Swimming is a fun activity to help kids of all ages cool off when the warm summer weather rolls around. Children's dentistry practitioners advise that even as the kids gleefully splash away in the pool, you need to be aware of a few risks and take the necessary precautions as follows.
1. Keep the Swimming Goggles on
Your child will see better underwater when they have the proper eye protection. Invest in a good pair of swimming goggles and encourage your children to be careful as they swim. This way, your little one can avoid accidentally swimming into the side of the pool and suffering facial injuries. In some cases, facial injuries may involve damage or injury to the teeth, which may require an emergency visit to the children's dentistry office.
2. Get a Customized Mouthguard
Accidents can happen at any time. You want to be prepared for the worst if these accidents occur. Visit a children's dentistry practice and get your child a customized mouthguard. The protective device will provide cushioning for your child's teeth if they swim into the side of the pool or suffer a related accident. Without this protection, the impact of the accident may be enough to damage your child's teeth in various ways, including cracking and even dislodging a tooth from its socket.
3. Remove the Dental Appliances
Save for the mouth guards, you may want to remove your child's other dental appliances. The most common among these children's dentistry appliances include space maintainers, bionator devices, and expansion appliances. Your child can accidentally lose these appliances while playing around in the pool. Additionally, these dental appliances are not designed for use with chlorinated water and may get damaged as a result of the interaction with the swimming pool chemicals.
4. Always Check the pH Levels
Checking the pH level before allowing your child into a swimming pool has many benefits. Concerning children's dentistry, exposing your child's teeth to pool water with very low pH for too long may cause corrosion of the tooth enamel. This can have several effects in the long term, including increased tooth sensitivity. Again, the edges of your child's front teeth may start to look transparent due to the corroded enamel. Similarly, over time, your child's teeth may become discolored.
Stay Safe
With these and more precautions, your child's teeth can be very safe, as your child enjoys swimming. You can protect those smiles and save yourselves a trip to the children's dentistry office.
Contact your local dentist to learn more.
