Orthodontist John Fishell figures he sees about four youngsters each month who come to his office with a sports-related injury to their teeth.

Most of the injuries could have been prevented, so the dentist decided to try to do something about it.

For the past decade, Dr. Fishell has donated nearly 1,000 mouth guards each year to young people between the ages of 8 and 18 who are involved in school sports and community recreation leagues near his offices in Peters, Pleasant Hills, Charleroi and Connellsville.

"Although mouth guards are mandatory in sports -- such as boxing, football and lacrosse -- they weren't accepted in other sports until a few years ago," Dr. Fishell said.

"They're still under-used and [that] results in a lot of preventable injuries to teeth and jaws in sports such as baseball, softball and basketball."

To educate coaches, young athletes and their parents about the importance of mouth guards, Dr. Fishell and his staff give talks to local teams, usually during practice sessions, and distribute the free mouth guards. To get the attention of younger athletes, he'll also pass out complimentary water bottles.

"In my business, we see a lot of loss of teeth or irreversible injuries such as fractures and nerve damage," he said. "If a youngster loses one or two front teeth, they're gone forever. While they might elect to have dental work such as a bridge or implant, such procedures are expensive and sometimes painful. Furthermore, many times these procedures can't be completed until the patient reaches the age of 18."

Dr. Fishell said he tries to teach young athletes how to fit the mouth guards properly.

"Usually, mouth guards have to be boiled in water then fitted to teeth and mouths," he said. "After an initial fitting, they can be kept in a case with proper cleaning with soap and water after each use."

The donated guards are high quality products obtained from a dental supplier that sell for $10 to $20 each in sporting goods stores. Guards also can be custom made but are more expensive, ranging in price between $75 and $150. The guards usually last one season.

While mouth guards are mandatory for all varsity and middle school football players in the Charleroi School District, athletic director Bill Wiltz said the 100 guards donated by Dr. Fishell in mid-August are of a higher quality than the ones supplied by the school district.

According to Dr. Fishell, mouth guards should be worn in any sport that might result in a collision, not only with another player but also with equipment or the ground.

"This includes Rollerblading and skiing," he said. "Something most people may not know is that mouth guards also prevent concussion where there's an impact to the lower jaw."

In Bethel Park, Sue Shannon, president of the Bethel Park Slow Pitch Association, is a strong advocate of using mouth guards, which is mandatory for players at practices and games.

"I've seen our girls get hit in the face with a softball, so the guards are definitely beneficial in preventing injuries," she said.

Dr. Fishell believes sports celebrities have a role to play in getting the message to young athletes.

"When a youngster sees Sydney Crosby remove a mouth guard on a televised game, for instance, it helps promote their use," he said.

In Elizabeth Forward, Dave Barr, president of the Elizabeth Forward Athletic Association, is appreciative of the 120 mouth guards donated in mid-July to his age 5 to 13 football players. "As an independent, nonprofit organization, we rely on donors like Dr. Fishell to keep us going,'' he said.

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