Mixed martial artists undoubtedly carry a greater risk for physical injury than the average person—just ask Devin Clark. The star fighter with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has had his share of cuts and bruises over his successful career. His most recent bout was especially brutal—on his teeth.
During his September fight with Ion Cuțelaba in Las Vegas, “Brown Bear” (his nickname among fans) took a knee to the mouth. He went on to lose the fight—and nearly some teeth. Fortunately, an emergency dental visit saved the teeth displaced from their normal alignment.
You might not be an MMA fighter, but you’re still at risk for dental trauma if you have an active lifestyle or play contact sports. Wearing a mouthguard will certainly lower your risk significantly. But what if the unthinkable still happens? An impact to the mouth could leave you with a chipped, cracked, loosened or even knocked out tooth.
If you or someone you know experiences dental trauma, here are 3 common sense tips to cope with the injury and minimize the damage.
See a dentist. If you’ve seen pictures of Devin Clark’s injury right after his September fight, you’d say it was a no-brainer he needed a dentist ASAP. Likewise, so should any injured person with obvious tooth or gum damage. But it’s also a good idea to have a dentist check the teeth, gums and jaws within a day or two after any hard mouth contact for underlying damage.
Retrieve tooth fragments. The blunt force of a hard mouth impact can cause pieces of a tooth (or the whole tooth itself) to come loose. Before heading to the dentist, try to retrieve as many dental fragments as you can—they may be able to re-bond them to the tooth. Just be sure to clear the fragments of any debris and secure them in a container with milk or clean water.
Re-insert a knocked-out tooth. As mentioned earlier, a tooth could be knocked completely out of its socket during a hard impact. Even so, there’s a good chance of saving it if you act quickly. First, retrieve the tooth and, holding it by the crown and not the root end, clear away dirt and debris with clean water. Then, press it firmly back into its socket. The person should then go immediately to a dentist or emergency room.
You’re probably not at as much risk as an MMA fighter for dental trauma, but it can still happen. So, take precautions by wearing a mouthguard during high-risk activities. And should an injury occur, act promptly to protect yours or the other person’s dental health.
If you would like more information about preventing and managing a mouth-related injury, please contact us or schedule a consultation. To learn more, read the Dear Doctor magazine article “Athletic Mouthguards.”