Link an important health or safety message with a hilarious video and you’ll hook me every time. That’s what Momsformouthguards.org has done with their campaign to make mouth guards standard equipment for kids participating in all forms of sports at every level.
Mouth guards protect the teeth from chipping and breaking, and also cushion blows to the face, protecting the tongue, lips and cheek lining. They even offer some protection against jaw fractures.
Here are some supportive stats from the Moms For Mouth Guards team – which includes the American Association of Orthodontists, football great Emmitt Smith, his wife, Pat, and their kids:
- 80% of sports-related emergency room visits for kids ages 5-14 happen during baseball, soccer, basketball or football play.
- 65% of catastrophic injuries in high school girls’ athletics are to cheerleaders.
- 75-85 miles per hour is the average speed of the average high-school pitcher’s fastball.
- 67% of parents surveyed said their child does not wear a mouth guard.
Check out the site, where you can learn more about mouth guards and sports safety in general, and show your support by taking the Moms For Mouth Guards pledge.
Tags: mouth guards, sports safety