Did you know that nearly 50% of children experience some dental injury during childhood?
Some injuries are more severe than others and can result from a fall, a vehicle accident, or while engaging in sports.
Kids are often more at risk for injury during summer vacation because they are able to play outside more since they’re home from school and the days are longer.
Thankfully, some injuries are preventable with the right tools and precautions.
But what about kids who are under the care of a Carson orthodontist? Some dental emergencies are unique to this situation, so what can parents and kids do to prevent orthodontic emergencies this summer?
What Are Orthodontic Emergencies?
Orthodontic emergencies fall into two categories: Major and minor. Both emergencies can impact your overall oral health, as well as the success of your orthodontic treatment.
Major emergencies include:
- Root fracture
- Broken teeth
- Knocked-out teeth
- Broken jaw
- Dislodged tooth
These emergencies tend to happen during some type of accident, like a fall, vehicle accident, or sports injury. It’s essential to seek medical care immediately for these types of injuries. Without urgent treatment, you can experience severe pain, permanent damage, and even tooth loss without urgent treatment.
Orthodontically speaking, such an injury can shift your teeth or jaw joint out of alignment. Once the immediate injury is addressed, it’s important to visit your Carson orthodontist to determine how treatment needs to proceed. It might be necessary to postpone treatment. We may also need to adjust or replace appliances.
What Are Minor Orthodontic Emergencies?
Minor orthodontic emergencies include:
- A poking wire
- A loose bracket
- A loose wire
- A broken elastic band
- A broken retainer
- Gum or tooth soreness that won’t go away or increases in severity
- Jaw pain
- A loose orthodontic appliance (including headgear)
Just because we consider these situations minor doesn’t mean they don’t need to be addressed. Compared to a broken jaw or a knocked-out tooth, these emergencies are not as severe.
However, failing to treat them can result in a stall in treatment, increasing your treatment time or reversing the results you’ve already obtained. Therefore, if you have an orthodontic emergency – whether minor or major – contact your Carson orthodontist as soon as possible.
Can You Prevent Orthodontic Emergencies?
You can’t prevent every orthodontic emergency. Accidents happen. We never know what’s around the corner, so if you or someone you love experiences an emergency, don’t automatically assume you could have prevented it.
Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to help prevent some orthodontic emergencies, particularly minor ones. Here are just a few tips that can help prevent some emergencies.
- Wear a mouthguard when engaging in sports (make sure it’s ADA-approved)
- Wear a seatbelt when traveling in a vehicle
- Wear a helmet when riding a bike
Also, make sure to follow your Carson orthodontist’s guidelines regarding the wearing of and care for your orthodontic appliances.
Avoid eating sticky foods (like taffy and dried fruit), which can get stuck in the grooves of teeth and cause decay in addition to loosening your appliances. Carefully chew hard, crunchy foods (or avoid them altogether) as they can cause gum and tooth soreness.
Another tip from your Carson orthodontist is to create an orthodontics care/first aid kit that you can take with you on vacation. Your kit can include:
- Sterilized nail clippers
- A mouth mirror
- Orthodontic wax
- Your orthodontist’s phone number
- Extra elastic bands
Your emergency orthodontic kit can come in handy when you’re away from home and need a quick fix for a minor orthodontic emergency, like a poking wire or broken elastic band. The temporary fix will help prevent loss of traction until you’re able to visit your Carson orthodontist.
Can Common Summer Vacation Emergencies Be Prevented?
In addition to orthodontic emergencies, there are some other oral health issues to watch for during the summer months. These can include:
- Dehydration: Dehydration is one of the most common heat-related injuries a person can sustain. If the body doesn’t have enough water, it can cause many health problems, including headaches, dizziness, constipation, lightheadedness, and fatigue. Dehydration can also reduce the amount of saliva your body can produce, increasing your risk for dental decay.
- Sunburn and Skin Cancer: Exposure to the sun’s UV rays is the leading cause of skin cancers. Your lips are especially prone to sun damage – including sunburn and cancer – because the skin on them is thinner. Additionally, the skin on the lips doesn’t contain melanin, a pigment that can reduce the risk of cancer (but not eliminate it).
- Blunt force injuries in the pool: Slippery surfaces and distractions can contribute to dental emergencies. The deck around the pool is wet, and it’s easy for people to slip and fall, especially if they’re running around the pool. Injuries can also occur when diving into shallow water or bumping into the pool’s ledge.
- Playground injuries: If a child is playing at a school playground or one at the local park, they can slip or trip and fall. They can fall from the monkey bars. There are several opportunities for playground accidents that can cause soft tissue damage, broken teeth, or even a knocked-out tooth.
How Can You Prevent Summer Vacation Dental Emergencies?
Here are just a few steps to reduce your risk of a dental emergency this summer so you can focus on having more fun!
- Drink plenty of fluids – mainly water
- Wear sunscreen
- Wear lip balm with sunscreen
- Don’t run around a swimming pool
- Follow pool rules
- Avoid diving/jumping into the shallow end of the pool
- Wear goggles while swimming for improved vision
- Wear a mouthguard while playing sports
- Be sure an adult is monitoring children on playgrounds
Visit Your Carson Orthodontist for More Summertime Health Tips
If you’d like more oral healthcare tips before you leave for your summer vacation, be sure to give us a call at 424-391-8941. You can also schedule a pre-vacation evaluation to ensure your or your child’s dental appliances are in good working order.
Your Carson orthodontic team wants you and your kids to have a fun summer. That’s why they offer these precautions and recommendations. The more proactive you can be, the less likely you are to experience a dental emergency, and the more likely it is that you’ll have a good time this summer.
For more information about orthodontic emergency kits, contact our team. We’re happy to answer your questions!