playgrounds site of tooth traumas

Playgrounds: Site of tooth traumas?

       
        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.
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  • Every two-and-a-half minutes, a child is injured on a playground in             the United States.
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  • Approximately 10 percent of children who participate in sports receive             some type of injury to the face.
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  • Thirty-six percent of injuries to children are sports related.
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  • Five million teeth are knocked out each year.
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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.