E-Scooters and Dental Trauma
Electric scooters and e-bikes are not a recent invention. In fact, the first electric motorbike predated the first gas-powered motorbike way back in the late 1800s. But if you live anywhere near an urban area, the chances are you’ve noticed an explosion in the popularity of electric-powered transportation over the last few years.
Hailed as a modern, environmentally friendly solution to congestion in the world’s major cities, e-bikes and e-scooters do come at a cost: a sharp rise in associated trauma, including injuries to the oral maxillofacial area.
Dr. Liran Levin, Head of Periodontology at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Alberta, is the author of the recently published study Dental and Maxillofacial Injuries Associated With Electric-Powered Bikes and Scooters in Israel: A Report for 2014-2019. In this episode of CDA Oasis Live, he joins Dr. John O’Keefe, Director of Knowledge Networks CDA, to discuss his findings.
Extracting hard data from hospital admissions records, Dr. Levin verifies the true cost of this popular ride-share phenomenon, revealing a 13-fold increase in the number of hospitalized patients due to e-bike and e-scooter accidents.
He also outlines the role dentists can play in the prevention of injury, and appeals to the dental associations to step up and advocate necessary legislation.
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Until next time!
CDA Oasis Team
