Sports are an important part of Indian life. Various sports are played in India. Although cricket is considered to be the most popular sport in India, sports like football, hockey, kabaddi, go-go, boxing are also played by a diverse population.
Not only our body when we engage in sports; The mind also gets stronger. Sport brings many benefits to us; However, injuries are also inevitable.
Types of Injuries: Sports related injuries can be categorized into acute injuries and chronic injuries. Serious injuries are those that occur when an athlete falls or is hit during a game. Chronic injuries are those caused by overuse of a body part. In general, people between the ages of 5 and 12 are more likely to suffer upper body injuries, including fractures.
Athletes between the ages of 13 and 17 have the highest incidence of hip, spinal cord, and chest injuries. Among sports injuries, dental injuries are the most painful; Even dangerous ones. These injuries are so prevalent worldwide that a new field of dentistry has emerged called ‘sports dentistry’.
Sports Dentistry: Sports Dentistry originated in the 1980s. However in recent years, it has been considered as an important field of dentistry. The basic aim of this department is to identify teeth that are susceptible to injury in sportsmen and to promptly manage dental injuries. This field covers sports-related injuries to the mouth and face, associated oral diseases, treatments to prevent those diseases, and management of injuries and diseases.
During sports, the face, teeth, and soft and hard tissues inside the mouth are more likely to be injured. Such injuries not only damage the structures of those places; Affects the injured player emotionally and psychologically. Modern dentistry has many techniques and tools to protect and recover athletes from such injuries.
Sports-related dental injuries: Dental injuries occur due to physically related team sports, non-physical individual sports, recreational activities, etc. Children and adolescents are at high risk of such injuries. There are many types of sports-related dental injuries.
A fracture in the crown of a tooth
It is one of the most common sports-related dental injuries. It usually occurs in the front teeth. Enamel, pulp and dentin are affected.
Enamel fracture
Enamel fracture is not considered an emergency in sports-related dental injuries. These are often overlooked by athletes. These fractures or injuries are asymptomatic; These are detected during a routine dental check-up.
Root Fracture: Fractures in the roots of teeth are less common than fractures in the crown. But the severity of the damage depends on the location of the root fracture.
Tooth displacement: This is more common in sports like hockey. In such an injury, the teeth are displaced from their place.
Tooth loss: In such an injury, the tooth falls out completely. If treated within 15 minutes of the injury, there is a chance that the fallen tooth will be implanted back into the mouth.
How to prevent? – Proper use of protective equipment such as helmets, face shields, mouth guards, etc. will help prevent oral injuries including face and teeth.
Headgear – It helps to protect the scalp and ears. They protect the head bones and nervous system in case of injury and help to avoid death.
Face Shield – It protects the eyes, face, nose, jawbone, mouth and lower jaw. One of the main disadvantages of face shields is that they can easily be grabbed or pulled by an opposing player. Due to this defect, serious neck injuries or spinal injuries can occur.
Mouth guard – It is cheap and easy to buy. These are generally available in one size; All athletes can easily wear it. These are concrete; It can be held in place; Does not come off easily. We have to keep this in place by biting the teeth together.
Awareness is essential: Although sports-related dental injuries are common, they require immediate attention and treatment. Teachers, coaches, athletes, and especially parents are advised to stay in touch with dental professionals. It will give them a thorough understanding of dental care, facial care, injury prevention and management. Adequate awareness of sports-related dental injuries can protect athletes from physical harm and psychological harm.
Risk Factors: Risk factors can be classified into two categories as extrinsic risk factors and intrinsic risk factors.
External risk factors:
Wrong way to play
Lack of mastery or lack of skill in sports
Playground quality.
Quality of tools used
Climate like rain, snow
Negligence on the part of the supervisor
Intrinsic Factors:
Physiological or psychological factors
Age related factors.
Gender
Body size