When high school athletes start gearing up for sports, Delta Dental of Michigan wants them to make sure a mouthguard is on their equipment list.

According to the American Dental Association, sports-related injuries are responsible for knocking out 2 million teeth per year. Mouthguards serve as a shock absorber to prevent injuries to the teeth, tongue, lips and inner-cheek.

It's perfect bike riding season - not too hot, and not too cold:). Be safe and ensure that you and your kids have a bike helmet with the appropriate fit.

A helmet should feel comfortably snug, and will usually come with insertable foam pads in case you need to insert them to make the helmet more snug. To adjust your helmet to the proper fit, follow

Even though we're at the end of summer, the following message is still important. It is regarding leaving children in a vehicle on a hot day. Yes, the current temps may not be in the 90's, but after reading this, it is realized that it doesn't need to be that hot out to harm a child sitting in a closed car.

RULES FOR THE TECHNOLOGY ROAD
by Tiffany Dziurman Stozicki

As a kid, I watched reruns of the old TV series, “Star Trek” (okay, I still do from time to time). The show catapulted a 20th century audience eons into the future and wowed us with some way-out-there technology we couldn’t even comprehend – until now. Even with its campy sets and kitschy costumes, the tech props on “Star Trek” actually inspired the invention and design of some current tech tools – the mobile phone and PDA, as well as CAT scans and MRIs (I won’t get into teleportation).1  Some of the cool devices Captain Kirk and his crew used on the USS Enterprise and various planets are now – in some form – available at your local Best Buy store.

Physicians should recommend low to moderate levels of exercise to their pregnant patients, even if they have not exercised prior to pregnancy, according to a new report.

Exercise can strengthen and improve overall musculoskeletal and physiologic health as well as pregnancy related symptoms.

Exercise such as aerobics, impact and nonimpact activities, resistance training and swimming:

    * Eases back and other musculoskeletal pain
    * Lowers maternal blood pressure
    * Reduces swelling
    * Improves post-partum mood, including sadness

This is tough, but necessary; not only is this a back-to-school lesson, it is a life lesson.  I am the first to admit that when I tell my kids to do something, I sometimes have to repeat myself over and over before it gets done. I am going to attempt to follow this great advice from Dr. Charles Fay:

If highly processed chicken nuggets and artificially flavored popsicles aren't your idea of a healthy lunch, it's time you joined "The School Lunch Revolution!"

What are kids eating at school?

Highly processed foods are standard fare in many school lunchrooms, and more than two-thirds of public schools serve lunches that exceed recommended limits for fat content. And, we're paying for it with our kids' health. At least 30 percent of children are overweight, childhood obesity has more than doubled, and it is predicted that one in three will develop diabetes.

Especially in the warm weather of summer, babies can feel thirstier than usual. While giving an extra bottle can calm a fussy baby, Delta Dental asks parents to think twice before filling a child’s bottle with pop or juice.

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Overcome negative self-talk by recognizing it and practicing with some examples provided.

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic.