Sports and Activity-Related Dental Injuries

Sports and Activity-Related Dental Injuries: How can they be prevented?

What exactly is considered a sports or activity-related dental injury? Most people will think of the most obvious injuries like fractured or chipped teeth. But did you know that there are many other injuries that dentists see during the summer and throughout the year?  For example, gum, lip or tongue lacerations, punctured or biting of the lips, tongue or cheek and TMJ (your jaw joint) trauma that can lead to concussions.  

What should you do if you have a dental emergency?
What should you do if a tooth has been knocked out? You should keep the tooth and transport it in milk or water quickly to your dentist and often it then can be saved. What about minor chips and cracks in the tooth? Dentists can repair these issues using tooth-colored materials that are nearly as strong as the original tooth. However, even "minor" injuries can cause serious and costly damage. If you enjoy sports or other high-risk activities, protect yourself.

Quick facts:

•  The use of mouth guards and face guards prevent about 200,000 mouth injuries a year.
• The cost is $5,000 to restore a missing tooth, including a follow-up visit.
• Dental injuries are the most common injury sustained during sport participation.

But many of these injuries can be prevented by the use of athletic mouth guards, helmets, face guards, or custom athletic mouth guards.

Over-the Counter Athletic Mouth Guards –The first type of mouth guard is the cheapest and probably the least effective. They can be purchased at any sporting good store, department store or sometimes a pharmacy.  It is most suitable for children, where the impact in sports is still minimal and the mouth guard needs to be changed regularly as they grow and their bite changes. These store bought guards are usually one size fits all, that require placing the guard in boiling water to soften the guard and then the user has to bite into the guard in order to customize it at home.

Custom Athletic Mouth Guards can only be made at your dental office.  They will require at least 2 visits but will create a mouth guard that will perfectly fit your teeth and will provide more protection to the teeth, tongue and soft tissue and sometimes even able to prevent concussions. This type of mouth guard is best suited for older individuals whose teeth have stopped growing and who can invest in more expensive equipment for the longer term. It also makes talking and breathing much easier – which is a big advantage if you’re breathing heavily during competitive sports! Most professional and college athletes wear these custom mouth guards.

Helmet and Face Guards must be worn for any activity that involves speed or the chance of impact.  These include football, hockey, lacrosse, field hockey, skiing, snowboarding, biking, rollerblading, and horseback riding. Helmets should fit correctly and all straps should be tight so that the helmet isn’t moving on the head.

Wedding Day Dental Cosmetic Makeover!!! Brighter, Whiter Smile in 3 visits.

Recently Patient "N" came to our office the Hershey Dental Associates,LLC concerned about his smile and was interested in having a whiter, brighter smile for his wedding day which was quickly approaching.  Imagine having teeth that you feel for some reason or another are unfit for you to smile. Our Patient "N" wanted the wedding day, possible his most photographed day of his life to be a memorable one. 

So we then talked for a few mins, became familiar with "N", and started talk about his smile and asked him what his concerns were with his current smile.  He was concerned about the shading of his teeth, and the uneven edges, he wanted whiter teeth, and an even smile.  We spend a few minutes talking with "N" about his treatment options, dental bleaching and bonding to even out his smile, dental porcelain veneers, full porcelain crowns, or a removable cosmetic option snap on smile.  Many of the options required several office visits, many dental injections, removal of portion of the existing tooth, and several weeks to complete the treatment. 

BEFORE

He told us that he had done some research and that he was interested in a procedure called "Snap On Smile".  He even came in with a photo of a celebrity's smile that he thought was a smile that he wanted to have for his wedding day. We agreed to having a Snap on Smile fabricated for the short term transition, and in the future "N" is interested in having another Smile Makeover using Porcelain Dental Veneers.  We then took his photos, impressions and selected the desired shade for his new smile, and sent all of the information to our dental lab to create his new smile.

A few weeks later when our case had returned we were to deliver our our patient "N" with is new smile.  "N" was extremely excited the day we inserted his new smile, he said it looked exactly the way he had pictured it.  We are happy for "N" and Wish him the best of luck on his wedding day and for many years to come!!!!

AFTER

The Snap on Smile procedure has been widely advertised and has great result for patient that are looking for a transition from their old smile to a new Cosmetic Smile.  One great advantage of the Snap on Smile is that you are able to preview your smile before committing to future work like Dental Veneers, or Porcelain Crowns (Dental Caps).  This Procedure can also be used in cases where patients are missing a front tooth or are waiting for a dental implant to heal, this can fill the empty space without people realizing they are missing their tooth. 

Many patients ask what is this made of? This product is made by Den-Mat, a dental materials company and laboratory in California. It is made out of a crystallized acetyl resin that is fairly flexible and durable.  It is completely removable and is extremely easy to maintain and clean.  Eating with this appliance may take some time but can be done carefully, start with a semi-soft diet and move up to slightly harder foods as you become more comfortable with the appliance.  After eating simply remove after meals rinse, brush and floss your teeth then re-insert the Snap on Smile. 

