JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Boil-and-bite mouth guards help to protect teeth from sports injuries. Military beneficiaries may pick up a mouth guard, free of charge, at the Joint Base Andrews West Fitness Center or at the 779th Dental Clinic, 1601 California Avenue, on Joint Base Andrews. Appointments are not necessary, simply walk-in and request a mouth guard at the front desk.
According to the Journal of American Dental Association, nearly 15 million Americans are involved in dental injuries annually - this is the equivalent of every member of the United States Air Force suffering from at least two dental injuries a year, over a 20 year career.
Summer time brings summer sports - basketball, skateboarding, biking, soccer, football, tennis - and many potential mouth injuries, all of which can be prevented with a simple, inexpensive sports guard.
"People forget how easily teeth can be harmed from sports injuries. The recovery time can be years," said Dr. Bowers-Evangelista, 779th Dental Squadron Endodontist.
An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in root canal treatments.
"It's not just the popular sports you have to worry about. I have seen patients lose teeth from getting hit in the face with a bowling ball and even from being flung off a mechanical bull," said Dr. Dennis Holt, 779th Dental Squadron Endodontist.
Custom mouth guards will be available for active duty members in the fall of 2014. Military beneficiaries will call the main dental clinic at, (240) 857-5029, to schedule an appointment to have an impression taken of their mouth. The mouth guard will then be fabricated by in-house dental staff and fitted to the individual's mouth.
Obtaining a mouth guard can save you from painful, unwanted, and unnecessary dental trauma. Stop by and pick one up today.