Braces and Sports
Sports are important to many teenagers, and many are very active in some themselves! If you or your child enjoys playing sports and you have been told that braces are on the horizon, you may be worried that orthodontic treatment will have you stuck on the sidelines this season. This is a very common concern among sports-playing patients, however, braces do not mean that you will need to hang up your jersey, it simply means that you will need to take some extra precautions.
Taking care
When playing sports, you will need to take extra care of your braces to ensure that they are protected. When it comes to common injuries experienced by athletes, sports-related trauma to the mouth and jaw is up there near the top of the list. Many parents of kids with braces (or adults who wear braces and participate in sports) may be concerned that braces can worsen a knock to the mouth in sports. There is also a concern that a sports-related mouth injury could also affect progress with orthodontic treatment.
For this reason, orthodontists recommend that your child wears a mouthguard to protect their teeth and braces while practicing or playing a game.
Mouthguards
Most mouthguards are made to easily fit over braces or other orthodontic equipment. Not only can mouthguards protect braces from any traumas that may occur during sport, but also their teeth in general.
They prevent teeth from being knocked out. Tooth fractures and teeth being pushed into gums.
If you have braces, wearing a mouthguard when participating in sports is imperative.
Sure, getting your child to wear a mouthguard may be a little difficult, but the trick is to make it fun! Mouthguards come in a variety of colours and sometimes even flavours!
Ensuring that your child (or you) wears a mouthguard during sports will help keep your orthodontic treatment on track as well as your teeth.