Mouth guards and you

A lot of our patients play sports, and now is a great time to remind all of you to take care of both your mouth and appliances while participating in sports – especially contact sports such as soccer, football, baseball and basketball.

One of the most important pieces of sports equipment you can wear on the field this summer is a mouth guard. A well-fitted mouth guard allows you to breathe and speak more clearly, in addition to protecting your mouth and appliances. Only by using a mouth guard can athletes avoid serious mouth and jaw injuries. The next time you’re in for an adjustment appointment, we encourage you to let us know if you’re playing or planning to play any sports. We can recommend a mouth guard that will work best for you. Also, here are five quick tips for keeping yourself safe during sport activities this summer:

• 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 this helps! You can always contact us if you have any questions! Good luck on the field!

Protecting your mouth during sports, with Dr. Cottingham

Wouldn’t you believe it, it’s already springtime! The spring months, however, bring an increase in outdoor activities and a greater chance of kids damaging their precious mouths and pearly whites. If you play sports, it’s important that you consult Dr. Cottingham for special precautions, such as wearing a mouth guard. A protective mouth guard is advised for playing spring sports such as baseball, soccer, lacrosse and others. Be sure, however, to avoid mouth guards that custom form to your teeth as these will resist any tooth movements we are trying to achieve.

In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, please schedule an appointment with Cottingham Orthodontics. And don’t forget to ask us—Dr. Cottingham will provide a mouth guard for any patient in active treatment.

Only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. Please give us a call if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment at Cottingham Orthodontics.

Mouthguards & fall sports, from Cottingham Orthodontics

With fall sports almost here for a lot of our patients at Cottingham Orthodontics, we 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 such as soccer and football – this fall.

One of the most important pieces of sports equipment you can wear on the field is a mouthguard. A well-fitted mouthguard, which we’re happy to provide, allows you to breathe and speak more clearly, in addition to protecting your mouth and braces. 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 at our Indianapolis or Avon office, we encourage you to ask us for a mouthguard! In addition, the American Association of Orthodontists has five quick tips for keeping kids safe during sport activities this fall.

• 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 all had a wonderful summer, and invite you all to share your summer photos on our Facebook page!

Are you wearing your mouthguard this summer?

With summer in full force, our team at Cottingham Orthodontics 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. Cottingham, 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!

Play it safe this spring, from Dr. Cottingham

Wouldn’t you believe it, it’s already springtime! The spring months, however, bring an increase in outdoor activities and a greater chance of kids damaging their precious mouths and pearly whites. If you play sports, it’s important that you consult Dr. Cottingham for special precautions, such as wearing a mouth guard. A protective mouth guard is advised for playing spring sports such as baseball, soccer, lacrosse and others. Be sure, however, to avoid mouth guards that custom form to your teeth as these will resist any tooth movements we are trying to achieve.

In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, please schedule an appointment with Cottingham Orthodontics. And don’t forget to ask us—Dr. Cottingham will provide a mouth guard for any patient in active treatment.

Only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. Please give us a call if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment at Cottingham Orthodontics.

Dr. Cottingham wants to know: Are you wearing your mouth guard?

With fall sports under way for a lot of our patients, Dr. Cottingham thought today would be a good time to once again remind our young athletes in braces to take care of both their mouth and appliances while participating in sports this fall.

You should ALWAYS wear a mouth guard when playing sports, but especially this month. Why? September is National Childhood Injury Prevention Month. The month may almost be over, but it’s still important to bring that mouth guard whenever you’re headed to practice or to the big game this fall.

Here’s why:

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. Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, yet 70 percent say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.

Dr. Cottingham and our entire staff at Cottingham Orthodontics encourage you to head over to the American Association of Orthodontists' website for a quick primer on the importance of mouth guards and protecting your mouth.

We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! We encourage you to give us a call if you have any questions! Have a great rest of the week!

Dr. Cottingham, helping you save face this summer

With summer 2010 in full swing, Dr. Karen Cottingham would like to remind all our athletes in treatment to be extra careful when out on the field. After all, most mouth and facial injuries occur during the summer months.

If you'll be playing sports this summer, it's important that you consult Dr. Cottingham for special precautions, such as wearing a mouth guard. Mouth guards are advised for playing spring sports such as baseball, soccer, rugby, lacrosse and many more.

In case of any accident involving your face, we want you to check your mouth and appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances are damaged, please schedule an appointment to see your general dentist or Dr. Cottingham immediately. And don’t forget to ask us at your next scheduled appointment—Dr. Cottingham will be more than happy to provide a proper mouth guard for any patient in treatment!

Our staff at Cottingham Orthodontics will tell you that only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries this summer. Please give us a call at our convenient offices in Indianapolis or Avon if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment at our office.

We hope you’re having a great summer!