Protecting Your Teeth When You Play Contact Sports
If you play contact sports, then you want to be sure to take all the precautions necessary to avoid injuries to your mouth and teeth. If you do injure one or more of your teeth, then it can cause long-lasting problems, and in most cases you are going to need to go to a dentist in order to have your teeth fixed. Follow the advice in this article if you are going to be playing in any type of contact sports.
Get a professional mouth guard
In most cases, you will simply be required to get a basic mouth guard to wear when you are participating in the sporting event. However, you should take it a step further and make sure you get your mouth guard directly from your dentist. This way, you know you are wearing a properly fitted one that's made of quality materials.
While you may only be required to wear the mouth guard for actual games, you should also wear it for practices if there is a chance that you will come into contact with another person, a ball, a puck or any other object. Also, if your sport requires a helmet, consider keeping it on through all practices as well. It provides yet another level of protection for your mouth.
Have a dental kit nearby
You should have your own dental kit put together when you play in contact sports. This way, you know you are covered in case something happens, and you can act quickly and correctly. Your dental kit should include packages of gauze, some over-the-counter pain reliever, tweezers, a small plastic baggie, a cold pack that's activated by squeezing it, a clean rag, orthodontic wax and the card of a 24-hour emergency dentist in your local area.
Learn how to save a knocked out tooth
If you knock out your tooth, you want to pick it up by the crown part and rinse it off in your own spit. If you can, push it back in the socket and bite down on a piece of gauze. If you can't put it back in, spit in a plastic baggie and put the tooth in the baggie. Get to the general dentist immediately.
Learn what to do if you chip a tooth
If you chip a tooth, then you want to take a piece of orthodontic wax and place it on any sharp edges to protect your mouth from getting cut. Use over-the-counter pain reliever to take care of any pain you experience, and put an ice pack on your face to help keep the swelling down. Get in to see the dentist as soon as you can to have the tooth repaired.
Now that you are better informed on how you can protect your teeth when you play contact sports, you can play without the added concern over possible accidents.
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