Summer is finally here (hooray!), and most of us are itching to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Summer brings a host of activities that are great fun, but can also present hidden dangers for our teeth and faces. Here are a few common summer activities that can lead to dental injuries.
Field and Team Sports
Did you know that soccer players are more likely to sustain a dental injury than football players? People rarely wear face and mouth protection while playing soccer, resulting in a higher occurrence of facial trauma. Like soccer, basketball, softball and even touch football present players with similar risks.
Your best protection against dental injury during these types of games is to wear a mouthguard. Wearing a mouthguard helps minimize the risk of damage to your teeth, gums, and jawbone.
Scuba Diving
Scuba diving is a very popular activity in the United States. What many divers don’t know is that “diver’s mouth syndrome”, also known as barodontalgia, is a common occurrence. This is caused by changes in air pressure and/or by biting too hard on the diver’s air regulator, and results in jaw pain, tooth pain, and/or problems with gum tissue.
Your best protection against these issues is to visit your dentist before you go diving to discuss any potential problems they may foresee due to your specific oral health condition.