Pat Smith, wife of Emmitt, encourages use of mouth guards
According to a recent survey by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), 67 percent of parents admitted that their child does NOT wear a mouth guard during organized sports such as football, baseball, basketball, soccer and lacrosse. The statistic validates an unsettling trend: Orthodontists and dentists are seeing young patients suffer oral and facial trauma as a result of sports injuries.
Sadly, many of these injuries could have been minimized, or even prevented, if the child had been wearing a mouth guard. To help spread the word that mouth guards save smiles, Pat Smith, wife of Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Emmitt Smith and mother of four, has teamed up with the AAO to encourage mothers across North America to take the Moms For Mouth Guards Pledge. In taking the pledge, moms promise that their children will consistently wear mouth guards and other protective gear during competitions and practices.
As part of the AAO Sport Safety Program, the Moms For Mouth Guards Pledge is being launched in conjunction with National Facial Protection Month, in April. By taking the Moms For Mouth Guards Pledge online, parents and coaches can help to make sports play safer for kids while making a difference in the lives of other young athletes as well. Each time someone takes the Moms For Mouth Guards Pledge, the AAO will make a donation to the National Alliance for Youth Sports to help protect the smile of a child.
“Injuries to the face and mouth can happen in an instant,” said Smith. “That’s why it’s so important for kids, especially those with braces, to wear mouth guards and other protective gear while playing sports. Part of our job as parents is to help protect our children on and off the field and that’s why I’m leading the charge to get moms and coaches to take the Moms for Mouth Guards Pledge.”
One Signature Can Help to Save A Smile
According to the Centers for Disease Control, baseball, soccer, basketball and football account for about 80 percent of all sports-related emergency room visits for children between 5 and 14 years of age. The AAO survey also revealed that one out of every four (27 percent) parents said their child has sustained an injury during an organized sport that resulted in a trip to the emergency room. By taking proactive measures and requiring children to wear facial protection and mouth guards, parents and coaches can help prevent injury and keep young athletes in the game.
“Using a mouth guard is one of the most inexpensive and simple measures parents and coaches can take to help keep their kids safe during sports,” said Robert J. Bray, DDS, MS, president of the AAO. “As experts in helping patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile, the last thing my colleagues and I want to see is a smile ruined by a preventable injury.”
According to a recent survey by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), 67 percent of parents admitted that their child does NOT wear a mouth guard during organized sports such as football, baseball, basketball, soccer and lacrosse. The statistic validates an unsettling trend: Orthodontists and dentists are seeing young patients suffer oral and facial trauma as a result of sports injuries.
Sadly, many of these injuries could have been minimized, or even prevented, if the child had been wearing a mouth guard. To help spread the word that mouth guards save smiles, Pat Smith, wife of Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Emmitt Smith and mother of four, has teamed up with the AAO to encourage mothers across North America to take the Moms For Mouth Guards Pledge. In taking the pledge, moms promise that their children will consistently wear mouth guards and other protective gear during competitions and practices.
As part of the AAO Sport Safety Program, the Moms For Mouth Guards Pledge is being launched in conjunction with National Facial Protection Month, in April. By taking the Moms For Mouth Guards Pledge online, parents and coaches can help to make sports play safer for kids while making a difference in the lives of other young athletes as well. Each time someone takes the Moms For Mouth Guards Pledge, the AAO will make a donation to the National Alliance for Youth Sports to help protect the smile of a child.
“Injuries to the face and mouth can happen in an instant,” said Smith. “That’s why it’s so important for kids, especially those with braces, to wear mouth guards and other protective gear while playing sports. Part of our job as parents is to help protect our children on and off the field and that’s why I’m leading the charge to get moms and coaches to take the Moms for Mouth Guards Pledge.”
One Signature Can Help to Save A Smile
According to the Centers for Disease Control, baseball, soccer, basketball and football account for about 80 percent of all sports-related emergency room visits for children between 5 and 14 years of age. The AAO survey also revealed that one out of every four (27 percent) parents said their child has sustained an injury during an organized sport that resulted in a trip to the emergency room. By taking proactive measures and requiring children to wear facial protection and mouth guards, parents and coaches can help prevent injury and keep young athletes in the game.
“Using a mouth guard is one of the most inexpensive and simple measures parents and coaches can take to help keep their kids safe during sports,” said Robert J. Bray, DDS, MS, president of the AAO. “As experts in helping patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile, the last thing my colleagues and I want to see is a smile ruined by a preventable injury.”
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