Here Comes Summer: 3 Tips To Prevent Dental Sports Dramas

Posted on: 25 September 2018

The temperature is beginning to warm up in Australia, and that means kids are once more heading outside to enjoy playing in the sun. Whether your child takes part in organised sports or just enjoys kicking a ball around with their mates, dental injuries while playing sports are common. As a mother whose child is playing a team sport for the first time this year, you are likely concerned about protecting their baby teeth from damage. Here are three tips to make sure your child doesn't experience dental dramas while out on the field.

Get A Mouthguard

The number-one protection for your child's teeth while playing sports is a mouthguard. Your choice for mouthguards ranges from the generic non-fitted option which you can purchase at a sports shop to a custom-fitted one prepared by your dentist. While a generic mouthguard is cheaper, it does not necessarily protect the teeth very well because it is not perfectly moulded around them. A badly fitted mouthguard is uncomfortable, lacks protection and will quickly be discarded by your child. Make an appointment with your dentist to have a custom mouthguard made now if you want the ultimate protection for their teeth.

Teach Awareness

Many facial injuries occur because of collisions, so it is important that your child plays sport with an awareness of what is going on around them on the field. Of course, this is easier said than done when your child is caught up in the heat of the game, but a reminder about player awareness at the start of each game will help to focus your child's mind on what the other players are doing. The more aware they are, the less chance of collisions occurring.

Be Ready For Emergencies

If an accident does occur during a game, then the way you respond to that dental emergency makes a difference in your child's healing. For example, if a tooth is knocked out during a game, it is best transported to an emergency dentist in milk. Milk is the ultimate choice for transportation because it does not cause the roots to swell up, which is what happens if you place the tooth in water. The tooth roots need to remain moist and as undamaged as possible if there is to be a good chance of the tooth being implanted back into the mouth.

Make an appointment for your child to see their dentist before the sports season begins. At this appointment, your dentist can make sure there are no loose teeth which would be a danger during the game, and they can do the fitting for the mouthguard at the same time.

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