Are you wearing your mouth guard this summer?

With summer in full force, our staff at Braces by White thought today would be a great time to remind all our young athletes in treatment to take care of both their mouth and appliances while participating in sports – especially contact sports – this summer.

Only by using a mouth guard can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. The next time you’re in for a visit with Dr. John White, we encourage you to ask us for a mouth guard! In addition, the American Association of Orthodontists has five quick tips for keeping kids safe during sport activities.

• Wear a helmet
• Stretch before and after a game or practice
• Wear protective eyewear
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
• Be observant, even as a spectator

We hope you’re enjoying your summer, and invite you all to share your summer photos on our Facebook page!

Are you wearing your mouth guard?

At Braces by White, we know spring sports are just around the corner, and we would like to remind our young athletes in treatment to take care of both your mouth and appliances while participating in contact sports (and non-contact sports) as well this spring. Dr. John White will tell you that only by using a mouth guard can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. And don't forget to ask us for a mouth guard - we will provide a mouth guard for anyone in active treatment!

If you have further questions or are ready to schedule your consultation, just give us a call at our Hudson or Northfield Center orthodontic office.

September is National Childhood Injury Prevention Month! From Dr. White

This month, Dr. John C. White and our team want you to be extra careful with your braces and appliances. Why? September marks the start of fall sports and an increased risk to mouth injuries. September also happens to be National Childhood Injury Prevention Month, and Dr. White thought it’d 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, or AAO.

Injuries can happen at any age: 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 for children between 5 and 14 years of age. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.

Mouth guards are not being used: Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, yet, 70% say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt. And here’s a chilling stat: One out of every four (27 percent) parents say their child has sustained an injury during an organized sport resulting in a trip to the emergency room, according to the AAO.

Not enough support for mouth guards: 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, the AAO says.

Hard hits occur in every sport: The average high school baseball pitcher can throw a fast ball between 75-to-85 miles per hour!

We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! We encourage you to give us a call if you have any questions!