Snap on Smile Appliance being placed in a patient's mouth

Regular 6 month dental visits with a professional cleaning and removing the appliance and rinsing after every meal/snack is highly recommended due to the fact that it is more likely to collect plaque, food particles around the appliance and can lead to tooth decay under the Snap on Smile

What has your SMILE done for you lately??? Here's look at Cosmetic Dentistry!!!

A smile can be the most eye-catching feature of a face.  You might be thinking what can a great smile do for me? It can improve your self-confidence, which can have a positive impact both the social and professional aspects of your life.  Even the most subtle change in your smile can make a dramatic difference in the way you look and feel about yourself.  In fact anyone can have a great smile.  With the field of dentistry's many advances, you no longer have to settle for stained, chipped, or misshapen teeth.
    

In the past, most dental fillings were composed primarily of gold, amalgam and other materials that left visible dark or black spots on the teeth. Dental crowns and bridges were fabricated with a metal core under the white porcelain which sometimes caused gum tissue or teeth to appear dark over time. A wide variety of dental materials and technique options are now available to improve how your teeth function and the way your smile appears.  I would like to now go through some of the improved dental techniques currently available to improve both the function and appearance of your smile. 

Teeth Whitening is possibly the most common form of cosmetic dentistry that can enhance your smile by removing staining caused by food, drinks, smoking, or poor oral hygiene.

Composite bonding is more commonly known as the tooth colored filling material.  There are many uses for composite bonding it can replace previous metal fillings, it can fix chipped, broken, discolored, misshaped or decayed teeth may be repaired.  The result is a restoration that blends invisibly with the remainder of the surrounding tooth structure and the rest of your natural teeth to create a healthy, bright smile.

Dental Veneers are comprised of lab fabricated porcelain facing that is bonded to the each individual tooth to correct and repair chips and cracks to help restore a worn appearance or severe tooth discoloration.  Veneers may also be recommended if you have gaps in your teeth, correct misalignment of your teeth or whiten teeth if you have not had success with teeth whitening.

Dental Implants are artificial root replacements that are used as a part of prosthetic (artificial replacement) dentistry in order to compensate for tooth loss.  Once the implant is placed the dentist can construct on the implant a crown to replace the missing tooth.

Full Porcelain Crowns also known as "caps," preserve the functionality of damaged teeth. A dental crown may be used to protect a cracked tooth, restore functionality of a tooth with excessive decay or replace a pre-existing crown.  With full porcelain crowns elimination of the metal core allows for light transmission through the porcelain for better optical, life-like properties and a higher level of esthetics.  Porcelain crowns are esthetic, strong and durable.

Snap on Teeth(also called Snap on Smile TM) is a temporary smidesign appliance that snaps over your natural teeth gives you a picture perfect smile at a fraction of the cost of veneers ! The teeth simply snap onto your own teeth, instantly giving you a beautiful smile.  Perfect for special occasions, such as weddings or interviews, snap on teeth can also be a way to "test drive" a new smile before committing to more expensive and permanent cosmetic dental procedures.

Smile Makeover is a common term used when there are more than one or two teeth that require treatment.  We can use digital picture, imaging and computers to help improve and create a smile that patients dream of everyday. 

With good home care and regular visits to your dentist, modern materials can last for many years and possibly decades.  Like most things, excellent maintenance will extend the life of your dental restorations.

For more information about Cosmetic Dentistry visit Hershey Dental Video Library

Early Detection Oral Cancer

Upon a recent review some publications about oral cancers I found few interesting facts about oral cancers, that I just thought would be useful for patients.  So here are just a few of the facts that you should know about Oral Cancers.

Oral and Pharyngeal cancers will be diagnosed in an estimated 30,000 Americans every year, and will cause approximately 8,000 deaths. On average only half of those with the disease will survive more than 5 yrs.

Early Detection saves lives, with early detection and timely treatment, deaths from oral cancers could be dramatically reduced.   Five year survival rate for those with localized disease at diagnosis is 76% compared with only 19% for those whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Sores that might be warning signs of oral cancer, two lesions that could be precursors to cancer are white in color or (leukoplakia) and red in color(erythroplakia).  Leukoplakia lesions are more common but less likely to become cancerous.  Erythroplakia lesions have a much greater potential for becoming cancerous. 

Any white or red lesion that does not go away by itself in two weeks should be reevaluated and considered for a biopsy to help with diagnosis.

Signs and Symptoms you may see: lump or thickening in the soft tissues, soreness or a feeling that something is caught in the throat, difficulty chewing or swallowing, ear pain, difficulty moving jaw or tongue, hoarseness, numbness of the tongue or other areas of the mouth or swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable. 

Risk Factors:

Tobacco/Alcohol Use: increases the risk of developing oral cancer.  Using both tobacco and alcohol poses a much greater risk than using either substance alone

Sunlight exposure: is a risk for lip cancer.

Age: typically a disease of older people usually because of their longer exposure to risk factors.  Incidence of oral cancer rises steadily with age, reaching a peak in patients age between 65-74.  For African Americans, incidence peaks about 10 yrs earlier.

Sex: Oral cancer strikes men twice as often as it does women.

For more information contact your local dentist or visit:

US Department of Health and Human Services

www.nohic.nidcr.nih.gov