Soft tissue hemorrhage and ecchymosis often mask the subtle manifestations of luxated and concussed teeth. Potentially, luxated and concussed teeth can develop necrotic pulpal tissue requiring endodontic therapy. Therefore, all seemingly minor injuries need to be considered. These possibly minor injuries may have interfered with an athlete's ability to compete. If hemorrhage is not controlled in two minutes, the wrestler is required to forfeit.
Many orofacial injuries are difficult to stabilize in that amount of time regardless of severity.
Variations in Orofacial Injuries Among Schools. In wrestling, the incidence of orofacial injuries did not differ between high schools. Unlike basketball and soccer, the wrestlers compete individually even though they are a member of a team. Each wrestler was solely responsible for the outcome of his match. There were no teammates to rely on, therefore, the school affiliation became less significant.