Cracked, Chipped, or Knocked Out? How to Handle Sports-Related Dental Injuries
Over the next few weeks, kids, teens, and adults will all take to the field, court, or ice to play their favorite sports now that the start of the fall sports seasons is almost here.
roots, rinse it, and return it to its socket, where you can gently bite down until it returns to normal. However, some people must come in for an appointment to get this fixed.
While this is an exciting time for athletes, it comes with an added risk for injury. Most people probably imagine broken bones and muscle strains as common sports injuries, but your teeth can experience damage, too. Most dentists will tell you that 30% of all dental injuries result from sports-related activities and can require serious intervention.
Other sports-related dental injuries can cause severe problems if left untreated. Some people experience tooth intrusion after something external pushes a tooth into the jawbone. This injury requires emergency intervention and may even call for a surgical procedure. While we’ll be here to help with dental emergencies, you can take preventive actions to reduce your risk of dental injuries while playing sports. Mouthguards are a must, especially if you’re playing a contact sport. You should also watch your diet, avoiding sticky and hard foods before practice or a game. Keeping up with your oral hygiene and
In many instances, a sports-related dental injury requires emergency treatment. Let’s say you fall while running down the basketball court and crack or chip a tooth on the hardwood. This can cause immediate pain and discomfort you should remedy immediately. Most of the time, we’ll be able to repair the crack with a crown, but in serious cases, we’ll need to extract the tooth or even do a root canal treatment. You may even hit your tooth so hard that it comes completely out of your mouth! If this happens to you, you should locate the tooth, pick it up without touching the
maintaining a healthy diet will be your best defense against sports injuries. Some injuries are unavoidable, however. We’ll be here to help if you ever experience one!
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Inspired by EatingWell.com
SPINACH, FETA, AND EGG STUFFED PEPPERS
Ingredients
• 2 large bell peppers, any color • 1/2 tsp salt • 4 large eggs • 2 tbsp reduced-fat milk • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1/2 cup chopped onion • 2 cups chopped spinach • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Halve peppers lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. 3. Place peppers cut-side up in an 8-inch-square microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high 2 1/2–3 minutes until tender; pat dry and sprinkle with salt. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and black pepper. 5. To a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil, then add onion and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. 6. Add spinach and cook, stirring 1–2 minutes more until spinach is wilted. 7. Divide spinach mixture evenly among pepper halves. Sprinkle with feta, and top with egg mixture. 8. Bake 30–35 minutes until filling is set.
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