How to protect your child’s teeth from dental injury while playing sports

January 02, 2018

Dental injuries while playing sport are really common. Dentists estimate that 13-39% of dental injuries occur while playing sports. In fact, you’ve probably seen an injury yourself either while watching sport on TV or on a Saturday morning at the football field.

There are all sorts of ways someone can get a facial injury. A child might hit the ground too hard in a tackle or have an unfortunate altercation with an opponent’s bony collarbone. They might get a stick to the teeth in hockey or a ball to the face in soccer.

Then there are the supposed ‘non-contact’ sports that can still result in horrific dental injuries. They might cop an elbow to the jaw while playing basketball or maybe a bat might fly through the air in a baseball game.

An injury could range from a chipped tooth to huge facial trauma and loss of teeth resulting in thousands of dollars of dental work.

All dentists agree that the best form of protection from tooth injury while playing sport is with a well-fitted mouthguard. A mouthguard can absorb impact and distribute forces evenly to help prevent dental injury.

What do you do if (gulp), your child hasn’t worn a mouthguard and sustains a dental injury. According to the Australian Dental Association https://www.ada.org.au/Your-Dental-Health/Children-0-11/Dental-Trauma , the most important thing is to visit the dentist ASAP.

They also advise to:

1. Find the tooth and make sure it’s clean. If it’s not, clean it with a bit of milk or water
2. Try to place the tooth back in position, touching only the tooth not the root. If you can’t replant the tooth, store it in milk or saliva.
3. Visit your dentist straight away.

Prolon mouthguards use a shock absorbing material that is soft for easier moulding. It takes just 60 seconds to mould the mouthguard into the perfect fit for your kid’s mouth.

Find out how to fit your mouthguard.

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Also in Should mouthguards be compulsory when playing contact sports?