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One in Three Oral Injuries are Sports Related
Friday 25th April: The Irish Dental Association (IDA) today warned that up to one third of all adult dental injuries are sports related as the majority of adults who play sports fail to take steps to protect their teeth from injury.
Dentists attending the IDA annual conference in Wexford heard that twice as many men suffer sports related oral injury than women. However, the number of woman receiving treatment for sports related injuries is on the increase and the IDA suggests that women who play hockey are most likely to present with injury.
The IDA suggests that the risk of oral injury is not exclusive to those engaging in full contact sports such as rugby, Gaelic games or hockey, but is also an issue in sports with less physical contact such as soccer, basketball and volleyball. Most oral injuries occur during head-to-head contact, falling, contact with elbows, hands, arms and sports equipment. The conference highlighted a need for greater oral health awareness among adults participating in sports.
Dr Pat Cleary, IDA, said, "Figures suggest that as many as 22% cent of men and 11% of women in the 25-34 age group have suffered a chip or blow to their front teeth for various reasons. We estimate that of these percentages at least one in three injuries are sports related and should be followed by oral examination. Even if damage does not appear to be too serious it is best to go to your dentist for a check up. If you chip you tooth, even slightly, it needs to be treated in order to safeguard the future survival of the tooth. Chips can be filled in easily and invisibly - get it seen to even if it's not causing any pain."
International Sports Dentistry expert Dr Daniel Friedlander advised delegates of the latest treatment methods for those who experience sports related oral injuries and the steps that can be taken to prevent injuries.
Dr Daniel Friedlander warned that "Oral injuries can have long term affect on areas such as speech, appearance and in more serious cases self confidence. Injuries can be very severe and difficult to treat so the best advice anyone can take is to take steps to prevent injury. We advise people not to risk their oral health and encourage anyone taking part in sports to go to their dentist to get advice on how best to protect their oral health and smile."
Dr Friedlander said, "Oral injuries occur very simply and very quickly. Even during non-contact sports there may be instances of accidental contact with another player or sports equipment, falling, or receiving a blow to the mouth or face. Such injury can easily result in the dislocation or fracture of teeth. Use of a gumshield, even when participating in non-contact sports is vital to reduce the severity of injuries to lips, teeth, cheeks and the tongue."
Offering advice on what to do if you suffer oral injury, Dr Cleary said, "If you have a tooth knocked out while playing sport, it can be put back in and the tooth can be saved if you act quickly. If your tooth is knocked out, look for it immediately. When you find the tooth, hold it by the crown and not the root as you can cause damage if you touch the root. If possible, place it in milk, do not use disinfectant as it will kill the tooth, then pop it back into the cavity from which it came making sure you get it the right way up and not back to front.
Dr Cleary continued, "If you can't manage to put it back in, place the tooth in room temperature milk where it will live for up to four hours. If you don't have milk, keep it in your mouth while you make your way to your nearest dentist."
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