mouth protection

At our office we know how important it is to protect your face while playing sports. Fall brings an increase in outdoor activities and a greater chance of damaging your precious mouth and pearly whites. Our team also knows sports-related injuries are common among children. It’s been found that 70 percent of parents said their biggest worry is that their child will get hurt while playing sports. Another 67 percent admitted their child doesn’t wear a mouth guard when playing sports such as football, basketball, baseball and soccer.
That’s why we’re doing our part to spread the word that facial sports injuries can be avoided simply by reminding your kids to wear mouth guards. Ask us—Our team will provide a mouth guard for any patient in active treatment.
In addition, the following tipscan help your kids stay safe on the field. Please remind them to:
• Wear mouth guards during contact sports
• Wear a helmet
• Stretch before and after a game or practice
• Wear protective eye wear
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
• Be observant—even as a spectator
All of these can reduce injuries. Only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. Lastly, please give us a call if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment with our team!

This month, Dr. Clark Jones and team want you to be extra careful with your braces and appliances. After all, September marks the start of fall sports. Of course, that also means an increased risk for mouth injuries. September also happens to be National Childhood Injury Prevention Month, and we thought we'd share a few sobering facts about sports and facial injuries, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.
Injuries can happen at any age: More than half of the seven million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24, according to the CDC. Collision and contact sports have higher injury rates, and account for about 80 percent of all sports-related emergency room visits. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.
Here's why:
Mouth guards are not being used: Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, yet, 70% say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt. And here’s a chilling stat: One out of every four (27 percent) parents say their child has sustained an injury during an organized sport resulting in a trip to the emergency room, according to the AAO.
Not enough support for mouth guards: Of the parents whose children do not wear a mouth guard, 84 percent say it's because the league or coach does not require it, the AAO says.
Hard hits occur in every sport: The average high school baseball pitcher can throw a fast ball between 75-to-85 miles per hour. This compares to being hit in the mouth by a speeding car!
We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! For more ways you can stay safe on the field, check out these tips. We encourage you to give us a call if you have any questions! Have a wonderful week!

With summer in full force, Dr. Clark Jones and our team thought today would be a great time to remind all our young athletes in treatment to take care of both their mouth and appliances while participating in sports - especially contact sports - this summer.
Only by using a mouth guard can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. The next time you're in for a visit with Dr. Jones, we encourage you to ask us for a mouth guard! In addition, the American Association of Orthodontists has five quick tips for keeping kids safe during sport activities.
• Wear a helmet
• Stretch before and after a game or practice
• Wear protective eyewear
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
• Be observant, even as a spectator
We hope you're enjoying your summer, and invite you all to share your summer photos on our Facebook page!