A mouth guard is an important piece of sports equipment for any athlete, but especially for those who have braces.
If you are undergoing orthodontic treatment, you probably have made a few lifestyle changes to accommodate your braces. Things like your diet and your brushing and flossing routine, for instance, will require additional care, time and attention during treatment.
Athletics is another area where you’ll have to take additional care.
We tend to suggest that people with braces limit their sports participation to lower impact sports during treatment if possible, to reduce the risk of injury or damage to the braces, but this isn’t an ideal solution for everyone.
If you choose to play higher impact sports during your orthodontic treatment, a sports mouth guard is an absolute necessity to protect your mouth, teeth, gums, jaws and the braces themselves from damage.
Of course, a mouth guard is necessary for impact sports whether you have braces or not, but the presence of braces in your mouth adds additional risks.
For one thing, braces are made of of small pieces of metal, This can mean you’re at a greater risk for lacerations and injuries to the soft tissue of your mouth if you take a hit to the face or head. In addition, damaged braces are expensive to repair, and damage can also result in treatment setbacks.
Finally, it’s important to realize that as your teeth move into their new positions during orthodontic treatment, they become slightly loosened; they’re not as securely set in your jaw as they normally would be. This means that if you experience an impact to your head or face, you are at an increased risk of having a tooth knocked out.
Wearing a mouth guard helps protect your mouth, teeth and other facial structures, and minimizes your risk of injury.
What kind of sports mouth guard should you get?
You can get relatively inexpensive stock or boil and bite mouth guards at almost any sporting goods store, but unfortunately, when it comes to mouthguards, you get what you pay for.
While they may be more expensive, custom-made mouth guards provide better protection. A custom mouth guard is made based on moulds taken of your teeth, and therefore provides the best fit, comfort and protection.
