Teeth do their best work when they’re snug in your mouth. But different sports and games threaten to loosen them – or worse, knock them out. Protective gear is vital for anyone engaging in tooth-threatening activities. That’s why orthodontists, pediatric dentists, and oral surgeons are sponsoring “National Facial Protection Month” in April. Our message is clear: Avoid sports injuries by wearing protective equipment.
We encourage active people – children, parents, weekend warriors, and professional athletes – to play it safe. From your daughter’s field hockey team to this year’s NFL champs, protective equipment is a must. Although we usually think of professional hockey players as the ones who most often lose their teeth, facial trauma can happen in any sport. Baseball players, skateboarders, cyclists, skiers – active children and adults alike – can “save face” by wearing helmets, face shields, or mouth guards.
An estimated five million teeth are knocked out each year during sports’ activities, and athletes participating in contact sports have a 10% chance of sustaining a significant oral-facial injury each season. Additionally, one-third of all dental injuries and approximately one in five head and face injuries are sports-related. Athletes are 60 times more likely to sustain damage to their teeth when not wearing a protective mouth guard.
You don’t have to play at the professional level to sustain a serious injury.  More than half of the seven million sports and recreation related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5-24.  Athletes and parents will normally consider protective equipment for contact sports such as football, lacrosse and field hockey, but non-contact sports such as cheerleading, basketball, soccer, skiing, cycling, horseback riding and skateboarding are often overlooked.
Surprisingly, routine mouth guard use is low. Although two-thirds of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, an even higher percentage of parents say their biggest fear is that their child will get an oral-facial injury. Children with braces particularly need to wear mouth guards. Approximately one-third of parents say their child has had orthodontic treatment while playing an organized sport, and lacerations can occur if an orthodontic patient’s mouth is not properly protected. Prevention is always the best policy. Mouth guards, helmets and facemasks are appropriate for participants at any skill level.
Use common sense. Proper protection from sports’ related injuries to the jaw and mouth can prevent injuries which may be difficult to repair and may require a lifetime of maintenance. 
To learn more, visit www.aaoms.org, www.braces.org, www.aapd.org or call an orthodontic office.