Tips for preventing mouth injuries during winter sports season
More than 5 million teeth are knocked out each year due to sports injuries, and the risk of injury is high for children playing hockey and other sports during the winter. Dr. AJ Acierno, the dentist for the Chicago Wolves and CEO of DecisionOne Dental, visited the ABC7 studio on Wednesday to talk about protecting children from mouth injuries. An athlete is 60 times more likely to sustain a dental/mouth injury when not wearing a properly fitted, custom mouth guard. Custom mouth guards should last up to three years. Wearing the proper safety equipment like a helmet and face mask in addition to a mouth guard can also help prevent injuries.
This article was originally published after Dr. AJ Acierno's appearance on ABC 7 Chicago news. Article and video are available at http://abc7chicago.com/sports/tips-for-preventing-mouth-injuries-during-winter-sports-season/2773967/