The Newport-Mesa Unified District has rejected a claim for more than $28,000 from the parents of a student who had four teeth broken in a “friendly scuffle” with a teammate.  The district rejected the claim in a trustee meeting last week, though they did not discuss the claim at the meeting.

A Missing Baseball Glove

The incident began with a friendly game the team engages in during and after games. If a player forgets his glove and another player picks it up, the forgetful player must give the finder a sports drink to get the glove back.

The two players had engaged in the exchange of the glove once already in the game, and when the glove went missing again, the player asked his teammate for the glove again. When it wasn’t returned, he tackled his teammate, accidentally knocking the wind out of him. His teammate then responded by pushing him face-first onto an athletic bag, where the player struck his teeth against a baseball, breaking four of his teeth.

The parents made the claim against the school because they said the coach was inattentive at the time of the conflict and should have done a better job of watching the kids to prevent fights.

Remind Children to Use Caution to Protect Teeth During Sports

Broken teeth are actually some of the more common injuries in baseball. The hardball is more than capable of breaking teeth on impact, especially when thrown or driven from a bat at high speed.

Remind your children that it’s crucial they wear protective mouthguards during sports, and make sure the coaches enforce the requirement. And remind your children that injuries can happen off the field as well, especially when they are roughhousing or fighting.

Restoring Broken Teeth

We don’t have access to the filing, so we don’t know the exact terms of the claim, but there are several potential ways to address broken teeth, depending on the severity of the break.

If the break is just a minor, aesthetic chip, it can be corrected with dental bonding or, for a more attractive and more durable repair,

porcelain veneers. For a more extensive break, dental crowns may be necessary to support the broken tooth and protect exposed nerve within. In rare cases, the break may compromise the security of the tooth root, requiring that it be replaced with a dental implant.

If you have broken teeth and are looking for someone in Orange County to repair your smile, please contact Rice Dentistry in Irvine, today.