SMILE SPORTSBlog
Stories from camp
and tips for home
Short reads for parents and coaches on healthy smiles, young athletes and what happens at our camps.
We use sports to make oral health education fun for children.
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Thank you, Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation, for mouthguards for our campers
The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and America’s ToothFairy sent Smile Sports mouthguards for our campers. Why mouthguards matter, and who the Foundation is.
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Water or a sports drink? What young athletes really need
For almost every practice and game, water is the better choice, for your child’s body and for their teeth.
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Where we are starting in Chicago, and why
Four parts of the city, how each was chosen, and what a free camp brings to the neighborhood.
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Mouthguards for kids: a Chicago parent’s guide
Which mouthguard to buy, how to fit it, and what to do if a tooth gets knocked out.
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Thank You SmileMakers and America’s ToothFairy!
Nearly 300 toothbrushes and oral care kits, enough for every child at our first Chicago camps.
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Should Kids Focus on Just One Sport?
Why playing several sports usually works out better, and what year-round travel costs a family.
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BEYOND THE TAP: UNDERSTANDING CHICAGO’S WATER ISSUES AND YOUTH WELLNESS IN 2026
What is in Chicago tap water, from fluoride to lead pipes, and what it means for kids who play hard.
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THE HIDDEN COST OF ABSENTEEISM: HOW ON-COURT WELLNESS PROTECTS CLASSROOM SUCCESS
How tooth pain keeps kids out of class, and how a day of sport can help keep them in it.
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The Cool Factor: Breaking the “Toughness Myth” in Youth Sports
How to get a kid to actually wear the mouthguard: make it look like part of the uniform.
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Chicago Pop-Up Camps
How our camps come to the neighborhood and set up inside programs families already trust.
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The Clean Water Paradox
How a lesson about clean water led us to focus on sports and oral health.
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600,000 Shattered Smiles: The True Cost of Skipping the Mouthguard
What a broken tooth costs a family, and what to do in the first hour if it happens on the court.
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