Dental Injuries from Sports and Dental Restoration
There is no doubt that there is nobody in the world who doesn’t like sports and doesn’t want to join to in. There are many sports in the world with a high risk of instant accidental injury. No pain, no gain is a famous proverb that holds true; therefore, we participate willingly in these kinds of sports to gain pleasure. But sometimes serious accident happens—even someone losing a tooth by cracking or breaking. If you use proper initial treatment before you reach to the dentist, it will be helpful for you to get it repaired. For that, we should know about the primary treatments of dental injuries that help us in various ways when they’re needed. Dentists use many methods to replace missing teeth, and the most known are dental bridge, dental implants, and dental crowns. These are all processes used for restoring lost teeth that are damaged in sports or other accidents.
Primary Treatment Before Reaching Clinic
It is normal and common that when a player gets cracks their front tooth that the first step for pain relief is to put ice on the tooth. It will decrease the pain and gum swelling. If you get hurt on the front side of your face, you may lose your front tooth; if this happens, you should not throw the tooth away. Instead, you must keep it carefully, preferably in cold milk. If you keep it and bring to the dentist, they might be able to reset it.
Dental Bridge
Lost teeth can be replaced. For this, dental bridges are a good method. Dental bridges are cast at one appointment and set at the next. They’re usually not removable; they set a fake tooth in between two real teeth and fix them all together. The real teeth are slightly reduced in size so the false tooth can be properly joined to them. However, a bridge may be able to be popped out and cleaned. A bridge may even replace multiple teeth.
Dental Implant
Dental implants are another method for replacing missing teeth. Basically, dental implants take the place of the root of a tooth. They can be used to set a false tooth instead of a bridge. They can also set dentures and crowns in place. If a player gets dental implants, they should be careful about their teeth in the future. If another accident occurs, it will be more complex to fix.
Dental Crown
There is another method to restore an injured tooth: a dental crown. Dental crowns enclose or cap a tooth or dental implant. A crown is useful for when a tooth is partly broken. It can also be used to top a dental implant.
Dental Veneer
Dental veneers are normally used for improving the appearance of teeth. Either composite or dental porcelain is layered over the tooth to make it look white and clean again. If a tooth is chipped or cracked, but not too badly, a veneer can protect the injury without the need for fully replacing the tooth. This is the preferred method; if a tooth can safely be kept, it should be.
If you lose a tooth in a sports accident, put it in milk and take it to your dentist. For any other dental injury, apply ice and talk to your dentist about your best options: dental veneer, crown, implant, or bridge. Any of those can help get back the look you want without too much trouble.
Hi I am Dr. Darren Flowers the proud owner of Flowers Dentistry in Anthem, Arizona. Besides going dentistry, I also enjoys writing for various dental journals and spending time
with my family.