Supporting Young Athletes: A Personal Perspective from a Sports Dentist

Author Name: Yessenia Valverde Ingersoll

Affiliation : Private Practice | General Dentist at Millenia Dental

Professional Affiliation: IADT, ASD, 

USSF preferred healthcare provider

Supporting Young Athletes: A Personal Perspective from a Sports Dentist

Supporting young athletes is a shared responsibility involving parents, coaches, schools, healthcare professionals, and community organizations. I have had the opportunity to experience youth sports not only as a parent, but also as a volunteer coach. These experiences have given me a different perspective on what young athletes need beyond athletic training.

Support happens through everyday interactions: encouraging participation, recognizing when a child needs help, communicating with families, and creating a safe, positive, and fun environment where youth sports serve as a learning opportunity, not just a competitive activity.

As a sports dentist, I also see an important opportunity to integrate oral health into this support system. I believe coaches, athletic trainers, and parents should have a basic readiness plan for oral/dental trauma: know the athlete; have appropriate first-aid supplies available; and know where to seek urgent dental care.

These oral health principles extend beyond the United States. The FDI recommends collaboration among sports organizations, schools, parents, and dental professionals to promote oral-health education, injury prevention, hydration, and mouthguard use.1 Australia’s public health guidance also provides specific recommendations for managing sports-related dental injuries.

My experiences as a parent, coach, and sports dentist have shown me that supporting an athlete simply begins by being present, prepared, and paying attention.

Reference:

1. FDI World Dental Federation. Prevention in Sports Dentistry. 2022. https://www.fdiworlddental.org/prevention-sports-dentistry