With warm weather on the way, you can’t wait to dust off your bike! You’ve been cooped up indoors all winter and are itching to run out the door. But wait! Shouldn’t you protect your pearly whites first?
Sports injuries make up 13-39% of dental emergencies, according to dental experts. These types of injuries can result in long-term damage and severe pain, so they are best to be avoided. The good news is, you don’t need to hang up your soccer shoes just yet, there’s an easy way to prevent these injuries, just wear a mouth guard! You’ll be glad you did.
Keep Your Pearly Whites Safe During Spring Activities
When most people think of dental injuries, they picture a teammate or opponent inadvertently striking someone in the mouth with a flailing limb. But in reality, there are other types of injuries that can cause damage through secondary impact. When you fall or get hit on any part of your body, this can cause your mouth to quickly slam shut. The result can be a chipped or broken tooth.
When in doubt, you should always err on the side of caution and wear your mouth guard, but protecting your smile is especially important during activities that involve:
- Risk of falling
- Flying equipment
- Chance of a blow to the head
Popular spring sports where mouth guards should be worn include:
Riding Your Bike? Helmets are a Must!
Safe Kids Worldwide reports that if 85% of all kids wore helmets every time they rode a bike, we would save $109 to $142 million per year in medical savings.
Falling off a bike can catalyze a force that slams your jaw shut. This can cause extensive damage to your pearly whites. Wearing your helmet will help diffuse the impact and protect those chompers. For best safety, wear a mouth guard and a helmet so the two can work in tandem.
According to BMJ Journals, less than 50% of children wear a helmet every time they ride a bike. This is startling news since wearing a helmet is a simple thing that everyone, young and old, should do every time they ride a bike.
For more safety information, check out Colorado’s bike laws and safety tips.
Talk to Your Dentist
Before you or your child gets into spring activities, you need to get a dental safety plan in place. This could mean getting fitted with a custom mouth guard. Keep in mind that mouth guards are not officially required in many activities, but this doesn’t mean you don’t need to wear one! If you have any questions about how to protect your teeth during sports, don’t hesitate to contact us.