Urge your Representative to Co-Sponsor the National Facial Protection Month Resolution

Facial trauma is a too frequent an occurrence in sports activities from cycling to basketball, and Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) hopes to raise awareness of this issue by introducing on February 25, a congressional resolution (H. Res. 193) to designate April as National Facial Protection Month.

AAOMS, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) already recognize April as National Facial Protection Month through a joint national public awareness campaign. This nonbinding resolution will provide federal recognition for our efforts.

H. Res. 193 asks the US House of Representatives to declare it critical to raise public awareness about the importance of using proper dental and facial protection during sporting activities and the need to conduct additional research to study the effectiveness of intervention programs that encourage use of helmets, facemasks, and mouth guards. The resolution also calls on sports healthcare professionals, parents and coaches to educate athletes about the importance of protective equipment and to encourage the use of all protective devices to ensure the athlete's safety. It further recommends using protective equipment that meets the standards of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).

AAOMS asks you to please contact your Representative and encourage him/her to sign-on to support this important resolution.

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Talking Points

An estimated 5 million teeth are knocked out each year during sports activities and athletes participating in contact sports have a 10% chance of sustaining a significant oral-facial injury each session and are 60 times more likely to sustain damage to the teeth when not wearing a protective mouth guard.
Approximately, one-third of all dental injuries and approximately 19% of all head and face injuries are sports-related.
Please raise awareness of the need for facial protection by cosponsoring H. Res. 193.

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and constituent in your district, I urge you to co-sponsor H. Res. 193, which recognizes April as National Facial Protection month.

Already recognized by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Association of Orthodontists through a national campaign, National Facial Protection Month raises awareness about the importance of using proper dental and facial protection during sporting activities.

An estimated 5 million teeth are knocked out each year during sports activities and athletes participating in contact sports have a 10% chance of sustaining a significant oral-facial injury each session and are 60 times more likely to sustain damage to the teeth when not wearing a protective mouth guard. Approximately one-third of all dental injuries and approximately 19% of all head and face injuries are sports-related. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons routinely treat patients for conditions resulting from sports injuries to the mouth, many of which could have been prevented had the patient used proper dental and facial protection.

H.Res. 193 recognizes April as National Facial Protection Month and raises public awareness about the importance of using proper dental and facial protection during sporting activities. This resolution also addresses the need to conduct additional research to study the effectiveness of intervention programs that encourage use of helmets, facemask, and mouth guards. It also calls on sports health care professional, parents, and coaches to educate athletes about the importance of protective equipment and to encourage the use of all protective devices to ensure the athlete's safety. It further recommends using protective equipment that meets the standards of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).

Please co-sponsor H.Res. 193 to promote awareness of sports related facial trauma and designate April as National Facial Protection Month.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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