The pitching is getting faster, bat speeds are getting quicker, and bats are created with newer and better technology; these three things are resulting in softballs popping off bats at higher velocities, yet no required protective measures are being taken to protect the pitcher from the ball. Getting hit by a ball traveling at high speeds can have devastating effects on a pitcher if no safety measures are taken to soften the blow of the ball. A hit to the body or face of a pitcher cannot be prevented, but the injuries can be reduced to minimal. A face mask can save a pitcher not only from facial injuries, but it weakens the impact of the ball and can save her life.
The distance from home plate to the mound in softball is 43 feet, but …show more content…
A high-energy impact can lead to splitting of the hard palate, a part of the maxilla. This split can easily go unnoticed and can lead to facial deformities such as widening of the face. Since a maxillary fracture is typically not life threatening, its treatment tends to be delayed. This allows the soft tissues to contract and heal incorrectly. This incorrect healing complicates the corrective surgery making success more difficult to achieve (Perry, 2014, p. 252). A mandibular fracture can also occur during a high-energy impact; the U shape of the bone allows for fractures to occur easier at the condyle, or top of the bone. It is also very common for a fracture to occur at the angle of the bone. A mandibular fracture can cause numbness of the lower lip, a sublingual hematoma, or a complete separation of two sections of the bone (Perry, 2014, p. 162). A fracture of that kind would require the pitcher to have surgery to plate her bone back together and it would take her out of softball for months as she waits for her wired-shut mouth to …show more content…
Fractures can occur at many points on the tooth from the crown to the root. A fracture solely to the enamel is not urgent, but still necessary to be treated as it may still cause pain. However, if the pulp of the crown is exposed a root canal may be necessary to fully treat the fracture. A fracture to the root of the tooth can result in splinting the tooth for up to 12 weeks (Perry, 2014, p. 144). That is for only one tooth; if a softball pitcher gets hit in the mouth with a ball, she is going to crack, fracture, or break multiple teeth resulting in several long and painful trips to the dentist.
Unfortunately, many pitchers and their parents still believe that a face mask is not necessary. Parents have said a face mask makes a pitcher look weak; a pitcher should be an athlete, and she should be able to field any ball that comes at her. Pitchers say a face mask can cause breakouts to the chin and forehead and the face mask limits their ability to clearly see the ball. The biggest reason pitchers don’t wear a face mask is they believe they will never be hit in the face with the
The distance from home plate to the mound in softball is 43 feet, but …show more content…
A high-energy impact can lead to splitting of the hard palate, a part of the maxilla. This split can easily go unnoticed and can lead to facial deformities such as widening of the face. Since a maxillary fracture is typically not life threatening, its treatment tends to be delayed. This allows the soft tissues to contract and heal incorrectly. This incorrect healing complicates the corrective surgery making success more difficult to achieve (Perry, 2014, p. 252). A mandibular fracture can also occur during a high-energy impact; the U shape of the bone allows for fractures to occur easier at the condyle, or top of the bone. It is also very common for a fracture to occur at the angle of the bone. A mandibular fracture can cause numbness of the lower lip, a sublingual hematoma, or a complete separation of two sections of the bone (Perry, 2014, p. 162). A fracture of that kind would require the pitcher to have surgery to plate her bone back together and it would take her out of softball for months as she waits for her wired-shut mouth to …show more content…
Fractures can occur at many points on the tooth from the crown to the root. A fracture solely to the enamel is not urgent, but still necessary to be treated as it may still cause pain. However, if the pulp of the crown is exposed a root canal may be necessary to fully treat the fracture. A fracture to the root of the tooth can result in splinting the tooth for up to 12 weeks (Perry, 2014, p. 144). That is for only one tooth; if a softball pitcher gets hit in the mouth with a ball, she is going to crack, fracture, or break multiple teeth resulting in several long and painful trips to the dentist.
Unfortunately, many pitchers and their parents still believe that a face mask is not necessary. Parents have said a face mask makes a pitcher look weak; a pitcher should be an athlete, and she should be able to field any ball that comes at her. Pitchers say a face mask can cause breakouts to the chin and forehead and the face mask limits their ability to clearly see the ball. The biggest reason pitchers don’t wear a face mask is they believe they will never be hit in the face with the