard during recreational and sports activities

that pose a risk to dental injuries. In any event, a call to your dentist, oral surgeon, pediatric dentist, or orthodontist relating the exact nature of the injury or trauma to the teeth will result in a decision regarding what needs to be done and just how urgently appropriate care is needed.