It’s National Youth Sports Safety Month, and Delta Dental of Oklahoma is celebrating by providing free mouth-guards to youth athletes across the state.
Parents, coaches and league commissioners can secure free mouth-guards for their young athletes by submitting a request online. The deadline for requests is April 30, 2026, or while supplies last. Orders will be delivered in June, just in time for summer and fall sports.
“Competitive sports are a great way for kids to remain active and healthy, but they also highly increase the risk of dental injuries,” said John Gladden, chairman, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Oklahoma. “We hope our mouth-guard program encourages young Oklahomans to protect their smiles during practices and games.”
Mouthguards play a critical role in preventing painful and costly oral injuries. Each year, sports-related dental injuries lead to more than 600,000 emergency room visits in the United States. Athletes who do not wear mouthguards are 60 times more likely to suffer a dental injury.
“Dental injuries are not just costly. They can also affect a child’s self-confidence, emotional wellbeing and academic performance,” said Terrisa Singleton-Smith, director of the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation. “Mouthguards reduce the risk of injury during athletic activities, helping our kids stay safe and protected while playing sports.”
Experts recommend that athletes wear mouthguards while participating in contact and non-contact sports ranging from football, basketball, baseball and softball to skateboarding, gymnastics, volleyball and field events.
Delta Dental of Oklahoma will provide youth athletes with microwavable, mold-a-ble Game On mouth-guards. Accepted by the American Dental Association, these mouth-guards offer high-performance impact absorption, are braces-friendly, can be remolded as teeth move, and are available in a variety of styles and sizes.
For more information or to secure a mouth-guard today, visit DDOKFoundation.org/mouthguards.
About: Delta Dental of Oklahoma for over 50 years, Delta Dental has been the leading provider of dental benefits in the state. They have prioritized and advanced the oral health of millions of Oklahomans. Delta Dental of Oklahoma (DDOK) serves more than one million eligible members and more than 9,600 Oklahoma-headquartered companies. Delta Dental of Oklahoma offers Individual and Family benefit plans designed to meet the needs of Oklahomans outside the workplace. For more information, visit DeltaDentalOK.org/CoversMe.
About: Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation was established in 1998 to advance the company’s not-for-profit mission to improve the oral health of all Oklahomans. In addition to its free dental care resources, the charitable organization provides grants and funds to free and low-cost clinics, awards scholarships to dental students and proactively educates thousands of elementary children from across the state about proper oral hygiene and dental disease prevention. For more information, visit DDOKFoundation.org.