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Are you looking for a fun way to inspire your young kids to brush their teeth? The Ad Council and the Partnership for Healthy Mouths has released a free mobile game app, Toothsavers,  which is designed to motivate kids to maintain healthy oral habits and have fun while doing it.

This interactive game encourages kids to brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day by enlisting them in rescuing friendly fairy tale characters from an evil, cavity-creating sorceress who cast a wicked teeth-rotting spell on the kingdom. The Toothsavers game includes three freatures to help parents and their kids learn about the importance of dental health:

• The game calls on kids to be heroes. In a timed, finger-swipe brushing game, they can save 10 characters in a fairy tale kingdom from an evil, cavity-creating sorceress.
• The two-player version of the game allows for kids to "brush" the teeth of their friends and parents when the mobile device is held up to their mouths.
• The app also offers a real-life toothbrushing companion for kids and parents to keep track of their brushing progress, as well as morning and nighttime reminders.

The mobile game app, geared toward children ages 3 to 6, is available for free in the App Store and Google Play for Android and iOS devices. There's also a great overview of the gaming app on the web at 2min2x.org.

While this interactive game is geared towards children who are typically too young to start orthodontic treatment, we believe it's never to early to introduce your children to the benefits of good oral health. Click the image below to watch a preview of the Toothsavers game.

April is National Facial Protection Month, and Dr. Stephen Godwin and the team at Bel Air Orthodontics want to remind parents, coaches and athletes to play it safe as they prepare to suit up for recreational and organized sports.

A sports-related injury can happen in an instant. Without the proper protective gear, young athletes could find themselves on the bench instead of the playing field this spring. Last year, the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation forecasted that more than 3 million teeth would be knocked out in youth sporting events. They also reported that athletes who don’t wear mouth guards are 60 times more likely to damage their teeth.

Despite their known benefits, many young athletes are not wearing mouth guards during sports competitions and practices. In a survey commissioned by the American Association of Orthodontists, 67% of parents admitted that their child does not wear a mouth guard while playing baseball, soccer, hockey, basketball and many other contact sports.

Our job at Bel Air Orthodontics is to help our patients obtain healthy, beautiful smiles. The last thing we want to see is a patient injured and sidelined because they weren't properly equipped. That's where parents come in. Simple and relatively inexpensive protective gear - such as a mouth guard - can dramatically decrease the risk of oral and facial injuries. That's why Dr. Godwin is encouraging parents to talk with their dental professionals about the right mouth guards for their young athletes and urges coaches to require that young athletes wear their mouth guards at every practice and every game.

Here’s How You Can Play It Safe:

Whether at a practice, at a game, or simply enjoying some fun in the neighborhood, it’s important to take these precautions to protect your face and teeth from injury:

• Wear a  mouth guard when playing contact sports to help prevent injuries to the teeth, mouth and jaw; if you are wearing braces, please make sure you ask us for a mouth guard designed specifically for orthodontic patients;
• Wear a helmet. Helmets absorb the energy of an impact;
• Wear protective eye wear. Eyes are extremely vulnerable;
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin;
• Be alert - as a player or a spectator.

If your child suffers dental trauma such as a knocked-out or broken tooth, Dr. Godwin suggests that you contact your dentist for immediate attention. For those in braces, it’s also important to contact our office to schedule an appointment for repair since damage to braces can lengthen treatment time and affect treatment results.

Click the line link below to watch this short, fun video showing that mouth guards are better for protecting kids than wrapping them in bubble wrap.

Bubble Wrap Play It Safe Video

About National Facial Protection Month: Every April, the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Society, the Academy for Sports Dentistry, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry team up to remind parents and parents, coaches and athletes about the importance of taking precautions to preserve their teeth and protect them from facial injuries.

It’s the start of a new year and for some of you that means the acquisition of a new insurance policy or changes to your current policy. If your dental benefits have changed for 2014, please contact our office as soon as possible to update your benefit information. We will be happy to verify your new benefits and file the appropriate claims so that you receive the maximum benefit for your orthodontic treatment. For your convenience, you can now download and complete our Change of Insurance Form available at the Patient Forms page of our website. If you are unsure about your orthodontic benefits, we recommend that you contact your employer’s human resources department.

Let’s face it, educating kids about the importance of oral health can be challenging, especially when it comes to teens. But no matter how difficult, it’s important that they learn to properly care for their teeth, especially if they’re in braces.

The good news is that there are plenty of online oral health resources available. For example, MetLife recently released the Teen Dental Health Center - a new section of their Oral Health Library that is specifically designed for kids ages 11-18. The Teen Dental Health Corner, just like the Kid's Corner, provides age-specific articles and videos - all designed to help teach oral health in engaging and entertaining ways. Topics included on the teen site are relevant to their life stage and experiences: healthy eating, braces, mouthguards, dental projects for school and careers in dentistry. Their dental care video entitled, Oral Hygiene for Braces, is a helpful tool for patients in orthodontic treatment. To view this video and more, visit their website at www.oralhealthlibrary.com.

For children under the age of 11, MetLife's offers the Kid's Dental Health Corner. From interactive games and coloring pages to healthy tips and their Kids and Cavities Movie, the site keeps young children entertained while they learn the benefits of a healthy smile. Here's a sample of what you'll find on their site:

• Plaque: What is it and how to get rid of it
• What's wrong with sugary snacks, anyway?
• Am I at risk for tooth decay?
• Snack Smart food list.

If you have questions about oral health and caring for your braces, don't hesitate to contact Dr. Godwin and the team at Bel Air Orthodontics.