Columbus Blue Jackets Dental Sports Injuries
Official dental partner since the Jacket's first season.Facial trauma needs to be addressed by a professional equipped to handle emergency care, critical treatment, and long-term rehabilitation. Drs. Rekos & Border are uniquely qualified to handle facial injuries, lacerations, broken jaws, and fractures involving the face, skull, neck, or airway. We are the ideal group to handle complex sports injuries and accidents. This is why we partner with the Columbus Blue Jackets and are the official team doctors available to treat facial and oral injuries to the NHL players during home games played at Nationwide Arena. Sports are huge throughout the United States, amongst children, teens, and adults alike. Many of our favorite sports, including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey, all come with a risk however. In participating in these sports, you risk rough contact, be it the result of a fall, colliding with another player or being hit with a ball. In some instances, these injuries can occur on the face. Should this happen, even if the injury seems minor, you should contact Rekos & Border Oral Surgery at (614) 764-9455. Read About Dr. Rekos' Work With The Columbus Blue JacketsDamaged TeethThe most common type of dental sports injury is a damaged tooth or one that is chipped, cracked, or broken. Even if the chip or crack seems minor, it should still be addressed. Damaged teeth are at risk of being attacked by oral bacteria. If the chip or break is deep enough, the interior layer of your tooth, which houses hollow channels leading to the pulp and root, may be exposed. If bacteria enter these channels, it can then cause an infection inside the tooth, which can quickly spread to damage not only your tooth but the jawbone as well. Untreated infections can also spread into the bloodstream. Once set, the only way to get rid of an infection is either through a root canal or, if the infection is serious enough, extraction. Damage can often be repaired with a simple dental restoration, such as a crown. Avulsed (Knocked Out) TeethAn avulsed tooth is a permanent tooth that has been completely removed from its socket. Should this happen, immediate treatment is needed. If possible, find the tooth, and avoid touching the root surface. If it is dirty, don’t wipe it clean. Instead, run it under water. You can try to replant the tooth yourself until you can reach Drs. Rekos & Border, by placing the tooth back in its socket in the proper orientation. If this cannot be done, control the bleeding in your mouth with gauze and place the tooth in a sealed container of milk. Once in the office, we will be able to replant the tooth. If your child loses a baby tooth, still make an appointment, but the tooth may not need to be replanted. Partially Displaced TeethIn some cases, a sports injury may partially displace your tooth. Should this happen, call our office right away. Whether the tooth has been driven deeper into the jawbone or removed partially, we can perform a thorough exam, including x-rays or 3-D imaging, to determine the extent of the damage and plan the best course of action. Soft Tissue InjuriesIn many cases, dental sports-related injuries also include injuries to the soft tissues, such as cheeks, tongue, and gums. Nerves may be damaged, as well as salivary glands and/or ducts. As oral and maxillofacial surgeons, Drs. Rekos & Border are experts in repairing soft tissue damage, including damage done to glands, ducts, and nerves. Bone InjuriesDental sports injuries may also include injury to your jawbone, or other facial bones. Even if you don’t feel like anything is wrong, you may have a fractured jaw, or your jaw may have momentarily become dislodged. While you don’t feel pain now, it can lead to pain further down the line. With top of the line scanning technology, we can check for the presence of any fractures or other issues, and help restore the health of your jawbone, or facial bones, and prevent significant pain later on. Mouth guards are highly recommended when playing any kind of contact sport, however, they are not fool-proof. If you have suffered from a dental sports-related injury, contact Rekos & Border Oral Surgery right away. |
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