Playing sports and keeping active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle for all ages! When it comes to sports and wearing braces, it is absolutely possible; however, it does require a couple more steps and precautions. With the right protective measures in place, like wearing a mouthguard, it is easy and safe to continue playing the sports you love while keeping your teeth, braces, and overall oral health intact.
Interested in learning more? Keep reading for tips from a South Florida Invisalign dentist and the importance of protecting your teeth.
Can I Still Play Sports With Braces?
Yes! Getting braces should not affect whether or not you can play your sport. High-impact sports just come with more room for injury when you have braces on.
- Cuts to lips, gums, and cheeks
- May lead to a broken bracket, bent tray, or snapped wire
- Can be expensive to repair
An Invisalign dentist recommends wearing a mouthguard when playing sports to protect you from getting lacerations in your mouth, as well as avoiding any costly fixes in the dentist’s chair.
Some sports in which you should consider wearing mouthguards when playing include:
- Basketball
- Rugby
- Boxing
- Hockey
- Volleyball
- Football
- Soccer
- Martial Arts
- Baseball/Softball
Wearing a mouthguard during any sport you play just ensures that your teeth stay safe and protected, whether or not you have braces on. A properly fitted mouthguard helps absorb impact, reduces the risk of cuts and broken brackets, and can prevent unexpected dental emergencies.
How To Protect Your Teeth
Injuries are a common occurrence when playing sports. You may not be playing a contact sport and therefore deem it unnecessary to have a mouthguard in place to protect your mouth and your braces; however, accidents happen all the time! Whether it be slipping, tripping, or accidentally running into another player.
Mouthguards
Since having braces while playing a sport increases your chance of injury to your gums, cheeks, and lips, having a properly fitted and well-made mouthguard in place becomes extremely important.
Types Of Mouthguards
There are three different types of mouthguards:
- Boil and bite
- Stock
- Custom-made
Wearing A Boil And Bite Mouthguard With Braces
Both the boil and bite mouth as well as the stock mouthguard are easily and readily available in sporting goods stores. They are a quick and easy solution available to keep your teeth and soft tissue protected; however, they are not good long-term solutions for anyone with braces.
Some of the limitations include:
- Designed for general use, not for Invisalign dentist treatment
- Don’t adapt well to braces
- Often lack the proper support needed during high-impact sports
Since your teeth will be shifting and moving while having braces, both the boil and bite and stock mouthguard will quickly become uncomfortable to wear. Most brands of boil-and-bite mouthguards do allow you to re-boil them to adjust the fit, but you may still go through quite a few boxes of them during your braces treatment with your dentist.
Common Issues With Mouthguards During Treatment
- Reboiling frequently can weaken the material
- Fit changes as teeth move and adjustments to braces are made,
- Increased discomfort and pressure on brackets and wire
Readily available and store-bought mouthguards also may not give the best coverage when it comes to your brackets and wires, and won’t offer you enough protection. This will depend heavily on how high-contact the sport you play is.
Mouthguards Made By An Invisalign Dentist
Mouthguards made by an Invisalign dentist are specifically designed to fit comfortably over braces while allowing room for your teeth to shift throughout treatment. These custom mouthguards are created using dental impressions, ensuring a precise fit that provides better comfort, coverage, and protection compared to a store-bought option.
The benefits of having an invisalign dentist made mouthguard include:
- Better coverage for your teeth, gums, cheeks, and lips
- Stronger materials that offer much better protection
- Custom fit, therefore, will accommodate brackets and wire
- More comfortable to wear
However, adjustments throughout the season of your sport will still need to be made as your teeth shift and adjust to the new correct position. Make sure to book an appointment with your dentist to get your mouthguard refitted to properly and fully protect your teeth and all the soft tissue surrounding them.
Taking Care Of Your Mouthguard
There is a little bit of work involved when you own a mouthguard; you can not just toss it into your sports bag once the game or event is over. Making sure to take proper care of your mouthguard is so important as it keeps it hygienic, comfortable, and effective during your treatment.
Hygiene
Maintaining good hygiene is especially important when wearing a mouthguard with braces, as bacteria can easily become trapped around brackets and wires. To make sure you are keeping your mouthguard clean, keep up with the following practices.
- Store in a ventilated, clean, and dry case to prevent bacteria
- Clean after each use with denture cleaner or toothpaste and mouthwash to prevent bacteria and germs
- Do not place it in direct heat, as it can warp the shape
- Clean with soft bristled brush
Regular Appointments With an Invisalign Dentist
When at your dentist, make sure to check with them that your mouthguard is still doing its job in protecting your teeth properly. You may need to get a new one due to its wear over the season, or because your teeth have shifted and it no longer fits you right.
During the appointment, your dentist can:
- Check the overall fit of your mouthguard
- Make adjustments to your braces as needed
- Recommend when to get a replacement mouthguard
Making sure to keep up with regular appointments with your Invisalign dentist ensures that your orthodontic procedure is still going well. Adjustments of the wire or adding bands on keeps your progress moving in a positive direction.
When Is It Time To Get A New One?
Over time, mouthguards can wear down or no longer fit properly as your teeth shift during your treatment and as you age.
It may be time to book an appointment and get a replacement if you start to notice:
- It is no longer fitting properly, a loose and uncomfortable fit
- Wear in the material
- Can’t get it clean, and there is a persistent odor
Having a well-maintained and looked-after mouthguard means your teeth, cheeks, gums, and lips stay protected and healthy, as there will be no bacteria buildup to cause any problems.
An Invisalign Dentist In Boynton Beach
Playing sports while wearing braces does not have to put your smile at risk; you simply need the right protection. By using a custom mouthguard, keeping up with good oral hygiene, and talking with your Invisalign dentist about any concerns, you can stay active and protected when on the field.
If you want to learn more or get fitted for a custom mouthguard, call our office at 561-733-4004 or schedule an appointment today! We are here to help you protect your smile on and off the field.