This month, our staff at Melanie Parker Orthodontics want you to be extra, extra careful with your braces and appliances. After all, September marks the start of fall sports, which means an increased risk to mouth injuries. September also happens to be National Childhood Injury Prevention Month, and Dr. Melanie Parker and team thought it would be a good idea to share a few sobering facts about sports and facial injuries, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists.
*More than half of the seven million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24. Collision and contact sports have higher injury rates—baseball, soccer, basketball and football account for about 80% of all sports-related emergency room visits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
*Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, yet, 70 percent say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt.
*Of the parents whose children do not wear a mouth guard, 84 percent say it’s because the league or coach does not require it, according to the AAO.
*The average high school baseball pitcher can throw a fast ball between 75-to-85 miles per hour. That compares to being hit in the mouth by a speeding car!
We hope this helps you remember to wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! We encourage you to give our convenient San Diego office a call if you have any questions! We hope you had a wonderful & relaxing Labor Day weekend!