Lawless Orthodontics Offers Free Custom Mouth Guards to All Student-Athletes in Franklin and Simpson, KY

    FRANKLIN, KY, November 17, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Lawless Orthodontics, a leading orthodontist in Bowling Green, Russellville, Glasgow, and Franklin, Kentucky has recently chosen to expand its campaign of providing custom sports mouth guards to area student-athletes free of charge. The move underscores the practice's core mission of improving lives "one smile at a time." The office will take calls to schedule free mouth guard appointments at (270) 781-1025.

"I'm a former player, youth coach, and father, myself. So I cringe every time I hear about a child receiving any sort of sports-related trauma," offers Dr. Jay Lawless. "As an orthodontist, I see the effects of such injuries to the mouth and jaw, and am tasked with repairing the damages left by an errant 'softball to the mouth' or 'elbow to the face.' So I began creating custom sports mouth guards for patients a number of years ago. Recently, after hearing about a local basketball player getting a concussion, something clicked and I realized, 'Hey, I can do something about this.' And so the concept was born. If one injury is prevented through this program, then it's all worth it. If I remove the financial burden from the parents and every student-athlete begins wearing the mouth guards, then we have done something really important for the kids."

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), which serves as the governing body for orthodontic specialists, offers support for Dr. Lawless' decision to act. In a recent survey, the AAO discovered that "70 percent of parents said their biggest fear is that their child will get hurt while playing organized sports, yet 67 percent admitted that their child does NOT wear a mouth guard during organized sports including football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse. The damage caused by a ball, puck or elbow to the face can be devastating for a child - often resulting in serious injury and a lifetime of oral health issues. In fact, sports-related injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits in 12- to 17-year-olds according to the Centers for Disease Control." And hard hits can occur in almost any sport, from wrestling to volleyball. According the same report, "cheerleading is one of the most dangerous sports, accounting for 65% of all injuries in high school girls' athletics."

The information gleaned from his professional research in and experience with head and mouth trauma made the personal decision to get involved easy. "The frank truth is that the 'boil and bite' type of mouth guards are uncomfortable and nominally effective compared to the custom variety," states Dr. Lawless. "Have you ever heard the phrase, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? Well if the ounce is the mouth guard versus the pound of suffering through a head injury, then I can promise you that we don't want to have to afford the cure."

About Lawless Orthodontics

Lawless Orthodontics, a respected provider of orthodontics in South Central Kentucky and Northern Tennessee areas with our offices conveniently located in Bowling Green, Russellville, Glasgow, and Franklin. Our practice's top priority is to provide you with the highest quality of care in a friendly, comfortable environment. We utilize the latest technological advances in the industry; such as self-ligating brackets, digital imaging and charting, Invisalign Bowling Green, and innovative appliances to ensure that you receive the most effective care possible. Creating exceptional smiles in your community and exceptional experiences as we get there. For more information, visit www.smilesthatlast.com.

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