Treatment Options for Those Who Do Not Celebrate National Facial Protection Month

Published: 04/12/2017

As spring arrives, many take to the streets, courts and playing fields to resume the sports and activities that we were all forced to abandon during the winter. For as much fun and diversion that these pastimes have to offer, they also present an increased risk for injury, particularly to the face. That is because so few people think to protect their faces while playing sports, thinking that they will be able to react in time to avoid any blows or trauma. Yet that assumption is proven wrong in stadiums and on playgrounds across the country every day. To help remind us all of the importance of wearing facial protection, the Academy of Sports Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and the American Associations of Orthodontists as well as Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons have collaborated to have April designated as National Facial Protection Month.

One of the more common results of a blow to the face sustained while playing sports is missing tooth. If you act fast enough, you may be able to rush to the dentist in time to save a tooth that has been knocked out. Yet depending on the nature of the trauma that dislodged your tooth as well as the extent of the damage that it caused, saving a missing tooth may not be possible.

Replacing Missing Teeth with Dental Implants

If so, does that mean that you are doomed to flash a gap-filled grin for the rest of your life? Of course not. In fact, treatment options like dental implants repair the holes in your smile with implants designed to look and function just your regular teeth. More and more people are looking to implants as the preferred method of treating missing teeth thanks to the many unique advantages that they offer, including:

• Protection from conditions related to missing teeth such as jaw bone deterioration.
• The ability to care for implants just as you would normal teeth.
• The security in knowing that with proper care, your implants can last for decades.

If a lack of facial protection while playing sports has left you missing a tooth or two, let Dr. Genninger get you back to enjoying a healthy, happy smile by offering you dental implants in Tampa, FL. To see if you might be a candidate for this procedure, contact us to schedule a consultation appointment today.