Brain-Pad ordered to end claims of reduced concussion risk

Mouth-guard manufacturer Brain-Pad no longer can claim that its products can reduce the risk of concussions, as a result of a Federal Trade Commission settlement on Aug. 16. Consumers Digest scrutinized Brain-Pad’s mouth guards and other products that supposedly reduce the risk of concussions in “Collision Course: The Truth About Concussion Prevention” in the May/June 2012 issue.

Brain-Pad claimed that its mouth guard, when worn with a helmet, could reduce the risk of a concussion by reducing the impact force to the base of a user’s skull and mouth by 40 percent.

The settlement also bans Brain-Pad from making deceptive claims about any of its other products’ capabilities to reduce the risk of concussion.

The company isn’t banned from selling its products and didn’t have to pay a fine that was related to the settlement.

FTC says a refund isn’t being issued to consumers who purchased Brain-Pad mouth guards, which have a retail price of $10–$30, because the product still provides functional mouth protection.

“The main goal of the settlement was to communicate to the industry that it needs scientific evidence to back up its claims,” says Betsy Lordan, who is a spokesperson for FTC.

– K. Fanuko