In the world of rugby, the southern hemisphere teams always seem to come out on top, and it's no wonder that the sport is so popular in Australia and New Zealand. The passion begins in school for most youngsters, who dream about playing for their country at some stage in the future and are more than willing to 'get stuck in' as they learn the tricks of the trade. As a parent, you may be perfectly happy for them to take part in the sport, even though it is by the very definition, full contact. You just need to be sure that they take steps to protect themselves and in particular when it comes to their dentition. With this in mind, why do you need to prepare them for any unexpected incident?

Heavy Impact

Most schools and junior rugby teams insist that all players wear a proper mouth guard whenever they take to the field. These appliances work really well in most cases, but they cannot take into account every eventuality. If the player impacts another at a certain angle or speed, the guard could become dislodged and it may be knocked out. Certainly, this will be painful, but it also requires some immediate action.

Sending Out a Search Party

Make sure that your youngster knows what to do and that they make it a priority to find the missing tooth. Often, it will be knocked out completely and will be laying on the grass somewhere, so when it is found, ensure that they rinse it off with a water bottle before closer inspection. If it appears to be largely okay with an intact root, then they will need to replace it if possible. The dentist will have a much better chance of saving the tooth if it is replaced in this way before the player leaves the field.

Reinsertion

The player may need somebody else to help them reinsert the tooth as this will require a certain amount of pressure. It needs to be pushed gently until it is back in the socket and then the player will need to maintain some downward pressure for a couple of minutes.

Some people are worried they will make this worse, but it will only fit one way, so it's relatively straightforward. When it is reinserted, this should help to stop any bleeding, but it's always best to maintain gentle pressure until the player can get to the nearest emergency dentist.

At the Surgery

Most dental surgeons will prioritise this type of case when you arrive at their office and they will be pleased to see that the player has taken the aforementioned steps. Hopefully, they will be able to save it without too much additional work by introducing some temporary measures, while working to alleviate the pain.