mouth guards

Keeping children's brains and bodies safe during sports is a top priority, which is why close attention is paid to helmets and pads. But what about children's mouths? April is National Facial Protection Month, which makes it an excellent time to take steps to protect your kid's mouth from unnecessary injury with an affordable but often overlooked device: the mouth guard.

The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) warns athletes and their parents to be skeptical of claims that products such as head bands, supplements or mouth guards reduce the incidence of concussion because none supported by scientific research and peer-reviewed studies.

Mouthguards become highly contaminated with bacteria, yeast and mold with use and should be sanitized in an antimicrobrial solution between uses, recommends a new study by researchers at Oklahoma State University.

According to new research, the doubling of the number of ice hockey players in the United States between 1990 and 2006 has come at a cost: a dramatic increase in the number of injuries serious enough to require a visit to a hospital emergency room, with the number of injuries outpacing participation growth.