Facial Protection Month at Dr. Ruff’s office

With spring here, many children, teens and adults will once again pick up the ball, bring the bat out of seasonal retirement, and lace up their cleats to hit the fields for the return of spring sports! April is National Facial Protection Month, and during this time, we urge our young athletes to play it safe when out on the field. According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults will have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events this year.

This month at Dr. Charles Ruff’s office, you could win a custom mouth guard! Simply email us a photo of you playing your sport and we will share that photo on our Facebook page. You will then be entered into that week’s drawing for a mouth guard! You can send us a photo each week of April for your chance to win.

Email your photos to darlene@smiles4ME.com to get started. Good luck! This contest ends April 30, 2012 so don’t delay in sending us your entries.

*Please note that patients in braces are not eligible to win a custom mouth guard. By emailing us your photos, you are giving us permission to share them on our social networks.

We will also be offering ½ price custom mouth guards to all patients ($75 each) this month only! Facial protection is important to us, and we want all of our great athletes to have a mouth guard.

Are you wearing your mouth guard?

With winter sports right around the corner, many patients here at Dr. Charles Ruff's office will once again pick up the ball, bring the cleats out of seasonal retirement and hit the fields and courts for the return of sports action! During this time, however, Dr. Ruff and our team urge our young athletes to play it safe when out on the field. Here are a few ways to ensure your mouth’s safety this fall and winter, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists:

1. Wear mouth guards for contact sports such as basketball, wrestling and hockey
2. Wear a helmet
3. Wear protective eyewear
4. Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
5. Be alert, even as a spectator

We hope that helps! Dr. Ruff and team will tell you protective gear is vital for anyone engaging in tooth or mouth-threatening activities. If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact our office or ask us on Facebook. Stay safe!

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!

Did you know the month of May is designated National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? In 1983, President Ronald Reagan encouraged Americans to incorporate more physical activity into their lives, and the reminder is even more significant in this day and age, as kids everywhere are distracted more and more by television, social networking and video games. Kids living an active lifestyle can improve their health, productivity and overall well-being, and best of all? It doesn’t have to take a lot of time!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided these public health guidelines for your convenience. The guidelines call for children and teens to exercise for at least one hour each day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as playing sports or brisk walking) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, dancing and jumping rope).

At the office of Dr. Charles Ruff, we always encourage our patients to stay fit by exercising or participating in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often your child should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

This summer, don't forget those mouth guards!

Dr. Ruff and our staff can't believe we're already halfway through summer! As the weather stays hot, the chances for mouth injuries for our athletes gets bigger and bigger. We'd like to remind our young athletes orthodontic treatment to always take care of both your mouth and appliances while participating in contact- and non-contact sports.

That includes wearing a mouth guard at all times when you're playing sports. Only by using a mouth guard can athletes with and without braces avoid serious mouth injuries. And don't forget to ask us for a mouth guard - we will provide a mouth guard for any patient in active treatment! We hope you're having a great summer so far!

The importance of mouth guards, from Dr. Ruff

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. Ruff 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 our office. And don’t forget to ask us—Dr. Ruff 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 with Dr. Ruff.