Dentoalveolar trauma in sports is common. One third of dental injuries in the United States occur in sports-related activities, so team physicians should be able to recognize and properly treat dental injuries on the field. Tooth fracture, luxation, avulsion, and socket injury are the main types of dentoalveolar trauma. In many cases, other maxillofacial trauma can be associated with dental injuries, so physicians who examine these patients should be aware of additional associated injuries. Tooth injury is often preventable with the appropriate use of properly fitted mouth guards. Physicians should be familiar with different types and be able to suggest the correct mouth guard for a given activity.
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