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Sports are great for children for a variety of reasons. Children can develop their motor skills, learn how to solve conflicts and work together, and develop their work ethics. As a parent, you may recognize the benefits of sports, but also naturally worry about your child’s health and safety. Your job goes beyond providing a water bottle and making sure your child follows the rules of the game.

Although you may not think of your child’s teeth first when you think about sports, accidents can happen that affect your children’s teeth. A stray hockey stick, an errant basketball, or a misguided dive after a volleyball are examples of ways a child could lose a tooth. In fact, studies show that young athletes lose more than three million teeth each year.

Becoming a Better Athlete to Protect Teeth

Becoming a better athlete involves refining skills, learning the rules of the game, and being a good sport. These components are not just about winning. They are also about safety. Young athletes who are better ball-handlers and who are careful to avoid fouls and penalties are less likely to have harmful contact with the ball, teammates, or opponents. Children who are better roller-bladers are less likely to take a face plant into the blacktop, and more likely to save their teeth. Being a good sport and avoiding unnecessary contact is one way to protect teeth.

Proper Protective Equipment for Teeth

If your child is in a sport that poses a high threat to teeth, it is essential for your child to wear a mouthguard. Mouthguards fit your child’s mouth and consist of soft plastic. Dr. Ron Shiver can custom fit a mouthguard if generic ones are uncomfortable. While children may resist wearing a mouthguard initially, your persistence in insisting that they wear it should be enough to convince them. A helmet or face mask provides additional protection.

While prevention is best, rapid treatment can improve the situation if your child does happen to lose a tooth during sports. Rapid implantation can work in about ten percent of cases. To learn about ways to save a lost tooth, contact our Valdosta office.

Your teeth generally give you no reason to complain. In fact, brushing and flossing regularly for tooth and gum health, getting good check-ups, and appreciating your beautiful smile in your latest selfie are all very positive experiences. But sometimes, a tooth demands attention in a less than positive way.

When exposure to hot and cold foods causes discomfort, or your gums are swollen and tender around a tooth, or when you can’t bite down without pain, it might mean that the pulp or roots of your tooth have been injured or infected. If your regular dentist suspects there is a problem inside your tooth, he or she might recommend that you see an endodontist, like Dr. Ron Shiver.

“Endodontic” means “inside the tooth,” and refers to the pulp and roots within each tooth that hold tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. While all dentists receive some endodontic training in dental school, to specialize in this field, endodontists receive two or three years of additional advanced training. Here they concentrate on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries that affect the inner tooth and its supporting tissue.

Damage to the tooth’s pulp can be the result of an injury, such as a blow to the mouth. A chip, a crack, or a deep cavity can leave an opening for infection. Whatever the cause of injury or inflammation, once the pulp and roots have been compromised, treatment needs to take place to prevent further infection, pain, and even tooth loss. Endodontists work to save injured teeth with a variety of procedures, including root canals, treatment of injuries caused by trauma, and endodontic surgeries.

If you have a compromised tooth, or if you have oral or facial pain that is difficult to find an explanation for, talk to Dr. Ron Shiver about specialized endodontic treatment at our Valdosta office. Saving a tooth is, after all, one of the most important ways to preserve our smiles. And that’s nothing but positive!

Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog. Please check back often for weekly updates on fun and exciting events happening at our office, important and interesting information about the dental industry, and the latest news about our practice.

Feel free to leave a comment or question for our doctor and staff – we hope this will be a valuable resource for our patients, their families, and friends!