It’s a fact that children are going to get injured once in a while. A scraped knee. A bruised elbow. Maybe even a broken bone. The likelihood of these injuries occurring skyrockets for children who participate in athletics.
When it comes to injuries to the mouth, there are precautions that can be taken, and we recently focused extra attention on those in honor of National Child Injury Prevention Week Sept. 1-7. But injury prevention should be front and center year-round.
“If you take care of your teeth, you get to keep them for a lifetime,” says Dr. Mark Bronsky, a New York City Invisalign and traditional braces provider. “Especially if you’ve gone through orthodontic treatment, you want to protect that investment in your long-term oral health.”
The solution isn’t for your child to sit on the sidelines. Allow them to enjoy sports safely with a properly fitted mouth guard.
The number of oral injuries to those without proper protection is staggering. The National Youth Sports Foundation for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries states that players are 60 times more likely to sustain injury to the mouth when not wearing a mouth guard. In addition, The American Dental Association estimates that mouth guards prevent 200,000 high school and college athletic injuries.
Fit is key. These appliances should feel snug and cover the gums, not just teeth. Loose pieces that shift while speaking fail to protect players from injuries like mouth lacerations, knocked-out teeth, gum damage and jaw fractures.
“Boil and bite” mouth guards are inexpensive, easy to pop in, and are available in braces-friendly varieties. For truly personalized protection, however, Bronsky Orthodontics can supply children with custom fitted mouth guards perfectly suited for their smile and orthodontic appliances.
Parents with children participating in any sport should ensure their athlete’s smile is protected from injury. Despite popular belief, mouth guards aren’t exclusive to hard-hitting sports like football.
Take steps to protect your child from mouth injury. Contact Bronsky Orthodontics to learn additional information about custom fitted mouth guards.
