As a Dental Health Promoter for Mayo, Margaret O’Malley is well placed to observe the state of our children’s teeth. And after researching the number of children who have been treated in Mayo clinics for repair to their front teeth due to sports-related injuries, Margaret launched the ‘Mind your Mouth’ campaign on the Tommy Marren Show on Mid West Radio.

Margaret O'Malley on the Tommy Marren Show

As a result of witnessing at first hand the large number of sports-related dental injuries in children and young people, the HSE West ‘Mind your Mouth’ campaign aims to increase awareness of the importance of wearing mouth guards to protect teeth during sporting activities.

Launching the Dental Injuries Kit for Schools

As part of the campaign, a Dental First Aid Kit for Mouth Injuries will be distributed to primary schools and sports clubs in the county. The Dental First Aid Kit, which contains gloves, a sterile swab, a sample bottle and saline solution, provides immediate first aid and will help save the tooth in the event of a sports-related accident.

However, to prevent a tooth being cracked or knocked out in the first place, Margaret O’Malley is making the case for the wearing of mouth guards during most sporting activities. She says: The earlier the child starts to wear mouth protection the better, because when children get older they find it difficult to get used to something in their mouth. In Rugby and Australian Football, the players are not insured unless they wear their mouth guard.

Live on Air with Mid West Radio

The ‘Mind your Mouth’ campaign ultimately aims to persuade all children and young people to get into the habit of wearing mouth guards when they are involved in sports. Parents, teachers and coaches should be aware that athletes have a one in ten chance of suffering a facial or dental injury during each athletic session and the proper use of a mouth guard can prevent many of these expensive dental injuries.

Margaret adds: The knowledge that mouth guards help in the prevention of serious injuries is not new. The sport of boxing is generally credited with being the first to see the advantages of mouth guards. It is imperative that regulatory bodies in Ireland include the wearing of mouth guards as standard equipment in almost all sporting events, and even extend the use to practice sessions. It’s a very small price to pay for the protection of our children’s teeth.