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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Using Mouthguard for the Safety of Your Child

Using Mouthguard for the Safety of Your Child
By: drnguyen

Chances are, a child in your family probably participates in some kind of sporting activity, either in team sports or simply riding a bike. Over two million teeth are knocked out every year in the U.S. largely during sporting activities. Wearing a mouthguard could have prevented many of these incidents.

The Academy of General Dentistry says that:
1) A hockey puck can reach 120 mph and hit teeth with a force of 1250 pounds.
2) Dental rehab for a knocked-out tooth may be 20 times the cost of a professional mouthguard.
3) Dental injuries are more than 60 times more likely to occur without a mouthguard.
4) Sports players have a 1-in-10 chance of sustaining a face or dental injury during a season.A mouthguard is made of soft plastic and it should be customized to fit snugly around the upper teeth.

Although many sports do not require the use of a mouthguard, it is usually strongly recommended.It makes sense that participants in high-contact sports like football and hockey should wear mouth or face protection.

However, we also encourage the use of mouthguards during any activity where physical contact or a risk of a fall is possible, some of which include: Skiing, Horseback Riding, Rugby, Wrestling, Handball, Volleyball, Riding a bike, Racquetball, Martial arts, Soccer, Baseball, Trampolining, Skateboarding, Softball, Gymnastics, Tennis, Basketball, and Surfing.

A mouthguard can save your child from painful injuries. If your child is involved in a contact sport, you expect to pay for pads, helmets and any other protective device necessary. However, the importance of protecting the mouth may be overlooked, despite the dramatic effects a facial injury may have on appearance and self-confidence.

A mouthguard is an easy way to protect a child's mouth by:
1) Preventing the risk of injury to the upper front teeth.
2) Lowering the risk of damage to the jaw and teeth when the jaws snap.
3) Reducing the risk of cuts and bruises to the cheeks, lips and tongue.
4) Protecting the teeth and gums for children who wear removable orthodontic appliances (these should not be worn during physical activity as the appliances may dislodge, blocking the airway).
5) Absorbing the force of a blow to the lower jaw, therefore lowering the risk of concussion. Two or more concussions can affect the mental ability of a teenager for years, and has worse affects on kids with learning disabilities.

If you plan to purchase a mouthguard for your child, why not consider wearing one yourself and suggesting it to other members of your family?Let your loved ones know about the risks of oral and facial injury during active sports so they can make informed decisions as to whether a mouthguard is right for them. Your dentist will show you how to select the best mouthguard, and how to encourage your child to use it! If you have any questions or would like to learn more about mouthguards, please contact your dentist.

About The Author-- For information, visit Cosmetic Dentistry. SoftDental (www.softdental.com) is Houston's Top General Dentistry.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

A Message to Baseball Parents:


A Message to Baseball Parents:

I know that you want what's best for your son. You are always looking for the best way for your son to reach his maximum potential as a player. I can assure you that there is no better training product on the market today than the BatAction Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports.

This great baseball trainer is loved and respected by players, coaches and parents worldwide. Since 1999 it has been helping hitters raise their batting averages by increasing their power, improving their skill, and by giving them a high level of confidence at the plate. It is no wonder that BatAction Machine owners are often the most dominating players on teams and in leagues.

The bottom line is, "The BatAction Produces Results"! In fact, we are so confident that it will work for you that we offer a 100% Money-Back Guarantee to insure that you are totally happy with your purchase.

Make this the best baseball season ever for your son. Buy him a machine that will make him the best he can be at the plate. Take that first step toward helping your player become a happier and more productive baseball player!


Good Luck to Your Son this Season!
Happy Hitting,

Nick Dixon
President
Nedco Sports

Monday, January 5, 2009

Baseball - Approach To Hitting - The Situation

Expert Author: Michael Russell

In this last of our two part series on the approach to hitting a baseball, we'll go over what is probably the most important part of a player's approach and that is how he handles the various situations that will come up during the course of a baseball game. The really good hitters will us the same approach for each situation and will not deviate from it. This is what makes them consistent and the top players in the game.

Since there are countless situations in the game, we're not going to try to cover them all but just try to give you an idea of what is involved with adjusting to each one. The most common situation for a batter leading off the inning is that he is batting with nobody on base. In this situation he will use his normal approach. If he is a contact hitter then he will simply try to get on base. If he is a power hitter then he will try to hit for a home run as he usually does.

This is assuming the score is tied or there is no score. But what if a team is down by two runs going into the bottom of the ninth inning and the first person up is your clean up hitter? His hitting of a home run is not going to get the game tied up. In this case it is more important that he get on base. In this situation your power hitter will probably choke up on the bat more, cut down on his swing and just try to get on base.

This is good situational hitting. Another common situation is when a batter comes up with a runner on first. If he is not a strong hitter, in this situation what he will try to do is hit the ball to the right side of the infield. Even if he doesn't get a hit, if he manages to hit the ball between first and second base, he has a good chance of advancing the runner over to second base so that he can score.

To do this, the batter will probably look for an outside pitch and try to slap the ball to the right side. He may even open up his stance a little if he normally uses a closed stance. Another common situation is when a batter comes up with a runner on third base and less than two outs. In this situation, the run can be driven in without the need for a hit.

All the batter has to do is get the ball out of the infield on a fly. In this situation he will probably look for a high pitch that he can lift into the outfield deep enough to score the run. To do this he will hold the bat as far down the handle as he can to get as much power as possible.

He will also close up his stance a little if he uses an open one. These are just a few of the most common situations that will come up during a game. Being able to adapt to these situations is what separates the good hitters from the not so good.

Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Baseball