You dribble the ball up the court, spin around a defender, set for a shot and then —WHAM! You find yourself on the ground with your lucky front tooth lying next to you.
Don't panic; teeth that are knocked out of your mouth, or avulsed, but are otherwise healthy can be replaced by emergency dental care. Rinse your missing incisor — but do not scrub it — and try to put it back into its vacant socket. If the tooth will not go back into the socket, place it in milk, water, or even in your cheek, and seek immediate dental care.
According to the Center for Disease Control, roughly one third of all dental injuries are sports related, but many athletes do not have dental insurance. Unfortunately, the costs for improperly treated dental injuries associated with the underinsured can be high, complications can occur and the patient may receive poor cosmetic results. If you or any member of your family is an active athlete, consider purchasing some affordable dental insurance so that you will have more emergency dental options available in your time of need.
