Common Dental Emergencies Among Athletes, and What You Can Do About Them

When athletes are in the zone, there’s only one thing on their minds: victory. Whether it’s basketball, football, tennis, track, or any other sport, being able to focus entirely on the game is crucially important to success.

In that position, the last thing you want to think about is your oral health. However, there are quite a few common dental emergencies that athletes can be susceptible to. Here are a few examples, and how you can be proactive in dealing with them.

What Are Some Common Dental Emergencies for Athletes?

Usually, athletes wind up in the dentist’s office because of some kind of impact to their jaw. That can cause all kinds of problems, including:

• Cracked Teeth: Cracked teeth aren’t quite the same as chipped teeth, which tend to involve a small corner of the tooth painlessly falling off. Cracks usually reach near the root of the tooth and involve a fair amount of discomfort.
• Fractured Roots: Unlike a cracked tooth, fractured roots begin underneath the surface, at the base of the root structure. The exposed part of the tooth may remain intact, but leaving the root untreated could cause problems down the line.
• Tooth Intrusion: If you’re struck on top of the tooth, it’s possible for the tooth to actually be pushed into the jawbone which, as you can imagine, causes all kinds of issues. In the worst cases, you could lose the tooth entirely.
• Avulsed Teeth: This is when a tooth is completely knocked out of its socket. In most cases, the tooth will have to be replaced with a dental implant or a prosthetic.

How to Protect Athletes’ Teeth

If you play sports, especially contact sports, a mouthguard is a must. Some people just go for the cheapest over-the-counter option, but a shoddy mouthguard could potentially fail you when they’re needed most.

The best thing an athlete can do for their teeth is to get a dentist-crafted sportsguard. This will be able to fit comfortably over your teeth and protect you should the worst happen. That way you can focus on the game, not on your teeth. 

About the Author

Dr. Ulysses Marable III is a dentist who is proud to be able to help his patients to feel better about themselves every single day. He comes from a family of dentists and feels enormously gratified to be able to continue the tradition of keeping his community smiling. Dr. Marable III attended the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry, and he continues his education through Zimmer Biomet and the Trinnon Collegium Practicum.

If you have any questions about how athletes can protect their teeth, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (478) 825-3000.