Sports dentistry: coming of age in the '90s

As the country becomes more health conscious, many of our patients are becoming involved in sporting activities, from organized teams to the occasional weekend warrior. As a result, the incidence of oral trauma is increasing. Dentistry today must respond to these patient's specialized needs, providing them with the quality of care they deserve. This paper discusses the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports-related dental trauma for the general dentist. Injury management, smokeless tobacco, mouth guard comparisons, custom mouth guard fabrication, marketing techniques and liability are presented.