Prevention [edit]

Main article: Mouthguard A regular use in mouthguard during sports and other high-risk activities (such as military trainings) are [10] the most effective prevention for dental trauma. However, studies in various high risk populations for dental injuries are repeatedly reporting of a low compliance of individuals for the regular using of [11] mouthguard during activities. Moreover, even with regular use, effectiveness in prevention on dental injuries is not complete, and injuries can still occur even when mouthguards are used as users [5] are not always aware of the best makes or size, which inevitably result in a poor t.

Management [edit]
The sequelae of dental trauma can be serious and can involve pulp necrosis, requiring root canal [1] treatment or tooth extraction. However, recommended in all dental traumas are good oral hygiene with 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash, a soft and cold diet, and avoidance [12] of smoking for several days. When the injured teeth are painful with function due to damage to the periodontal ligaments (e.g., dental subluxation), a temporary splinting of the injured teeth may [13] relief the pain and enhance eating ability. Anavulsed permanent tooth should be gently rinsed under tap water and immediately re-planted in its original socket within the alveolar bone and later [2] temporarily splinted by a dentist. Failure to re-planted the avulsed tooth within the first 40 minutes [2] after the injury may resulted in very poor prognosis for the tooth. Management of injured primary teeth differs from management of permanent teeth; avulsed primary tooth should not be re-planted (to [3] avoid damage to the permanent dental crypt).

The key to dental trauma prevention, as with all aspects of prevention, begins with patient education. Traumatic dental injuries in adolescence are related to motor vehicle accidents, altercations with peers or participation in recreational activities and organized sports, among others. Driver safety programs, the use of seat belts and motorcycle helmets are effective in reducing the frequency of dental trauma related to motor vehicles. Educational programs also may be suggested for anger management. The use of protective athletic equipment such as helmets, face masks, and mouth guards have proven repeatedly to be effective in reducing the number and severity of sports-related traumatic dental injuries. The first step in the process is for the dental professional to ask the question, Do you participate in sports? A positive response by the adolescent is the entre to begin the educational process about the benefits of a properly fitted athletic mouth guard. A recommendation for the fabrication of a custom mouth guard from a dental cast of the patients mouth may then be appealing to the adolescent and acceptable to the parent.