Play Sports? Protecting And Restoring Your Teeth

Being active is good for your health, but not always for your teeth!

We are constantly being encouraged to stay active in order to have a healthy and longer life. This is good advice and most of us could probably do a little more, even if it is only walking a bit more than we already do.

One of the most fun ways to stay fit is to play a sport as that not only keeps us fit, but also stimulates us mentally and often provides an opportunity for socialising with others too.

Injuries are not uncommon in some sports such as football, and most sprains and breaks will heal. Some damages though are more problematic and this especially applies to our teeth. Damage such as a broken tooth will require professional intervention by one of our Wickford dentists in order for it to be restored.

Mouth guards

The most logical way to protect your teeth from harm when playing sports is to wear a mouth guard. Boxers and hockey goalkeepers nearly always wear these due to the high risk factor. If you play other sports where contact with another person, or even the ball, is a possibility, you will have to make a decision whether this is appropriate for you. You may go through your whole career without any damage, but equally, you could lose a tooth or a number of teeth in just one single collision.

The fact is that if you play a sport where contact is a possibility, there is always a risk of some dental damage.

Missing teeth and dentures

Before we look at possible treatments for any teeth that become damaged, one question that often arises is whether someone who has lost teeth should replace them with dental implants or stick to dentures. In general, we believe, at the Cygnet Dental Practice, that teeth implants are a superior tooth replacement option for the vast majority of people. Having said that, there are considerations that need to be made if you are planning to continue playing sports for a while, especially contact sports.

The fact is that although implants are the stronger option, they can still be damaged in a collision with another player or even the ball. If you are lucky, it could just be the crown part that is lost and this can usually be replaced without too much surgical intervention. Heavier collisions though may also damage the implant itself, the part that is placed into the jawbone. In some cases, the bone itself could be damaged which might prevent a replacement implant being possible.

Where the risk of future injury is high, you might want to continue wearing dentures while you continue playing. Dentures are more easily replaced than implants. In fact, you would probably be better off removing them for the duration of the game and replacing them afterwards. Again, this is a decision that you will have to make and may depend on the sport that you play.

Restoring damaged teeth

As with teeth that become damaged in other ways, those damaged through playing sport can often be restored with one of our widely used treatments that we have available at our Wickford dental clinic.

Small chips can be filled using bonding, although this is more likely to be used where the damage is small and restoration largely cosmetic, or perhaps to smooth a rough edge that is causing discomfort to the lips or cheeks. More significant chips or cracks to the teeth can also sometimes be restored using porcelain veneers which provide a longer lasting solution.

Larger amounts of damage may be filled with a filling, including the use of white tooth fillings for a more aesthetic appearance. More significant damage may require the fitting of a crown, or cap as they are sometimes called. In some cases, damage may have been caused to the roots of the tooth and in this case, you may require a root canal procedure to save the tooth.

Where a tooth has been knocked out, you may be tempted to leave a gap in your teeth, especially if it is not in a very visible area. We don’t recommend this however, as this can cause other teeth to encroach into the space that is left and cause your teeth to become crooked and uneven. As mentioned before, you will need to make a decision whether to have dentures for the duration of your sport playing life and have implants following your ‘retirement’ or to risk implants straight away. Again, this will probably depend on the type of sport that you play and we are, of course, always happy to offer advice and answer any questions that you might have.

If you play sports, it is important that you also see your dentist for regular check ups. This will help to detect any minor damage that you may not have noticed early on, and also allow us to check your gum health. This can be an issue with some players who don’t rehydrate enough and are therefore at a higher risk of gum disease, or who do so using high sugar sports drinks which are potentially harmful for both teeth and gums.

Whether you play sports or not, our friendly team of dentists are always here to help you. You can arrange an appointment to see as by calling the Cygnet Dental Practice today on 01268 733078.