Five oral health organizations are teaming up to raise awareness about mouthguards for National Facial Protection Month in April.
National Facial Protection Month serves as a reminder for children and adults to protect their face and head when participating in activities. To raise awareness about the importance of protecting teeth, experts from the ADA, Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD), American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) are urging the community to stay safe by wearing a mouthguard.
The organizations want practitioners, parents, caregivers, athletes, and coaches to know the following information:
- There are three types of mouthguards: custom-fitted by a dentist, stock mouthguards, and boil-and-bite mouthguards.
- Children are most vulnerable to sports-related mouth injuries between the ages of 7 and 11 years.
- Athletes are 60 times more likely to have a tooth injury if they are not wearing a mouthguard.
- Athletes should wear a mouthguard while playing all types of sports.
