More To The Story: Sports injuries to teeth
Dave finds a local dental group is on a mission this month to get more kids to wear mouthguards
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – One of the last things you want to have happen is to lose one of your teeth while playing sports. Especially if that happens to a young athlete.
One organization in Tennessee is spending the month of April trying to help those athletes stay safe.
News 12’s Dave Staley explains, in tonight’s edition of “More To The Story With Staley.”
Unfortunately, it happens all the time. Somebody gets smacked in the mouth playing sports. Wearing a mouthguard would help. But statistics show that 84 percent of our children do not wear a mouthguard while playing in organized competition.
Delta Dental of Tennessee remains on a mission. Spending all this month on a statewide initiative, providing free mouthguards to coaches and league officials, who then give them to kids ages 10 and under.
Who really needs to get on board with wearing these guards? Basketball players!
MISSY ACOSTA, DELTA DENTAL VP;
“Basketball is one of the worst because a lot of players don’t wear mouthguards. People just don’t think about the incidental injuries. For example, taking an elbow under the jaw. It can cause problems to your teeth. As well as a concussion.”
To play football, at least since the 60’s, it’s mandated you wear a mouthguard. The proof is in the pudding: oral injuries in that sport is less than one percent.
Richard West is the Sports Coordinator for Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors.
For the past several years, West has made good use of the insurance company’s free mouthguards.
“I also give them to my football officials that work for me. They keep them in their bags, so if a kid doesn’t have a mouthpiece, we get one out of the bag and give it to him so he’s able to play.”
How serious is the mouthguard issue? Consider: more than three million teeth are knocked out each year in youth sporting events.
Dr. Paul Bacon, who is the incoming chairman of Delta Dental of Tennessee, has seen it all in his career. He says if you saw it…knocked out teeth, broken teeth…..you WOULD make your child wear a mouthguard.
“It’s a significant accident that can happen. It’s sad for the parents and kids. Because they have to deal with that for the rest of their lives.”
Bacon says prioritizing a mouthguard for kids must start with the parents. At a young age. So it becomes second nature. Just another important way to keep the kids safe.
Dave Staley, NEWS 12 Now
