Kate's Fear of TMJ

3 Things You Must Do Before Your Child Starts Playing Sports

Do you have children who want to play sports this year? Have you ever given thought to how you'd handle it if your child were to get injured while playing? Depending on the sport, it's almost inevitable that your child will have some sort of injury at some point. For some, this simply means a cut or a bruise. But it can also mean something like teeth being knocked out during rough play. While this can be scary, knowing what to do will help minimize the consequences that you and your child will face. A few things that you need to do before they even start playing include the following.

Locate a dentist: Your city may be full of dentists but only a handful of them may offer emergency dentistry. Even fewer of them are going to be open later in the evening, when your child may be playing his or her games. Whenever you go out, whether for a practice or a full game, make sure that you have the contact information for the dentist in your purse or your wallet. If your child does happen to get hurt, you won't even have to think about anything else aside from getting him or her to the dentist.

Build a first aid kit: The types of first aid kits that you can buy at the store are very good for many things. Depending on how complete they are, they may be able to deal with most situations from a hangnail to a sprained ankle. But, unfortunately, they are rarely geared towards anything to do with emergency dentistry. Fortunately, you only need a few simple additions to be able to handle the situation until you're able to get to the dentist. For instance, if a tooth gets knocked out, it's a good idea to have a bottle of clean water to rinse the tooth off with. The tooth can then be transported in that same bottle of water or, if your child is able to, place the tooth between his or her cheek and gums to keep it safe until you get to the dentist.

Keep towels in your vehicle: Injuries of any kind can be messy, even when they are relatively minor. A split lip may not actually need stitches but can result in your child bleeding all over the back seat while you drive him or her to the hospital to get checked out. The same can happen with any emergency dentistry situation. Having a clean towel or two available for your child will help make the ordeal less traumatic for him or her and will make it easier for you to clean up afterward.


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