The summer is often a fun and seemingly magical time filled with sunny vacations, road trips, days at the pool, playing outside and enjoying the company of family and friends. It’s important to keep safety in mind while having fun, and to teach your family to do the same so that injuries and accidents don’t ruin anyone’s summer fun. Here’s what you need to know about summer dental safety for your family.
“Don’t Run at the Pool!”
You’ve probably heard the lifeguard yell it more than a few times while at the swimming pool. Dental trauma is more common than you might expect when children are playing at the pool. The area around the pool can easily become slippery, and bare feet and sandals are extra prone to slipping, leading to falls and broken or knocked out teeth, not to mention other injuries like sprains and broken bones.
So before you go to the pool with your family, have a quick talk about pool safety, especially with the younger members of your family. Make sure that they understand the seriousness of the risks that activities like running poolside can pose to them and their teeth.
Wear Your Mouth Guard
More and more sports teams are beginning to recommend and require that participants wear mouthguards, but that isn’t going to be the case when playing a quick pick up game at the park. It is up to you to keep your smile and your family’s smiles safe during games with risk of impact. Talking with your family about summer dental safety and how a mouthguard can help can be a great step towards encouraging younger family members to wear their mouthguard when it may be needed during spontaneous play.
Be Prepared
No matter how careful we are, we may not always be able to prevent 100% of accidents and injuries, so it’s also important to talk with your family not only about summer dental safety, but about what to do in the case of a dental emergency. If a tooth does get chipped, broken or knocked out, it can make a big difference in the ultimate outcome to know how to preserve and protect the tooth, as well as who to call for help.
You can call or make an appointment anytime to talk with your dentist about dental safety. They can advise you on mouth guard options as well as assist you in making an emergency plan for your family this summer. Your dentist can offer suggestions on items you should keep on hand in a first aid and dental emergency kit, as well as how you may reach them after hours or on weekends should an emergency occur.
Call our Centennial Dental Office to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.
