Sports dentistry: Role of the dentist in prevention of sports related orofacial trauma

Abstract

Dentistry has an important role in the athlete’s health and consequently on sport performance. Sports dentistry is the budding field of dentistry which involves the prevention and treatment of sports related orofacial injuries, as well as the collection and dissemination of information on dental athletic injuries. Many athletes are not aware of the health implications of a traumatic injury to the orofacial structures. The dentist can play an imperative role in increasing the awareness among athletes, coaches and sports administrators about the various aspects of sports accidents and also emphasize the use of orofacial protective devices in variety of sports events. This article will give an overview of sport injuries in orofacial region‑incidence, risk factors and their preventive modalities.