Today's patient came to us with a tooth knocked in after a game of basketball. Believe it or not, basketball is one of the most oral-injury prone competitive sports (even more than football). This type of injury is called a luxation- that is, the tooth was moved but not removed from it's original location in the mouth. This is a problem that needs to be evaluated by a dentist as soon as possible. Treatment usually involves moving the tooth back into its original position, stabilizing it with minor orthodontics and monitoring it for infection. However, the long term prognosis on luxation is not great. You may find yourself needing an implant, bridge or partial denture in the future.
Though we see numerous patients every year with injuries just like this one, they are largely preventable. Sports guards are an excellent way to minimize damage to the teeth and surrounding tissues. Our office makes custom fit guards in-house for about $55. All we need is an impression of your upper teeth and 15 minutes to fit the final product. If you would like to know more about sports guards or have questions about sports injuries, please give us a call.