Traumatic Injuries of Head and Neck with Orthodontic Braces

It is quite possible for you to sustain head and neck injuries when you are undergoing an orthodontic treatment. Though you will be as careful, there are chances of you getting hit in the mouth, or sustaining injuries to your face. Orthodontic braces may make your teeth, the gums and bones supporting it and the surrounding soft tissues more vulnerable to damage. If you have sustained any sort of injury, each of these aspects will have to be evaluated by the best orthodontist around.

Possible Damage you may Sustain

Once you begin orthodontic treatment, you will go about your life as normal. However, it is possible that you sustain some injuries. Take a look at some of the possible injuries and the implications:

Damage to teeth: If you have been hurt in the mouth, your orthodontist will check for any visible or hidden damage to the crown. The most common results are a chipped tooth or broken enamel. The tooth may also be fractured. Depending on the extent of this, you may experience sensitivity to hot or cold food or beverages.

Damaged teeth may be fixed with bonding, veneers or even a complete crown. This will depend on the extent of the damage. If the fracture of the tooth has gone down to the bone, then it may be removed and given time to heal.

Change in position: Trauma to the head or the face may result in the change of position of your teeth. This may happen if the bone surrounding your teeth is damaged in any way. You must know that bone is generally weaker than the teeth and tends to give way first.

If your teeth have shifted position, you will have to visit an oral surgeon who will evaluate your teeth first. You will then be given a mouth-numbing agent and will have your teeth brought back into position. The bone around your teeth will also be set back in place. Any broken or damaged braces will be removed and the trauma dealt with first. They will then be repositioned by your orthodontist to continue with your treatment.

Injury to your lips and your cheeks: This is a common result of wearing braces. While the teeth themselves are well protected because of the braces, the soft tissues in your mouth are not. It often gets badly cut and scratched in the event of an accident. You will feel discomfort for a while, but will have to bear with it in order for it to heal.

The use of a cold pack is a good idea. This will decrease the inflammation in the first two days. Because of the large number of vessels in the mouth, you may be shocked when you see the amount of blood that comes out. Do not let this alarm you. The large number of vessels in the mouth, actually help in speeding up the healing process as well.

You may not be able to protect yourself from damage at all times, but our professionals who practice at Beecroft Orthodontics say that using customized mouth-guards will make a huge difference. For further queries contact us today.

Beecroft Orthodontics, 10472 Georgetown Dr. Fredericksburg, Virginia

Phone: 540-898-2200

Traumatic Injuries as a Result of Braces

What are Mouth Guards?

Mouth guards are one of the most underused orthodontics across the nation. They are also one of the most important. There is nothing more frustrating than paying thousands of dollars to make sure that a child has perfectly straight teeth, only to have all of that effort destroyed by an errant hockey puck. As a result, a preferred Invisalign provider Fredericksburg suggests investing and using a sports mouth guard.

How Does a Sports Mouth Guard Work?

A sports mouth guard is fitted over a child's top teeth. This will allow any traumatic mouth injuries to be displaced over the entire mouth, allowing their shock to be safely absorbed, rather than the smile to be injured both functionally and aesthetically. A mouth guard is also able to minimize the effect of force on the jaw, preventing fractures and sprains to the jaw, as well as the base of the skull. A blow to the base of the skull could result in damage to the central nervous system.

Other smaller injuries can also be mitigated by the use of a sports mouth guard. These include tongue lesions, tooth fractures, injury to the gums and other soft tissue, cheek lesions, concussions, and lip lesions. When these very common injuries are able to be avoided, the sports that often cause them become much safer.

How Do I Choose the Best Mouth Guard

There are a few different factors to consider when a parent is choosing a mouth guard for his or her child. The first factor that needs to be taken into consideration is the amount of money that is able to be spent on a mouth guard. Most guards that can be purchased in stores will be less than ten dollars and will be able to fit any budget. Another factor to look at is how often the mouth guard will be needed. If it is going to be worn on a regular basis, then a more durable, higher quality guard might be in order.

What are the Different Types of Mouth Guards?

The first type of mouth guard is the stock mouth guard. These are the guards that can be purchased from a store and immediately fit to the child's mouth. They tend to be one-size-fits-all. Their main advantages are that they are simple to use, easy to clean, and very cheap. However, it can make it difficult for a child to speak and provides the least amount of protection since they will often not work very well. This type of guard is not highly recommended by Orthodontists in Fredericksburg VA.

The second type of mouth guard is the boil and bite mouth guard. This type of guard consists of a thermoplastic material that needs to be placed in hot water in order to make them easy to mold. Then the material will be placed into a child's teeth, creating a custom mold. There are a slightly more expensive and require more work, but they can be purchased at a sporting goods store and will be easy for a child to wear and still speak.

The last type of mouth guard is customized mouth guard, which is made by an orthodontic specialist like Beecroft Orthodontics. These are the most expensive, but will provide the greatest level of protection. If you require any further assistance then contact Beecroft Orthodontics right away.

Beecroft Orthodontics, 10472 Georgetown Dr. Fredericksburg, Virginia

Phone: 540-898-2200

Sports Mouth Guards- Protect your investment