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Entry bubble Root Canal Awareness Week

By: Colleen | March 26, 2008 | Category: Health

Direct from the "strange but true" file: Next week is Root Canal Awareness Week!root canal

Sponsored by the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), it lasts from March 30-April 5th.

An endodontist is a dentist that specializes in root canals.

This year endodontists unite to stress the importance of protecting your teeth during sports activities with the theme "Watch Your Mouth!"—a phrase I typically associate with my childhood and mother.

While mouth guards are typically associated with full-contact sports like football and hockey, it is actually eight times more likely a dental injury will occur while playing a game like soccer.

Parents and coaches should encourage (or flat out force) their budding Michael Jordans and Mia Hamms to wear a protective mouth guard for all sports. (Although I'm pretty sure your young Tiger Woods should be okay without one—unless severely uncoordinated.)

It may not be the coolest accessory on the field or court, but it can really pay off. In high school, after thousands of dollars in orthodontia my sister took an elbow right to the kisser. You better believe the very next day I was not only sporting the coolest red and black Nike Air high-tops ever, but a bright yellow "boil and bite" mouth guard as well. I had prom dates lining up around the block.

Regardless, I can credit my beautiful pearly whites to protecting my teeth during all those years of athletic competition. A public "thanks" to Mom and Pops.

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to injure oneself while engaged in athletics. For additional information check out "Sports Injuries"—and keep smiling!

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: canal   colleen   injury   protection   root   sports   teeth  

Comments (2):

blue comment bubble Posted by VeggieFed on March 26, 2008 at 09:44 AM EDT

You mean to tell me that mouth gaurds are not required in high school atheltic competitions? I play aggressive sports as an adult and wouldn't think about leaving the house with out a mouth gaurd. I also wouldn't be insured. It is absoulty essential and I wouldn't be allowed on the track without it. My parents paid too much money on my smile for me to not go out and buy a $10 mouth gaurd to protect it!

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blue comment bubble Posted by MOUTH WATCH on March 27, 2008 at 04:53 PM EDT

IT FUNNY WE SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON OUR APPEARANCE IN THIS COUNTRY AND YET BUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO TEARING IT DOWN. FOR EXAMPLE YOU RISK LOSING YOUR GOOD LOOKS IN SPORTS LIKE BOXING ARE YOU WATCHING YOUR MOUTH KNOWING MORE THEN LIKELY YOUR GOING TO GET PUNCHED IN IT? YET IT'S ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SPORTS. AND HOCKEY HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE SEEN GOOD LOOKING PLAYER SKATE OFF THE ICE WITH BLOODY MOUTHS WHERE THEY WATCHING? THIS RISK TAKING IS APART OF OUR EVERY DAY LIFE ALSO WE JUST ASSUME WE'LL TAKE CARE OF DENTAL PROBLEMS AS THEY COMES NOT ALWAYS BEING SAFE ABOUT WHAT WE DO TO OUR TEETH. SO EVEN WITH AWARNESS WEEK FOR ROOT CANALS. WE'LL STILL TAKE RISK WITH OUR EATING HABITS AND IN RECREATION OR THINGS WE DO FOR LEISURE SO LET THE DENTIST BE AWARE NEXT WEEK JUST MEANS YOU GOT WORK TO DO....

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