Why You Need to Wear A Sports Mouthguard for Braces?
Whether you are a professional athlete or someone who enjoys playing sports, you understand mouthguard for braces. Sports mouthguards are an athlete’s best friend and for a good reason. These little appliances are practical, safe, comfortable, and effective. Sports mouthguards also work amazingly well with braces, a use supported by many orthodontists.
A sports mouth guard for braces keeps your teeth and braces safe from harm. At the same time, the mouthguard protects the jaws and jaw joints as well. The best thing of all, a sports mouthguard for braces is very affordable and comes in various types.
Read to learn how a sports mouthguard for braces keeps your oral health in check.
What are regular mouthguards?
Boil and bite mouthguards, unlike sports mouthguards for braces, are obligatory for athletes with braces. Whether it is boxing, basketball, or other contact sports, mouthguards reduce the risk of injury to the top and bottom mouth and teeth. Among the many common injuries, mouthguards keep you safe from teeth cracking, jaw dislocation, tongue biting, mouth injury and more.
While a regular mouthguard will keep the jaw and teeth healthy, it won’t do the same if you wear braces. For that, you will need to use a sports mouthguard for braces. These appliances are specifically designed for individuals who wear braces and play rougher sports at the same time.
What are sports mouthguards for braces?
A sports mouthguard for braces is much like a regular mouthguard, but wider. It is also an appliance made of 100 medical-grade silicone. This mouthguard offers extra space, so it can hold the braces properly. It works great and fits perfectly over the braces. That said, the level of protection is very high and it keeps the teeth, jaw, and gum safe from impact.
As per the American Dental Association (ADA), athletes risk suffering an injury to the mouth 60 times greater than to any other body part. So, it is not always about wearing braces and protecting them. It is also about maintaining the best dental care you can and protecting yourself from harm.
Sports mouth guard for braces is suitable for both adult size and children size and can be easily cleaned and maintained. So, before you choose the best sports mouth guard for braces, have the following criteria in mind.
How to choose the perfect sports mouthguards for braces?
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Make sure it’s custom-made
Know that not every mouthguard is the same. Forget about the uni-size aspect of it all, and get a professionally done mouthguard. Buying a department store mouthguard will likely not fit properly or will offer less protection. With that, you also risk damaging your braces, so when it comes to choosing, choose quality. For that, consult your orthodontist near me on wearing a sports mouthguards for braces, specifically crafted for your case.
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It has to be practical and comfortable
If one thing matters about wearing sports mouthguards for braces, it is comfort. Mouthguards are known as uneasy on the mouth, and too unstable at times. Some athletes also note that many mouthguards can even cause severe gag reflexes. The type of sports mouthguards for braces you wear should cause no speech problems. That said, when wearing your mouthguard, you should also be able to breathe, eat and drink with ease. Finally, it is all about practicality, and your mouthguard should do its job – protect your teeth and mouth at all times.
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Consider your choice of sport
Before choosing your perfect sports mouthguards for braces, make sure you need them. Your dentist will be the one to determine if you need a regular or custom-fit mouthguard. Also, talk to your coach or teammates about the types of sports mouthguards for braces they wear.
Depending on the sport, in some, you might not even need to wear a mouthguard. However, even if precautionary, wearing sports mouthguards for braces will amortize physical contact to the mouth. This is especially important in children because their teeth and jaws are still developing.
Are there any downfalls to wearing sports mouthguards for braces?
Yes, custom-made mouthguards are better and safer to wear. However, these are also the most expensive option, with the other one is wearing regular mouthguards. Of course, there is a reason why you should consider the price. It is because your doctor makes your braces mouth guard, but in time you might outgrow them. Also as the teeth move around, the mouthguard may become more uncomfortable and unfit as a result.
Keep in mind that if you play a sport, you will need to get custom-made mouthguard braces. But, if your sport or activity does not require a professional mouthguard, you can buy a regular one. Even more, you can make your own mold and wear it, too. This type of mouthguard is easy to make and it molds to your teeth ideally.
How to help my braces when wearing mouthguard braces?
If you are wearing braces, know that they will move your teeth around. This is the way braces work, so you will have to adjust your mouthguard to it. In fact, make sure your sports mouthguards for braces are comfortable and do not pressure the brakes too hard. Otherwise, you are risking damaging the brace brackets, which can delay the orthodontic treatment period. On the bright side, there are good things you will go through after getting braces off.
What is a bottom mouthguard?
According to statistics, most athletes experience top jaw and teeth injuries. Numbers even state that almost 80% of athletes who wear sports mouthguards for braces protect their top teeth only. But, it is also relevant to know that you need a bottom mouthguard as much as you need a top one. As many wear bottom teeth braces, bottom mouthguards are an essential part in protecting the mouth.
