DO ALL ATHLETES HAVE BAD TEETH?
DITCH THE SPORTS DRINKS, GET A MOUTHGUARD
Sports drink commercials would have us believe that the secret to an athlete’s success can be found at the bottom of their drinks. And in theory, they are not wrong! The right nutrition and proper hydration can help an athlete outpace even the stiffest competition, but sports drinks are not healthy — for many reasons. Sports drinks often contain high levels of sugar, which is great for short bursts of energy but not so much for your teeth. Over time, the excessive use of these sugary drinks can cause decay, which can be painful and detrimental to the integrity of an athlete’s teeth. In 2015, a European study found that of 352 athletes training for the 2016 Rio Olympics, nearly 50% had some form of tooth decay. While most maintained a healthy oral care routine, including brushing, flossing, and not smoking, many of these athletes were consuming sports drinks, energy gels, and nutrition bars — all loaded with sugar. Furthermore, it may also impact an athlete’s performance. A recent study found that 40% of athletes surveyed were bothered by their oral health, and 18% said it had an impact on their athletic skill. After all, it’s difficult to move gracefully down the track when your gums are throbbing in pain!
However, sports drinks are not the only culprits in bad oral hygiene habits among athletes. Dental professionals encourage many athletes — of all ages and sport preferences — to wear mouthguards. These devices are fitted to an athlete’s teeth and can protect their lips, tongue, face, and jaw. So, when your second-base player tries to field a bad-hop ground ball off their face or your power forward makes a move and takes an elbow to the jaw, their oral health is better protected. This spring, as new youth sports seasons begin, protect your athlete from poor oral health in three easy steps. (These are great for our weekend warriors, too!) 1. Fuel up with water instead of sugary sports drinks. 2. Get fitted for a mouthguard and wear it regularly. 3. Brush twice each day, and floss once each day. You can learn more about oral health for athletes at your next dental appointment or by visiting the American Dental Association’s website at MouthHealthy.org.
Employee Training Is Data Protection
HOW TO DEPLOY THIS TOOL
The cost of not training your employees about how to manage data and prevent breaches can be exponential. A study by IBM and the Ponemon Institute found that breaches cost companies across the globe an average of $3.86 million. That number spikes to $8.64 million for American companies. Is that a loss you can handle? Your approach to data protection should primarily focus on prevention, but technology security tools only go so far. One of the most overlooked forms of data protection involves your most valuable asset: your employees.
the potential scam from occurring? How can they verify the source and credibility of the data? And how should they utilize the data daily to avoid unintentional breaches? These questions should be at the core of your data protection training.
Employee training to prevent data breaches is an investment back into your company. Here’s how to capitalize on it.
Be tight-lipped. When there are too many cooks in the kitchen, you’re bound to have a mess. The only employees who need access to data are the people who need it for their exact roles. For instance, in many cases, only your billing department needs access to credit card information — not all of your staff. And after an employee leaves, it’s vital that you remove their credentials immediately. Not doing so leaves you vulnerable. When it comes to business protection, our team at Douglass & Runger has the expertise to help you cement your company’s legacy. Learn more about this and our other legal services online at DouglassRunger.com.
Teach them about scams. There are still plenty of hackers who find their way into companies by way of counterfeit links or fake email addresses. And it’s much more sophisticated than when email was first on the scene. Thieves only need to change one or two characters in their email address to fool unsuspecting readers. Teaching your employees about the many ways in which they can be fooled into giving away information is the first step in helping employees be well-versed on data protection. Create protocols and policies. If an employee suspects they may have found a scam or breach, what should happen next? Who should they notify, or what steps should they take to prevent
2 • DouglassRunger.com
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