September is National Childhood Injury Prevention Month!

This month, Dr. Claro and Dr. Ghafouri want you to be extra careful with your braces and appliances. After all, September marks the start of fall sports. Of course, that also means an increased risk for mouth injuries. September also happens to be National Childhood Injury Prevention Month, and our staff at Irvine Orthodontics thought we'd 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, according to the CDC. Collision and contact sports have higher injury rates, and account for about 80 percent of all sports-related emergency room visits. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.

Here's why:

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. This compares to being hit in the mouth by a speeding car!

We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! For more ways you can stay safe on the field, check out these tips. We encourage you to give us a call at (949)954-5765 if you have any questions! Have a wonderful week!

Irvine Orthodontics, reminding you September is National Childhood Injury Prevention Month

This month, Dr. Claro and Dr. Ghafouri want you to be extra careful with your braces and appliances. After all, September marks the start of fall sports. Of course, that also means an increased risk for mouth injuries. September also happens to be National Childhood Injury Prevention Month, and our staff at Irvine Orthodontics thought we'd 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, according to the CDC. Collision and contact sports have higher injury rates, and account for about 80 percent of all sports-related emergency room visits. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.

Here's why:

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. This compares to being hit in the mouth by a speeding car!

We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! For more ways you can stay safe on the field, check out these tips. We encourage you to give us a call at (949)954-5765 if you have any questions! Have a wonderful week!

Irvine Orthodontics, helping you save face this spring

April, also known as National Facial Protection Month, is upon us, and for Drs. Claro and Ghafouri and our team at Irvine Orthodontics that only means one thing: it’s once again time to remind our dear patients to protect their faces and pearly whites. According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults will have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events this year.

Quite frankly, that’s not acceptable.

That’s why our team is doing its part to spread the word about the necessities of protecting your mouth. Here are a few ways to ensure your mouth’s safety this spring, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists:

1. Wear mouth guards for contact sports such as baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.
2. Wear a helmet
3. Wear protective eyewear
4. Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
5. Be alert, even as a spectator!

We hope that helps. Protective gear is vital for anyone engaging in tooth or mouth-threatening activities. If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact Irvine Orthodontics. Stay safe and have fun!