Protect Your Smile!

Each year during the month of April the Academy for Sports Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Association of Orthodontists sponsor National Facial Protection Month.

National Facial Protection Month focuses on spreading awareness about the importance of protecting children and adults from oral and facial injuries. Many injuries that do occur during sporting activities could have been prevented had the proper protective gear had been worn. An estimated 12 million people between the ages of 5 and 22 years suffer a sport-related injury annually. A recently published study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a database of injuries treated at hospital emergency departments, for the period 2001-2008. Researchers found the five most common causes of childhood injuries were, in order of frequency, basketball, football, bicycling, playgrounds and soccer.

For our patients we want to remind you that it is important for you to protect your mouth during treatment. For protection you must wear a mouth guard. A mouth guard can help prevent injury to the teeth, mouth and even jaw. Mouth guards are made of flexible material that is fitted to protect yourupper and lower teeth. You can buy a stock mouth guard or get a custom guard made. The right fit mouth guard will act as cushions protecting your mouth from hits and preventing serious injury.

To help promote National Facial Protection Month Dr. Wilmot has began the "Protect Your Smile" contest. To enter our "PROTECT YOUR SMILE" contest for a chance to win a gift card to Academy Sports. Send us a photo of you wearing your mouthguard and you will be entered in the contest. Email your photos to smilesblossom@jjwilmot-ortho.com or drop it off at our office.

To learn more about National Facial Protection Month please visit AAOMS.org