There are not too many sports that your children can play in which they will be guaranteed that they will not have a dental injury. Unfortunately, the sports and activities that many children engage in during the winter places them at a higher risk of these types of injuries happening. Knowing how to handle these dental emergencies when they happen can make a difference in how quickly your child recovers.

Why Are Winter Sports More Dangerous?

Although children can see a multitude of dental injuries from playing basketball, football, and other sports throughout the year, these sports do not produce some of the risks that can be found in the winter sports of snowboarding, skiing, bobsledding, and ice hockey.

Many times the differences in the rate of injury can be contributed to the high speeds that your child can obtain during these sports, and the unyielding impact of ice and snow. While these sports produce their share of fractures and sprains, they also produce more than their share of dental injuries. 

The Best Way To Handle Dental Emergencies Is To Avoid Them 

The best way to avoid any type of dental injuries is to ensure that your child wears the proper protective equipment when they are engaged in the sport or activity. Insist that your children take safety precautions even if they are just out playing around.

Something as simple as a mouth guard will help to protect your child's teeth from being broken, or even lost. A good mouth guard will also help to safeguard against jaw fractures, concussions, and other injuries in which their lower jaw is forced into their upper jaw. These are especially important if your child wears braces, or other orthodontic structures.

What To Do In The Case Of A Dental Emergency

There are many dental emergencies which can occur during winter activities, but three of the most common ones that you will find yourself having to deal with are soft-tissue injuries, chipped or broken teeth, or a tooth that has been completely knocked out. The most important thing to remember when dealing with either of these is to not panic. Once you apply the initial first aid, an emergency dentist can usually restore their dazzling smile. 

When dealing with soft tissue injuries, you may be surprised at the amount of blood these types of injuries produce. Luckily, it is usually easy to get under control. 

• Have your child rinse their mouth with a warm salt-water mix.
• Apply pressure with a damp wash cloth, a moistened tea-bag, or a piece of gauze. Keep the pressure in place for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bleeding stops. If the bleeding does not stop, your child will need emergency dental care. 
• Place a cold compress on the area to reduce swelling and pain.

If you are dealing with a knocked out, or broken tooth, remember that the best place for it to be, until you can get to the dentist, is in your child's mouth.

• Gently clean if off while holding it by the crown
• Try to reinsert it into the space that it came out of. Do not force it into the space.
• If this is not possible, place the tooth in a small cup of milk. This will help to keep the tooth nerve alive until you arrive at the dentist.
• Quickly get your child and the tooth to your dentist.

Unfortunately, accidents happen no matter how careful you are. Knowing what to do, and how to contact your emergency dentist will give you and your child the best outcome.