Dental Care and Special Needs: Planning for Success

Posted on: 10 January 2018

Whether you play hockey professionally or for fun, you most likely understand how dangerous the sport can be on your teeth. As a matter of fact, most NHL players feel losing teeth is just another part of the sport. If you play hockey, or another sport that places excess contact on the mouth or head, proper preparation is key to saving your tooth and underlying oral health. Here are a few things every hockey player should keep on hand in case of a dental emergency.

Mouthguards

Even if you consider a part of the game, you can reduce the risk of injury and tooth loss by wearing a mouthguard. This guard fits into your mouth, covering the teeth, protecting them and your gum tissue from the impact while playing hockey or other sports.

Visit a sport's equipment store or discount retailer and you will most likely see a large selection of mouthguards for sale. While sufficient and better than wearing nothing, these mouthguards are not customized to your mouth. For the best protection, ask your dentist to customize a mouthguard for your teeth.

Custom-made mouthguards may be more expensive, but they are the best option for protecting your mouth, teeth, and gums in the most comfortable manner possible. Be sure to invest in an extra guard in case one is damaged.

Dentist Info

First and foremost, you need to act fast if you lose a tooth, so having your dentist's contact information on hand is imperative. Save your dentist's phone number in your phone so you will be able to schedule an emergency appointment quickly.

With proper handling of the tooth and immediate care, your dentist may be able to reattach the tooth without difficulty. Of course, you will need to bring the tooth to your dentist's office within 30 minutes of it being knocked out. The sooner, the better to ensure a successful restoration. To learn more, contact dental emergency services like Centre Family Dentistry.

Gauze

Your dentist may recommend placing a package of gauze in your sport's bag, as well, since it can be helpful in a few ways if your tooth is knocked out.

First, after you lose the tooth, rinse your mouth out with warm water and place a few pieces of gauze directly onto the tooth socket. Bite down gently, yet firmly, on the gauze. This will stop the tooth socket from bleeding any further.

If you are able to find the tooth after it is knocked out, use a piece of gauze to pick it up. Make sure to grab the crown of the tooth with the gauze only. Do not touch the roots of the tooth, since this could result in an infection.

If the tooth appears clean and in good condition, remove the gauze from your mouth and place the tooth back into its socket. If you are unable to place the tooth in the socket, wrap it in a clean piece of gauze and bring to your dentist.