With winter sports under way for a lot of our patients, Dr. Bob Maley thought it would be a good time to remind our young athletes to take care of their smiles while participating in sports this winter.
More than half of the seven million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24. Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard;, yet, 70 percent say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.
Many people think a mouth guard is effective just to protect your teeth. But research has shown mouth guards can also reduce lower jaw impact that causes concussions and other dental injuries. Check out this video to see just how far some parents will go to protect their children's teeth from sports injuries.
We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! You handle the bubble wrap, we'll set you up with a mouth guard! We encourage you to give us a call if you have any questions or ask us on Facebook!
