In the winter in British Columbia, people spend their weekends heading up to the mountains and enjoying beautiful, snowy runs on some of the most amazing trails in Canada. No matter if it is skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or winter hiking, people in this province love getting outside and enjoying all that nature has to offer.
But this outdoor lifestyle does come with some risks. Most people already take precautions to limit those risks by choosing to wear helmets and avoid skiing out-of-bounds. One risk, however, is somewhat ignored by many.
The most common reasons for losing a tooth are accidental falls or accidents related to sports. Skiing and snowboarding combine both of those reasons.
For people wearing braces or retainers, falls or sport-related accidents can cause damage to valuables appliances and possibly set back the treatment. Emergency orthodontics is far more common than you might think. Considering that most orthodontics care takes years to complete, it is almost impossible to stop a person from engaging in activities they love, such as skiing, for that entire time.
One way of possibly preventing this from happening is by purchasing a mouthguard to protect your mouth and braces. Prices vary, depending on mouthguard, but having that extra level of protection is always a good idea.
But if a fall occurs, and there is damage to braces or retainers, a patient really only has one option: stop what they are doing and get to an orthodontist as soon as possible. Broken or damaged appliances can quickly lead to lacerations and infections and they need to be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
At Dr. Bryan Hicks Orthodontics, we know how important it is to repair a retainer or orthodontics appliance as soon as possible and our well-trained and experienced staff know exactly how to fix whatever is broken. Call us immediately if you have had a winter sport accident and need emergency orthodontics care.
