April is National Oral Health Month, and is also National Facial Protection Month! For Dr. Chow and our team at Panorama Orthodontics, that only means one thing: it’s once again time to remind everyone to protect their faces and beautiful smiles.
According to the US National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events annually. To us, that’s simply appalling! In our practice, our patients unfortunately suffer from dental trauma on a regular basis; we have seen and treated more than 10 knocked-out or severely injured teeth in the past 12 months.
By simply wearing a properly fitted mouth guard or other form of protection, kids and adults alike can greatly reduce their chances of traumatic facial injuries, as well as concussions and closed head injuries.
Here are four ways to ensure you and your child can protect your mouth this spring:
1. Make sure you or your child wears a mouth guard for contact sports such as hockey, baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.
2. Wear a properly-fitting helmet, secured with the straps!
3. Wear a face shield as part of the protective equipment, if suitable for your sport.
4. Make sure your child is alert, even as a spectator
We hope that these tips are helpful. Dr. Chow will tell you protective gear is vital for anyone engaging in tooth or mouth-threatening activities. If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact us at our Surrey, BC office.
Stay safe and have fun this spring!
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