Monday, March 29, 2010

Rice University Sports Dentistry

What year did your sports dentistry relationship with Rice University begin?
1995. We started seeing from the football team who suffered from problems ranging from concussions, to TMJ problems, to issues with mouthguard fit. Since then, our services expanded to provide every aspect of general and cosmetic dentistry to emergency care.

Because we are only steps away from the campus, dental emergency service been one of the most valuable services we provide to Rice University athletics. We also make many custom mouthguards for their teams.

How many students and staff do you see per month?
We see anywhere from 5 to 15 athletes per month.

What feedback have you gotten from the coaches and trainers?
They have consistently thanked us over the years for the superior care and attention we have shown to the unique needs of their athletes. We have to also thank them as well. Rice trainers have been very helpful when it comes to us in giving us clear information on situations that players face in different athletic events and specific sports dentistry needs that different athletes face at different times.

We have a very strong relationship with the trainers as a result. They can call us at any time, because they know that their athletes will be taken care of. The coaches love the fact that this is one less thing that they have to worry about.

What teams do you work for other than the football team?
We provide sports dentistry services for athletes from every sport. A lot of them who remain in the Houston area continue to be our patients.

How many true dental emergencies have you faced with athletes?
We have treated dental emergencies for countless times over the previous years.

How crucial has your handling of dental emergencies been to student health?
It has literally meant the difference between some players keeping their teeth or losing them. From an athletic perspective, emergency spots dentistry limits the time that the player is away from the game.

What improvements to player performance have you been credited by the Rice U. staff?
Trainers have commented that sports dentistry helps an athlete return to the game with as much, if not more, confidence than he or she left the field with. Perhaps getting back in the game quickly and performing that is biggest help to player confidence.

Where do you see this service going in terms of working with other schools?
Yes. The fact that we are located literally steps away from Rice University Campus makes it even more convenient for players to count on us for dental emergency treatments.

Would you be willing to do this for high school and junior high teams?
Yes. In particular, we could fit everyone on their football teams need custom mouthguards.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

How Emergency Sports Dentistry Re-Implanted a Cheerleader's Teeth

Sports Dentistry is a vital element of player safety and health. The Houston Medical Center Dental Group works in Partnership with Rice University to meet the dental needs of all the players on the Rice Football Team. We provide the full range of sports dental services to ensure the maximum possible safety of each player, thereby improving team spirit and furthering the pursuit of excellence and accomplishment.Rice University is located only a few steps from our office.

Consequently, we provide them with all sports dentistry services pertinent to the needs of their athletes. In particular, we make custom, protective mouthguards for football players. However, there are many other components to sports dentistry that we also provide to people associated with Rice Athletics.

One of the most important elements of our sports dentistry program is the effective management of emergency situations.

One story in particular comes to mind in regards to how vital this service is.

One afternoon 8 years ago, we received a contact from the trainer at Rice University. He explained that he would be brining one of the cheerleaders to our office for a dental emergency. This young lady was a “flyer” in their gymnastics routines. During the course of a practice session, she took a hard fall to the ground and knocked out several of her teeth.

In these situations, in order for emergency sports dentistry treatment to have any chance of saving the teeth, we have to see to it that several critical things are done:

  • The teeth need to be kept clean and moist. This can be done by the patient holding them in his or her mouth, or it can be done by immersing the teeth in a sanitary container filled with a saline water solution.
  • If teeth are exposed to open air out of the mouth for more than 30 minutes, the chances of re-implanting them slip away quickly
  • In most cases, immediate root canal procedures have to be performed.
  • After this, the teeth must be re-implanted and stabilized.

The cheerleader who came to us had a total of five front teeth knocked out. Some were upper teeth, and some were lower teeth. The trainer had been informed to keep the teeth moist and clean as noted above. We were able to get these back into her mouth before that critical 30 minutes was up.

Over the course of the next year, the management of these teeth was very successful overall. Only one was lost, and it was replaced by a dental implant.

Over the past 8 years later, the remaining four teeth have remained viable and stable. This lady is still a patient of ours since her graduation because of the treatment she received under our sports dentistry relationship with Rice University.

These same services are available to other universities, colleges, and school districts interested in protecting the safety and maximizing the performance of their athletes.

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