Are you Up to the Challenge? #3: Protect Your Mouth

We’ve created a 5-part series of new ideas and fun activities for parents, caregivers and educators to teach children good oral health habits and decisions.

Play online or download and print hard copies of each challenge for free use in the home and in the classroom. Boost the excitement by rewarding each milestone with treats big and small.

#3: Protect Your Mouth

The Goal

Commit student athletes to wearing mouthguards during every game and every practice in applicable sports to minimize the risk of mouth injury.  

The Benefit

Wearing a mouthguard protects teeth, lips, gums, cheeks and jaws from painful, possibly severe injuries and facial disfigurement.

The Challenge

Ask your children or students to pledge that they will wear their mouthguard every time they practice or play any sport that carries the potential for a mouth injury and to track the habit on the chart below.

Examples of sports that present risk of mouth injuries:

• Football
• Soccer
• Baseball
• Softball
• Basketball
• Hockey
• Volleyball
• Gymnastics
• Skateboarding, and

• Any other activity that poses a risk to teeth and face through falls or contact with other players or equipment.
  
  Check out these examples how mouthguards protect players. 
  
  
  
  
  

Parents can print or copy the chart to track the use of mouthguards. If you don’t have a printer, save the image as a photo on your phone and use your photo mark-up tool to complete the chart.

Teachers and coaches may want to send the chart home on a regular basis to have parents sign off on them. Alternatively, students can keep it in their locker or gym bag so they can check it at every practice and game. 

The Rewards

At the end of the week, tally the colored or crossed-out mouthguards on each child’s or student’s chart. Then reward them each time a multiplier of five is reached. Teachers and coaches may want to tally the total number of times mouthguards were worn and adjust the reward system as needed.

Tips for Grown-ups:

A Protect Your Mouth Challenge brochure, with templates of the mouthguard coloring charts, descriptions of different types of mouthguards and care instructions and more, can be viewed and downloaded for teachers/parents and kids.

Participate in our other challenges

#1: Say No To Cavities

#2: Sugar Swaps

#4: Think About Your Drink

#5: Healthy Holidays

And then take our Smile Smarts Quiz!

Check out our video resources

• Delta Dental AR—Mouthguards

We’d love to hear from you how you are creating healthy smiles. Email us your success stories and suggestions for additional challenges at marketing@deltadentalar.com.

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