It's very important for anyone who plays sports to wear a mouthguard, especially if they are going through orthodontic treatment with braces.
Do you wear braces? If so, you have probably already made a handful of changes to your daily life to accommodate for your orthodontic treatment including your diet and oral healthcare routine.
But, if you participate in sports you have to make other accommodations to help protect your oral health.
We usually recommend that patients who wear braces limit their participation in sports to help lessen the impact sporting activities could have during their treatment if possible. This reduces the risk of injury or the braces getting damaged. Although, we do realize that this solution isn't ideal for everyone.
If you decide to play any high-impact sports during your orthodontic treatment, you will need to wear a sports mouthguard that can protect your braces, jaws gums, and teeth from getting damaged.
Despite this fact, you will require a mouthguard for playing any impact sports if you wear braces or not, although the presence of braces in your mouth increases your risks.
Braces are made from small metal pieces, this could put you at a greater risk for lacerations and injuries to the soft tissue of your mouth if you receive an impact to your head or face. Also, it's expensive to repair damaged braces, and damage can also result in treatment setbacks.
Finally, it’s essential to know that as your teeth shift into their new corrected positions throughout your orthodontic treatment, they slightly loosen; your teeth aren't as securely set in your jaw as they normally would be. This means that if you get hit on your head or face, you have a higher risk of getting a tooth knocked out.
Wearing a mouthguard helps protect your mouth, teeth, and other facial structures, and minimizes your risk of injury.
What kind of sports mouthguard should you get?
You can purchase fairly inexpensive stock or boil and bite mouth guards at almost all sporting goods stores, although, when it comes to mouthguards, you get what you pay for.
While they could cost more, custom-made mouthguards offer your better protection. A custom mouthguard is crafted based on molds taken of your teeth, giving you the best possible comfort, protection, and fit.
