April is National Facial Protection Month

Get the word out! April is National Facial Protection Month (NFPM), and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), and Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD) are teaming up to remind parents, coaches and athletes to play it safe as young athletes prepare to suit up for recreational and organized sports.

Every year, dentists and dental specialists are called to hospital emergency rooms to treat children who have sustained knocked out teeth, broken jaws and other facial injuries during organized or neighborhood sports activities. For most of these children, these injuries could have been less severe or prevented entirely if they had worn a mouth guard, helmet or other protective head gear.