PLAY IT SAFE.

April is National Facial Protection Month. 

As we return to outdoor sports and other activities, April is an appropriate time to remind you about the importance of taking a few precautions to preserve your teeth and be protected from facial injuries, whether at a practice, at a game, or simply enjoying some fun in the neighborhood.  How can you play it safe? 

Check out this funny video of one idea of keeping our little athletes safe...
Click here

Ok... since we don't have that option....

• Wear a helmet. Helmets absorb the energy of an impact and help prevent damage to one’s head.
• Wear protective eye wear. Eyes are extremely vulnerable to damage, especially when playing sports.
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin. Hockey pucks, basketballs, and racquetballs can cause severe facial damage at any age.
• Wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports. Mouth guards can help prevent injury to a person’s jaw, mouth and teeth; and they are significantly less expensive than the cost to repair an injury.

Every year, children and teens come to our office with dental emergencies due to knocked out teeth, broken jaws and other facial injuries during organized or neighborhood sports activities. For most of these children, these injuries could have been less severe or prevented entirely if they had worn a mouth guard, helmet or other protective head gear.

When kids don't wear mouth guards or protective head gear in sports activities, it's usually because parents and coaches are unaware of their importance. Many parents may not realize the potential for serious injury in an impromptu neighborhood game of basketball or baseball, or a simple bike ride.


Although mouth guards are now generally considered standard equipment for football and hockey players, they really should be worn during any contact sport. “Contact sport” is not limited to one player knocking into another, but encompasses any sport in which the player is likely to have his or her face come into contact with the pavement or other hard object. Kids who participate in soccer, extreme sports (BMX biking, skateboarding and in-line skating) and other common sports should wear a mouth guard and other protective helmets and equipment to protect them from injury.


In a recent survey, the American Association of Orthodontists found that 70 percent of parents said their biggest fear is that their child will get hurt while playing organized sports, yet 67 percent admitted that their child does NOT wear a mouth guard during organized sports including football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse!

April is the perfect time to get into the mouth guard habit.  Wear one at every practice and every game!