Sports Dentistry

[Dr Chetna Bogar]

Sports Dentistry is the treatment and prevention of oral/facial athletic injuries and related oral diseases and manifestations. Sports dentistry includes prevention of oral/ facial trauma during sporting activities. This includes teaching proper skills such as tackling technique, purchase and maintenance of appropriate equipment, safe playing areas and certainly the wearing and utilization of properly fitted protective equipment.

In some sports, injury prevention, through properly fitted mouth guards are considered essential. These are the contact sports of football, boxing, martial arts and hockey. Other sports, traditionally classified as non contact sports, basketball, baseball, bicycle riding, roller blading, soccer, wrestling, racquetball, surfing and skateboarding also require properly fitted mouth guards, as dental injuries unfortunately, are a negative aspect of participation in these sports.

Dental injuries are the most common type of oral facial injuries sustained during participation in sports.

Prevention
Preseason screenings and examinations are essential in preventing injuries. Examinations are to include health histories, at risk dentitions, diagnosis of caries, maxilla/mandibular relationships, orthodontics, loose teeth, dental habits, crown and bridge work, missing teeth, artificial teeth, and the possible need for extractions for orthodontic concerns or wisdom teeth. These extractions should be done months prior to playing competitive sports as to not interfere with their competition or weaken their jaws during competition. Determination of the need for a specific type and design of mouth guard is made at this time.

Mouthguard design and fabrication is extremely important. There are four types of mouth guards according to the dental literature. Stock, Boil and Bite, Vacuum Custom made, and Pressure Laminated Custom made.

First of all, it is essential to educate the public that stock and boil and bite mouthguards bought at sporting good stores do not provide the optimum treatment expected by the athlete. These ill fitting mouthguards cannot deal with idiosyncrasies athletes and children may have. If everyone had the same dentition; were of the same gender; played the same sport under the same conditions; had the same experience and played the same position at the same level of competition, and were the same age and same size mouth, with the same number and shape of teeth, prescribing a standard mouthguard would be simple. This is the precise reason why mouth guards bought at sporting good stores, without the recommendation of a qualified dentist, should not be worn.

Idiosyncrasies are to be noted during mouthguard design and fabrication. These may include jaw relationships where mouth guards may have to be designed on the mandibular arch such as a Class III prognathic bite. Otherwise, where possible, mouthguards should be built on the maxillary (upper) arch.

Erupting teeth (ages 6-12) should be noted so the mouthguard can be designed to allow for eruption during the season. Boil and bite mouth guards do not allow for this eruption space.

For patients with braces, special designs for the mouthguards are essential to allow for orthodontic movement without compromising on injury prevention and fit. This can only be achieved through consultations with the dentist.

Sports Dentistry also includes the need for recognition and referral guidelines to the proper medical personnel for non dental related injuries which may occur during a dental/facial injury. These injuries may include cerebral concussion, head and neck injuries, and drug use. Dentists are not suggested to treat these injuries, but as health professionals dentists should be able to recognize these entities and refer these patients to the proper medical personnel. For example, if a patient comes into the office for a broken or knocked out tooth, dentists must rule out the possibility of a head injury or concussion before treating the patient for the dental injury. If certain symptoms are present, such as persistent headaches or nausea, immediate referral to medical personnel is essential.

        

[Anonymous]

IF ANYONE INTERESTED IN TAKING UP SPORTS DENTISTRY AS A COURSE. HERE ARE THE DETAILS::
Module Leader: peter fine
Programme Coordinator: Anthony Clough
Guest Speakers: Senior Lecturers and Clinicians from Eastman & London Sports Institute
Aims and Objectives

The aim of this module is to stimulate participants in this expanding area and increase their understanding of the clinical needs of athletes. The course will take place over ten study days spread at monthly intervals.

The module will include lectures, seminars and clinical sessions together with practical and laboratory sessions to construct splints and mouthguards.

The dental aspects of the course will include:

* Aetiology, prognosis and treatment of dental and maxillo-facial trauma
* The recognition of neurological injury
* Tissue healing
* Stress and TMJ Dysfunction
* Tooth surface loss and the relationship with sporting activity

In addition to the dental and maxillo-facial subjects there will be lectures and demonstrations on the following topics:

* Sports physiology
* Psychology of sports injury
* Diet and Nutrition
* Therapeutics and drugs in sport
* Medico-Legal aspects of dental injuries

At the end of the course participants will feel confident to take an active role in the health care of sports people and able to advise team doctors, physiotherapists and dieticians on those specific areas of dental care particularly relevant to athletes.
Dates 2011 (13 days):

Day 1 – September 1st 2011
Day 2 – September 15th 2011
Day 3 – October 27th 2011
Day 4 – November 24th 2011
Day 5 – December 1st 2011
Day 6 – December 15th 2011
Day 7 – January 19th 2012
Day 8 – February 16th 2012
Day 9 – March 15th 2012
Day 10 – April 19th 2012
Day 11 – May 10th 2012
Day 12 – May 31st 2012
Day 13 – June 14th 2012
Course Fee:

£5200

        

[Anonymous]

Professional hockey organizations have several medical personnel on staff to ensure the players remain at their optimum performance level. The medical team includes a dentist who is in attendance at every game, ready to treat players that have suffered a dental injury on the ice.

During the NHL regular season, injuries sustained during a game by either team are treated by the home team’s dentist. When the playoffs begin and the teams strategy is under lock and key, the dentist accompanies the medical team on the road to provide direct care. Dr. Blair says, "Everybody keeps their cards closer to their vest as far as injuries are concerned, we don’t want the opposition to know our injuries, and they don’t want us to know theirs."

How are dental injuries treated during a game, considering most arenas are generally not capable of housing the equipment necessary to perform a restoration, not to mention the player with the injury is determined to get back on the ice? According to Dr. Blair, the first priority is always, "Immediate relief of pain; hockey players are paid to play hockey. It is our job to get them back on the ice as soon and as quickly as possible. The treatment that takes place at the game might be only a temporary fix to get them back in the game and then more involved, more detailed treatment will take place here in the [dental] office after the game or the next day."

        

[Anonymous]

dentists plays a major role in contact sports i think govt can open certain jobs there in sports industry for the benefit of sportsman and dentist

        

[Author]

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