Parents may not realize how hidden
dangers of certain summer activities can also affect teeth
School's out and summer is here, attracting swarms of children
to flock to outdoor activities. Yet, parents may not realize how
hidden dangers of certain summer activities can also affect
teeth, reports the Academy of General Dentistry, an organization
of general dentists dedicated to continuing dental education.
"In the summer, accidents that cause
tooth injuries occur mostly from falling off playground swings,
diving into shallow pools, baseball, skateboarding, in-line
skating and bicycling," says Lawrence Bailey, DDS, FAGD,
spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry.
Most people don't know that:
- For ages 0-4, playground
injuries to the brain and face account for nearly 60 percent
of all injuries.
- Every two-and-a-half
minutes, a child is injured on a playground in the United
States.
- Approximately 10 percent of
children who participate in sports receive some type of
injury to the face.
- Thirty-six percent of
injuries to children are sports related.
- Five million teeth are
knocked out each year.
These accidents mostly cause
cracked and fractured teeth and lip lacerations, according to a
recent study in General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed journal of
the Academy. In addition, high impact collisions can cause
broken jaws, and tooth trauma symptoms include sensitivity to
hot and cold temperatures.
If you or your child experience a
tooth injury this summer, Dr. Bailey recommends the following
first aid steps for a loose or knocked out tooth.
| If a tooth is displaced
(loose), push the tooth back into its original position,
bite down so the tooth does not move, call your dentist
or visit the emergency room. The dentist may splint the
tooth in place to the two healthy teeth next to the
loose tooth. |
| For an avulsed (knocked
out) tooth, pick the tooth up by the crown, not by the
root -- handling the root may damage the cells necessary
for bone re-attachment and hinder the replant. If the
tooth can not be replaced in its socket on site, do not
let the tooth dry out. Place it in a container with a
lid and use low-fat milk, saline solution or saliva.
Visit the dentist as soon as possible — the longer the
tooth is out of the mouth, the less likely the tooth
will be able to be saved. |
This information has been
provided by the AGD |
