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Wear Your Mouthguards!

April is National Facial Protection Month. Each year, thousands of children who play in organized and neighborhood sports end up in the emergency room because of knocked-out teeth, broken jaws, or other facial injuries. Their injuries could have been far less severe or even eliminated if they had worn a mouth guard or a helmet. (ref: braces.org)

Help provide mouthguards for young athletes in need!
Moms can now be a big part in helping our youth have the proper protection when playing sports! Go to momsformouthguards.org and take the pledge that your children will wear mouth guards and other appropriate safety gear during practices and games.  As signatures are collected, the AAO will donate to the National Alliance of Youth Sports, which will provide free mouth guards to young athletes in need.(ref: braces.org)

"Play it Safe" Sports Safety Campaign

American Association of Orthodontists(AAO), National Alliance for Youth Sports(NAYS) and Emmitt Smith are working together to promote sports safety and the importance of wearing mouthguards. To view the video of the assembly they did at a Miami middle school, go here.

What is an orthodontist?

Orthodontists are qualified dentists, who after graduating from dental school, go on to additional full-time university-based education in an accredited orthodontic residency program supervised by orthodontists.  That training lasts at least two to three academic years—sometimes more.  By learning about tooth movement (orthodontics) and guidance of facial development (dentofacial orthopedics), orthodontists are the uniquely educated experts in dentistry to straighten teeth and align jaws (ref: www.braces.org).