Whether you’re getting braces or Invisalign, an orthodontic treatment is bound to cause some changes in your day-to-day life. Among all of them, many patients wonder if they can still play sports. Thankfully, straightening your smile shouldn’t get in the way of enjoying your favorite activities! However, you will need to take some precautions to keep your treatment on track and your teeth safe. Here’s everything you need to know about playing sports with braces or Invisalign.
Playing Sports with Braces
When placed by a highly trained orthodontist, braces won’t get in the way of breathing or make playing sports uncomfortable. The most significant change you’ll need to make in your activities is the type of mouthguard you need to wear. A store-bought boil-and-bite mouthguard won’t provide adequate protection for both your teeth and your orthodontics in the event of an injury, which could lead to cracked teeth, broken braces, and seriously cut lips or cheeks. Instead, you should invest in a custom-made orthodontic mouthguard. These appliances are specifically designed to fit comfortably over braces and provide the full amount of protection your smile needs. They may even reduce your risk of concussions!
Playing Sports with Invisalign
While Invisalign aligners resemble the same shape as a mouthguard, they should certainly not be used as such. Invisalign is designed to put pressure on the teeth in order to shift them into place, not protect them from a blow to the mouth! If you try to use your Invisalign aligners as a mouthguard while playing sports, you run the risk of severely damaging your teeth and breaking your aligners. Instead, you should always remove your aligners before practice or a game and store them safely in their carrying case. Just be sure that you’re still wearing them for 20-22 hours a day! Also, you should wear a custom-made athletic sports mouthguard to protect your smile as you play.
What to Do If You Get Injured
Taking the right precautions can significantly lower your risk of a dental injury or emergency when playing sports with orthodontics. However, accidents still happen, and while your mouthguard may minimize the damage, it may not be able to prevent the injury altogether. Here’s what to do if you sustain the following types of injuries:
- No apparent damage: Even if your teeth and braces appear uninjured after a blow to the face, there may be hidden damage, so call your orthodontist to let them know what happened.
- Bent braces or chipped tooth: This type of injury is considered a non-urgent emergency. Call your orthodontist or dentist when you can so they can schedule an appointment for you within the next few days.
- Broken braces or teeth: Broken teeth or braces need to be treated right away, so call your dentist or orthodontist immediately. They’ll likely schedule a same-day emergency appointment to repair your smile.
- Severe bleeding or broken jaw: If your mouth is bleeding uncontrollably or you’ve dislocated or broken your jaw, go straight to your local ER. You can visit your dentist or orthodontist afterwards to have your smile taken care of.
Thankfully, wearing an orthodontic mouthguard over your braces or a custom-made athletic mouthguard after taking your Invisalign aligners out will dramatically lower your risk of getting hurt. Talk to your orthodontist today about getting a mouthguard that will protect your smile as you play.
About the Practice
At Simply Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we’re committed to helping the growing smiles of Nashua and Pelham thrive during every stage of life. Whether they’re just beginning to play little league or they’re headed off to the high school championships, we can create a custom sports mouthguard to keep their teeth and braces safe as they play. In fact, we offer a wide variety of preventive dental services specifically for children and teens that will help set them up for a lifetime of great oral health. To learn more about playing sports with braces or Invisalign, we can be contacted online or at (603) 880-5002.