At Harley Street Dental Studio we see a few people every now and then who have suffered an injury to their mouths, which has in turn either damaged or even knocked out some of their teeth. Dentists usually don’t get to see the patient until several days after the incident, once they have been to hospital and the swelling has died down. The dental clinic’s job is to try and fix the damage, either with crowns on broken teeth or with false teeth and dental bridges when the accident has knocked them out altogether. Sometimes, these injuries are caused by genuine accidents – a fall in the street or a car crash – but more often than not, the injured party has been taking part in some kind of sporting activity.

Sport dental injuries more often than not occur if the person hasn’t been wearing the right kind of mouthguard equipment. If you take part in any sport where you could end up getting hit in the mouth, either by a ball, a bat or even a fellow competitor, then you should take steps to protect your teeth. Boxers aren’t the only sportsmen who wear mouthguards and you can see them in games of hockey, ice hockey and rugby too.

Sportsmen and women who dismiss dental protection as only for wimps should try saying that to a strapping rugby league player! Although dentists are able to fix any oral problems caused by sporting injuries, it is much better if the injury either never takes place or if the damage can be limited by wearing the proper protection. If you’re not sure what kind of equipment you should be wearing, a dentist will be able to give you some advice and you can also speak to your coach or teacher if you’re still at school.

Of course, accidents do happen and even with mouthguards sportsmen and women may lose teeth or have them broken during the course of a game or sporting event. The important thing is to be seen by a doctor as soon as possible to check that there is no serious injury before making an emergency appointment with your dental clinic.