Parents urged to protect athletes from sports-related dental injuries

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – High school football kicks off this week, and a UAB dental expert wants to prevent kid’s teeth from being knocked out.

“Student-athletes, you may think that’s dumb, but it’s protecting you, so put the mouth guard in,” said Dr. Stephen Mitchell, a dentist and a professor in the UAB School of Dentistry.

The expert says sports-related dental injuries are a common problem.

Teeth are made of enamel, which cannot grow back. Thankfully, there are rules in place to protect football players.

“One of the greatest things that organized school athletics has done,” he said. “In most cases, it is a penalty if a play starts without your mouth guard in place.”

He recommends a custom-made mouth guard, which requires a visit to the dentist.

Younger athletes may opt for a boil and bite mouthpiece.

“If you have a child that still has baby teeth, I think the boil and bite mouth guards are the best option, because everything is changing, and you can just re-boil it and let them bite into it again,” said Mitchell.

The dentist stresses that tooth damage is common in baseball and softball. Children should wear fielding masks.

“God forbid a tooth gets knocked out, the number one best thing you can do is pick it up from the part of the tooth you normally see, the part that’s in the mouth, and push it straight buck back in there,” he said.

Dr. Mitchell said people have about 30 minutes to get that tooth back in the mouth to prevent problems.

For people who cannot, he says to put the tooth in milk and head straight to the dentist.

“The sugar in milk, lactose, is feeding those little cells and keeping them alive,” Mitchell said.

It is also recommended children have a regular dentist, which can reduce their anxiety levels during an emergency.

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