Anyone who participates in a contact sport is well aware of the risk of getting a dental injury. Although most participants wear protective teeth and gum guards; accidents can and do happen. Although a dental injury to an amateur sportsman and a professional are no different, the amateur gets the proper corrective procedure done immediately; a professional normally will wear removable dentures because of the risk of further injuries, at the end of his career; that is the time when permanent work is undertaken.
Common restorative dentistry on IL that is used to repair the damage from sports related injuries are:
Partial dentures: In many cases it is the front teeth that are knocked out. A partial denture is a common restoration as it can easily be removed prior to a game. Rarely will the athlete wear the partial denture during the game to avoid further injury or damage to the denture.
Dental bridge: Dental bridges are set in place permanently and cannot be removed. A bridge is used to replace one or more missing teeth. It takes two visits to the dentist for a bridge; one appointment when the impressions that are used by the dental lab are taken and shortly thereafter, the second visit when the bridge is placed.
Dental implants: A dental implant is used to replace a missing tooth; it requires no disturbance of adjoining teeth. The dentist fits a titanium insert into the patients jaw bone and when the insert has bonded to the bone, a porcelain crown is fitted on the top. Dental implants are normally placed once the athlete has retired from active sports.
Dental crowns: A dental crown is used when a tooth has been subjected to considerable damage but not knocked out. It is normal procedure for the dentist to do a root canal before the crown is fitted to what remains of the natural tooth.
Dental veneers: Not in all cases is a tooth or teeth knocked out but in many cases the teeth are chipped and cracked. In this case the fronts of the teeth are fitted with a very thin porcelain veneer, restoring the tooth to its natural beauty.
Mouth guards: A dentist is normally approached to make a custom mouth guard for an athlete. The guard is made at a dental lab and fits over the teeth to ensure that further injury is avoided if at all possible. Browse the site for more details.
