In the past couple weeks, we have seen multiple children with injuries from one thing - trampolines! I know - the kids love them and they seem fun, but an article by the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that there are about 100,000 emergency room visits per year due to trampoline injuries. That is a lot!
The injuries can range in severity, from bone fractures to sprains to spinal cord injuries. With trampoline parks becoming more and more popular for birthday parties and events, we have to make sure we are considering the safety of our children.
So why is the orthodontist talking about this? Teeth can get pretty banged up by trampoline injuries as well. The teeth can be displaced or pushed back into the bone due to heavy impact, and this can compromise the tooth forever by damaging the nerve and blood supply. If the nerve and blood supply are damaged, root canals and crowns may be necessary on the front teeth which will lead to tens of thousands of dollars in lifetime maintenance of these critical front teeth. Even worse, front teeth may be completely knocked out and lost from trampoline injuries.
The front teeth are a critical component of our smile, and although the injury can be expensive, the effect it will have on a smile is even more devastating. A lifetime of fake or missing teeth in the front is not worth the risk. We cannot protect our kids from every injury in the world, but in my opinion, I recommend that your kids skip the trampoline park!
- Dr. Zach