Delta Dental of Oklahoma is celebrating Youth Sports Safety by empowering young Oklahomans to protect their smiles. Throughout the month of April, the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation will be giving away free mouthguards to thousands of young athletes across the state.

Competitive sports are a great way for kids to remain active and healthy, but they also highly increase the risk of dental injuries. More than three million teeth are knocked out each year in youth sports, according to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, and athletes who do not wear mouthguards are 60 times more likely to damage their teeth.

“Mouthguards are an effective way to prevent or reduce the severity of oral-related sports injuries, but they are severely underutilized,” said Delta Dental of Oklahoma President and CEO John Gladden. “Delta Dental of Oklahoma hopes this initiative empowers young Oklahomans to incorporate mouthguards into their regular sportswear routine, giving them confidence to perform their very best while protecting their long-term oral health and quality of life.”

The microwaveable, moldable mouthguards are available in a variety of styles and sizes for athletes up to 18 years old. The mouthguards come with or without a strap and in two different sizes, adult (ages 11-18) and child (ages 10 and under). Mouthguards with straps are recommended for sports that utilize helmets, such as football or ice hockey, while strapless mouthguards are ideal for any sport.

“Wearing a mouthguard dramatically reduces the risk of several types of injuries, including tooth loss, fractures or chips and soft-tissue damage,” said Terrisa Singleton, director of the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation. “With this program, we want to encourage kids across the state to ‘Guard their Grins’ and protect their smiles during practices and games.”

Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation will provide Game On mouthguards, which are accepted by the American Dental Association and offer high-performance impact absorption. Game On mouthguards are made with a unique microwaveable material that fits easily over braces and contain hydrophobic properties that help prevent illness.

Oklahoma parents, coaches and league commissioners can secure free mouthguards for their young athletes by submitting a request online. The deadline for requests is April 30, 2023, or while supplies last. Orders will be delivered in June, just in time for summer and fall sport seasons.

For more information or to register your league/ team for mouthguards, visit ddokfoundation.org/ mouthguards.

Delta Dental of Oklahoma Delta Dental of Oklahoma is the leading provider of dental benefits in the state, celebrating 50 years of service to Oklahomans in 2023. Delta Dental of Oklahoma (DDOK) serves more than one million eligible members and more than 9,100 Oklahoma-headquartered companies. DDOK established its Foundation in 1998 to advance the company’s not-for-profit mission to improve the oral health of all Oklahomans. For more information about Delta Dental of Oklahoma, please visit Delta-DentalOK.org.

Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation is the philanthropic affiliate of Delta Dental of Oklahoma and is the state’s single largest contributor to dental health and education- related projects and initiatives. Our Foundation is funded entirely by proceeds from Delta Dental of Oklahoma. For more information, visit DDOKFoundation. org.