ADA News

Dental professionals nationwide are observing National Facial Protection Month during April.

Sponsored by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Association of Orthodontists and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, National Facial Month offers dental professionals the opportunity to encourage patients to use protective mouth guards during organized sports and to wear helmets and other sports safety equipment when biking or engaging in other activities.

The AAOMS Web (http://www.aaoms.org) site features a variety of materials, including statistics; facial protection tips; a mouth guard guide; posters; the newly revised pamphlet Treating and Preventing Facial Injury, including a wallet-sized first aid card; and more.

AAO offers links to a variety of facial safety resources online, including Moms For Mouth Guards, Am AAO sport safety poster featuring football legend Emmit Smith the AAO’s Sports Safety, e-mails for patients, media materials and more. Log on to http://www.aaomembers.org/ and click on the link.

AAPD emphasizes that obtaining a mouth guard for a child can help parents and caregivers reinforce the importance of having a dental home and regular oral health care. See the Web site (http://www.aapd.org/providers/pressreleases.asp?NEWS_ID=524) for more details.