The long days and short nights of summer create the perfect conditions for outdoor fun. But it’s also the time of year when youth accidents — including dental-related mishaps — are most common.
Swimming Pool Safety
Though inherently dangerous, some kids love to jump, flip, and dive into the swimming pool. Many traumatic dental injuries are the result of an impact to the face from the side or floor of swimming pools. So make sure your child’s landing spot is deep enough and that he or she is only jumping into the pool from safe and approved areas, like diving boards or platforms. Encourage walking instead of running when around the pool.
In addition to following pool safety rules, if your child is a competitive swimmer or at the pool more than 6 hours a week, talk to your dentist about the best ways to avoid “swimming calculus.” Swimming calculus is a fancy way of describing hard brown tartar that builds up after prolonged exposure to chemically treated water.
Take Care in Contact Sports
No matter what sport your child plays, dental trauma is always a concern. Luckily, there’s a solution to help mitigate this risk: mouth guards. Even if the sport your child plays doesn’t require a mouth guard, it’s a smart purchase if you want to protect your child’s teeth and oral tissue. In addition to protecting against knocked out and damaged teeth, mouth guards also help prevent oral lacerations, which can be a painful injury.
Mouth guards are available at your dentist’s office and at the local sports store. If your child wants a custom-fit mouthpiece (especially if he or she has orthodontia), talk to your dentist about the options available.
Do you have any summer advice for parents? We’d love to hear. Leave it in the comments.