This is particularly so in sports such as wrestling, boxing, or a different, engaging physical activity.
How much does a braces mouthguard cost?
The regular price for sports mouthguards for braces is around $2,000 or higher. However, there is no debate that the investment is worthy of your time. Professional mouthguards offer maximum benefits and offer the best protection of its sort. Still, if you opt for a regular mouthguard, you can find great deals and qualities on websites like the Shock Doctor.
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Supplemental Content
Getting braces is the ideal way to improve your smile and take away any other issues you may have due to teeth being in the incorrect location. You don’t want to go to the trouble – and sometimes expense – of having braces fitted, just to have them damaged while you are either exercising or doing sports. Recent reports showed that someone involved in sports is 60 times more likely to damage their teeth if they are unprotected. Mouthguards are therefore important to the protection of teeth, but what happens if you have braces? The good news is that there is no reason why you should not be able to have great protection when you wear braces, as manufacturers realize that this is a necessity and there are options when you need a sports mouthguards with braces.
Many athletes are going to be fairly young, and it is at this stage of their lives that they are going to be having their teeth straightened. It is for this reason that parents are delighted to know that they will be able to get the product they want. It will protect the teeth and still accommodate the braces. As a child will not enjoy wearing braces, they will be pleased to know that they are not going through this suffering for nothing. They will also be pleased to know that their parents are not going to prevent them from playing the sport that they love in order to protect their new teeth or teeth with braces.
CHOOSING A SPORTS MOUTHGUARD WITH BRACES
If you have had a favorite mouthguard in the past, it is unlikely that you will be able to have the same one now that you are wearing braces. Your mouth is going to need a bigger one – it would anyway, as you will have grown, but the braces will require even more room. If you don’t have the best experience looking for one and are about to give up the search, don’t worry as there will have been plenty of others in your position at the past. They will have found the ideal braces mouthguard and so will you.
Once you think you have the right one you need to check a number of things to make sure that it is suitable. Wearing a poorly designed sports mouthguards with braces can be as bad as not wearing one at all. Your ideal braces mouthguard should have:
- Perfect Fit – As the only reason you will be wearing this is to protect your teeth, you want to make sure it can do that. Not all are going to be the same as certain ones will be advertised as suitable for anyone to wear. This is going to cause a problem as they will not fit properly and therefore not offer the amount of protection needed. Some of the worse ones will not only not offer protection but can actually damage the braces and undo all the good work that had been done up to then. As there is a limited size, the teeth can be forced into the guard, rather than the guard being the right size for the teeth. If it is custom made, it willfully accommodates the teeth and stay in place regardless of the sport being played.
- Comfortable – When you are involved in sport you want to be able to concentrate fully on what you are doing and not worrying about what is going on in your mouth. It is bad enough having a brace in your mouth, but when you add a bulky mouthguard, it can take a while to get used to the new combination. It may be best to wear it a while for training or practice as breathing and talking can be problematic so wearing it in an actual game may not be the best idea. There has been a recommendation from the American Dental Association for mouthguard; look for ADA seal of acceptance when buying one. If there will be less temptation to take out the mouthguard, there will be more protection so comfort is important.
- Expansion – In the same way that the braces are designed to allow the teeth to move into the correct position, so should the mouthguard. Any interference with the free movement of teeth is not going to be a good idea and if it is possible that the mouthguard will do this, then it should be avoided. In the same way that a mouthguard should not be too loose, it also should not be too tight. There are mouthguards designed specifically for braces treatment.
Studies have shown that 4 out of 5 dental injuries that require a lot of treatment impact on the top set of teeth. It is for this reason that you will often see an athlete only wearing a mouthguard that is protecting the top teeth. This is not acceptable when there are braces involved as there is not just the tooth to take into consideration. For most athletes it is external pressure that is considered, but for a brace wearer, there are internal issues. Instead, it is possible that the tongue or lips could be damaged by the brace itself. Without a guard over it, there will be metal and ceramics that can do a lot of damage. While it is advisable for all sports, when it is a contact sport it is a very strong suggestion you wear a sports mouthguards with braces.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATION
As braces can be expensive, and not always covered by insurance there is a further reason to look at sporting mouthguards. Knowing that you have upwards of $3500 in your mouth, you want to make sure it is not ruined. Worrying about additional pain can seriously affect a players’ concentration and you don’t want to be the person to cost the team the game because you were more concerned about your braces than what was happening at the game.
Contact Us
IVANOV Orthodontic Experts
12866 Biscayne Blvd, North Miami, FL 33181
https://www.google.com/maps?cid=154326063970645489
Call us at (786) 540-1919 to schedule a free orthodontic exam.
