UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry says the goal is to ensure student athletes are game-ready as they head back to school.
SAN ANTONIO — UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry is recommending student athletes get their teeth checked before taking the court or field.
Associate Dean of Patient Care, at UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry, Scott Stafford said preventative dental screenings are critical.
“Just like any other back to school check list, get that appointment with their dentist,” he said. “We do vision screenings when kids go back to school, we do scoliosis look at their back. But, their dental health is so critical.”
He said it is really important for student athletes. One time, he recalled treating a 17-year-old who was in for a preseason check-up. He said the student athlete had just seen his dentist four months before. But, Dr. Stafford noticed growth and a fast-moving tumor. If the teen had not been pre-screened, it could have been bad.
“He could have lost his entire jaw,” he said.
Dental screenings are not required for athletes heading back to school. However, Dr. Stafford said parents should be proactive.
“As, I look through the literature so many children miss school just because of tooth or dental pain,” he said. “And that affects not only from a financial standpoint, but a learning opportunity.”
He said college sports and the pros have recognized the importance of dental health. In fact, they have a partnership with the San Antonio Spurs and UTSA Football. Last month, students and faculty did screenings on UTSA football players and fitted them for mouth guards. The overall goal is to make sure they’re game time ready, which Stafford said should be the case for everyone.
“Sometimes there can be decay there that make it uncomfortable and if we can help catch those situations earlier it will avoid those days out of school, I think that’s really important,” he said.
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