In the Know for You to Know

Play Sports?

Can you guess how many children are injured while playing sports every year? The number may surprise you.

More than 3.5 Million children under 14 years old are hurt while playing baseball, basketball, skateboarding, and other sports and recreational activities. What’s also surprising is that the majority of injuries are to the teeth, lips, tongue, face and jaws.

As a parent what can I do to help prevent this?

Making a simple addition to your child’s sports equipment can protect them from potentially serious face, mouth, and head injuries.

Soccer has shin guards. Hockey, T-ball, and football have helmets. A mouth guard can also be a part of their uniform.

Mouth guards aren’t only for contact sports like football and hockey. Face and mouth injuries are just as likely to occur in sports like gymnastics, basketball, lacrosse, karate, skateboarding, and bike riding.

Dental injuries during basketball mostly occur from an elbow to the mouth

Did you know that 20% of face and mouth injuries occur in basketball, 17% in baseball and 11% in soccer?

Any time you have potential contact with another person or surface, you will have accidents resulting in broken teeth, gum and tongue injuries, jaw fractures and even more serious trauma to the head and neck.

Concussion Risk

Mouth guards can actually help to prevent concussions and head injuries by preventing a chain reaction that can occur when injuries to the mouth travel upward into the brain.

Fit is key

Mouth guards are available in several options, from the off-the-shelf type that is boiled and molded at home to a customized guard made by a Pediatric Dentist that ensures a proper fit. Any mouth guard is better than none, the options offer varying degrees of comfort and protection. If your child has braces check with your Orthodontist about fitting a guard over their braces.

A properly fitted mouth guard will be comfortable, and will not inhibit speech or breathing or make your child feel nauseous. When it feels okay, it is much more likely to  be worn. 

Protective Sports Equipment

A mouth guard is a simple piece of protective sports equipment that can make a critical difference if an injury is sustained to the mouth or face. Nobody wants to miss half of their game to spend Saturday afternoon at the Dentist’s office or the emergency room. By taking this simple, protective step this scenario is a lot less likely to materialize. 

More tips? We have lots. We’re here just for kids!