Although as a parent it’s fun to watch your child play sports, accidents do happen. At Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics of Virginia, sports dentistry is one of our specialties. To preserve your child’s healthy, beautiful smile, we encourage you to follow the list below of practical measures to help your kids prevent chipped or broken teeth from sports — or even from ramming around the house or back yard.
Use water bottles: As kids run to the line at the drinking fountain at school, or practice, they may rush to get a drink of water and hit their teeth on the spout. Instead encourage your kids to take their time, or simply provide them with a bottle of water instead.
Invest in a good mouthguard: If your kids play sports, it is a great idea to provide them with mouthguards. Mouthguards help protect not only your children’s teeth, but also their gums, lips, cheeks and faces. While football and hockey teams require mouthguards, they are also good to use if your child plays soccer, basketball, or rides a bike or skateboard. Pediatric dentists can provide children with mouthguards custom-tailored to fit their own teeth and bite for maximum comfort and protection.
Encourage careful use of eating utensils: Encouraging kids to eat slowly will help protect their teeth and gums from unnecessary chips or damage. Kids sometimes accidentally “stab” their gums from accidentally jabbing themselves with a fork or spoon.
Discourage your children from using their teeth as tools: Many kids get in the habit of using their teeth to open a tight cap on a bottle or tear tags off clothing. This tendency can easily cause chips or breaks, so try to convert your children to using rubber jar and bottle openers and children’s scissors for clothing tags.
Avoid sharp-edged furniture at home: This tip is especially important for toddlers’ parents. Coffee tables, for example, are notorious for causing bleeding to little faces and mouths. If you can childproof your furniture, you will spare your child and yourself a trauma if he or she runs headlong into something — and spare his or her teeth from chips or breaks.
Teach caution when it’s wet, cold or icy: Falls are one of the most common ways children break or chip teeth. Make sure they have shoes and boots with rubber treads during the winter months, and encourage them to walk slowly when it’s “slippery” weather.
At Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics of Virginia, your children’s oral health is our number-one priority. Please contact us at (804) 739-0963 or schedule online to set up your child’s next dental appointment today. If your child does break or chip a tooth, please contact us immediately so we can advise you how to save or replace it. We have two conveniently located offices in the Richmond area: Midlothian and Colonial Heights.