Ann Arbor, MI — April 25, 2008 — Free, customized mouth guards will be made for amateur athletes ages 5 and older at the U-M School of Dentistry on Saturday, July 12.  Supervised by faculty members, dental and dental hygiene students will make the customized oral appliance from 9:00 a.m. until noon.

An appointment is not necessary.  However, because supplies will be limited, only120 mouth guards will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.  Children who wear braces are also invited to participate.

What Parents, Guardians, and Athletes Need to Know

Those who come to the clinic will be required to enter the dental school building from North University Avenue.  Student greeters will direct patients to the clinic. 

When they sign in, student athletes (or a parent/guardian for those who are not yet 18) will be required to fill out a brief medical history and consent form.  Then student athletes will be assigned a number and asked to wait until their number is called.  Because of the program’s popularity, the wait could be 30 minutes, depending on the size of the crowd.

When their number is called, each athlete will be greeted by a student dentist and asked to choose the color of their mouth guard.  There will also be an option of having a strap attached.  The student athlete will spend about 15 or 20 minutes in a dental chair as an impression of their teeth is taken.  The finished product will be available for pickup about two hours later. 

Before returning home, athletes will be asked to try on the mouth guard in the presence of a student dentist or clinical faculty member to ensure a proper fit.  If any final adjustments are needed, those will be completed at that time.

Important Equipment

A mouth guard is one of the most important, yet probably most overlooked or neglected pieces of sports equipment.  They are vital for athletes planning to participate in fall or winter sports including football, soccer, basketball, ice hockey, or other contact sports.  However, the mouth guard is also important for those who may participate in other activities including skateboarding, rollerblading, or downhill skiing.

Dr. William Godwin, U-M professor emeritus of dentistry and sports dentistry specialist who’s considered by many to be the father of the customized mouth guard, said, “this is a very important piece of equipment which acts as a shock absorber, blunting the force of impact caused by falls or contact that occurs in athletic activities.”  He adds, “mouth guards save more than teeth.  They also help to minimize head and neck injuries, such as concussions and jaw fractures.”

Godwin says the customized mouth guards made by U-M dental students “are more comfortable than the off-the-shelf guards that are sold in stores.  We know that the more comfortable the mouth guard is, the more likely it is that the kids will wear them.”

The School of Dentistry is located on the Central Campus at 1011 N. University Avenue across the street from the Michigan League.

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service.  General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan.  Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies.  Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide.  For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.

For more information, contact: 

• Jerry Mastey, editor, School of Dentistry (734) 615-1971, jmastey@umich.edu
• Dr. Kenneth May, associate professor of dentistry, (734) 763-6541 or (734) 763-5280, bural@umich.edu

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