Why are sports guards so important?
Sports guards, also known as mouth guards, are a regular sight on our sports channels.But what are they actually protecting against? Dental trauma comes in may shapes and forms. Those injuries which sportsguards can help to reduce are numerous and include:>Crown fracture, where the part of the tooth you can usually see is damaged. This can range from a corner chipping off, to the whole crown being broken away.>Root fracture, where the underlying foundation is broken. Again there is a range of outcomes here, but this injury is usually bad news!>Luxation injury, where the whole tooth is moved, and the blood supply to the pulp damaged as a result.>Avulsion, where the entire tooth gets knocked out. (Follow this advice if this happens).>Pulp injury, which can also occur after a seemingly small knock (as opposed to luxation above), and months or years later the pulp dies on its own as a result.>Injury to deciduous teeth, also known as milk teeth. Such injuries can sometimes damage the permanent successor that lies in the gum under the milk tooth.>Some soft tissue injuries can also be reduced with a gum shield, including lacerations to the lips and gums.>As well as damage to your own natural tissues, any dental work like crowns, veneers or bridgework is at high risk of dislodgement with trauma. It’s a common reason for losing a crown or two!
