Braces, Mouthguards, and Sports

May 1, 2021

Braces, Mouthguards, and SportsWe understand that orthodontic treatment can result in many changes to your everyday life such as your diet and oral hygiene habits. However, one thing that shouldn’t change is your participation in sports. Braces don’t always mean a spot on the bench for the season! You can continue to play sports while straightening your smile if you take some safety precautions. One way to protect your smile as you play is by using a mouthguard–especially if you have braces!

What is a mouthguard?

A mouthguard is a cushioning oral appliance made of flexible material that fits snugly over your teeth to help protect against injuries to the teeth and mouth. Mouthguards also prevent your jaws from coming together fully, reducing the risk of jaw joint injuries and concussion.

Why should you wear a mouthguard while playing sports?

Any sport can run the risk of mouth, teeth, and jaw injuries however some sports are a greater risk than others such as hockey, rugby, and football. These sports have a long record of causing tooth loss, chipped teeth, and broken jaws, and not all incidents occur at a professional level. Incidents can occur at any age, so we strongly encourage and advise our patients to wear mouthguards when they play or train.

Mouthguards are designed to absorb the impact and shock to prevent severe injury to your teeth, cheeks, tongue, and gums. Though you may think your braces are enough to prevent tooth loss, wearing a mouthguard in addition to braces will also protect your lips, cheeks, and tongues from lacerations if an injury does occur.

While traditional braces are a common and effective method to straightening teeth, there are other orthodontic options such as clear aligners and removable plates. If your child has a removable appliance, it may need to be removed for their safety during contact sports. However, you still need to wear a mouthguard while being active. Ask your orthodontist what treatment option is best for your oral health.

How to Choose a Mouthguard

There are two main types of mouthguards to choose from when making your decision: boil-and-bite mouthguards or custom-fitted mouthguards. As always, consult with your oral health team on which option is best for your needs. Make sure your mouthguard is designed to fit patients with braces for maximum protection and comfort. One factor to consider when deciding what mouthguard is right for you is how many mouthguards you may need throughout the season and whether a double mouthguard will be required for your sport. Some sports such as wrestling require mouthguards to cover both the top and bottom teeth.

Boil-and-Bite
Boil-and-bite mouthguards are made of medical-grade silicone and can be remolded several times if necessary. To use this type of mouthguard, the guard is heated to a boil and then after a brief cooling period, can be placed into your mouth to make an impression.

Some important notes to keep in mind when using this method with braces:

  • Do not form the mouthguard over the braces in a way that will pull on the brackets causing damage or potentially removing the braces off.
  • Before molding, be sure to cover your teeth and braces completely with a strip of orthodontic wax or foil. Without this barrier over the brackets, the mouthguard may seal around the brackets making it hard to get off and possibly damage your treatment or teeth. Once the mold is set, you can remove the barrier and wear the guard right over your braces.
  • Though this can be a great option for most, it is important to note that as your teeth move due to your orthodontic treatment, your mouthguard will become loose and need to be remolded.

If you select a boil-and-bite mouthguard, be sure that you select one that is designed for braces and has enough room to accommodate your teeth, braces, and gums.

Custom-Fitted
Your orthodontist or dentist can make you a customized mouthguard from an impression of your teeth. Though this option can be more expensive, it ensures a proper and comfortable fit. One of the major disadvantages of a customized mouthguard is that you will have to replace it regularly as your teeth shift with treatment.

Caring For Your Mouthguard

It is important to take care of your mouthguard as well. Bacteria will begin to accumulate in a used mouthguard, so be sure to clean them after each use. You can brush them with toothpaste or rinse them with an antimicrobial solution. With proper care, your mouthguard can last up to a year. Avoid chewing on them as this can damage the material and loosen the fit. We recommend patients with moldable mouthguards replace them every year to ensure optimal protection.

Dental injuries are very common in recreational and professional sports. That is why the best way to protect your smile while you play is to use a mouthguard. Mouthguards can absorb the energy of an impact to reduce the severity of injury to your mouth and jaw. For more information on mouthguards during orthodontic treatment or to schedule a consultation, contact Bracify 3D Orthodontics today.

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Why Do Kids Need Space Maintainers?

Why Do Kids Need Space MaintainersWhat Are Space Maintainers?

Usually made of metal or acrylic, a space maintainer is a dental appliance that is used to maintain the space where a tooth has been lost and the permanent tooth has yet to come in. When our doctors recommend space maintainers, they will most likely recommend one of the following four options.

Unilateral

This type of space maintainer is used to maintain the space for one tooth. One side is wrapped around the tooth to secure it, and the other side has a metal loop to maintain the necessary space.

Distal Shoe

A distal shoe space maintainer is made of metal and is usually used for slow-growing molars. The maintainer is inserted into the gum line where it will hold the space as the dentist monitors the surfacing of the molar.

Lingual

This type is most often used when multiple front teeth are missing, and the space needs to be maintained. The device is fixed to both sides of the mouth on the molars.

Crown and Loop

Crown and loop space maintainers are very similar to the unilateral except that the metal loop is actually affixed to a crown to ensure there is enough space available for new teeth.

Why Would You Need a Space Maintainer?

Space maintainers are often utilized for children who have damaged or lost teeth before their permanent teeth are ready to break through. Since children still have more teeth coming through when they experience tooth loss, permanent fixtures such as crowns do not work. Maintaining this space for children is extremely important, as open space can cause their teeth to shift requiring later orthodontic work to correct their smile or bite. The space is also necessary to ensure that the permanent tooth will have plenty of room to come in without pushing behind or in front of neighboring teeth that may have shifted.

Do Space Maintainers Require Special Maintenance?

It is essential that your child maintain proper oral hygiene to help their appliance last longer and prevent decay on the other teeth. Children with space maintainers will need to avoid gum, hard candy, or other foods that can be hard to chew. Overly sticky foods should also be avoided, as they may become caught in or damage the device. You will also want to schedule regular check-ups and see our dentists if there seems to be any movement or discomfort as it is possible for the appliance to begin to shift over time. Our dentist will also need to monitor the progress of the teeth below the space maintainer.

If your child has had premature tooth loss and you would like to learn more about the different space maintainers and which type may work best for your child,  contact Bracify 3D Orthodontics today to schedule your consultation.

Dreading Braces? Invisalign May Be The Answer!

Dreading Braces? Invisalign May Be The Answer!Children and teenagers that require braces and other orthodontic devices often dread the very thought of it. One solution is the Invisalign program that fixes crooked teeth without unsightly wires causing metal smiles. Today’s braces are nothing like the past hardware that closely resembled medieval torture devices!

Invisalign is known for its invisible equipment and the effectiveness of the treatment. In fact, the company has developed a line completely devoted to the needs of teenagers’ orthodontics.

INVISALIGN: THE INVISIBLE BRACES

REMOVABLE AND LESS PAINFUL
One thing that teens really love about this teeth-straightening program is the fact that the apparatus can be removed while eating. Unlike traditional braces, there is no worry about getting food caught in the braces or feeling like they are overwhelming due to this sense of permanency. This method is also a lot less painful than metal braces and there is no difficult process to add and remove them. Your dentist will simply take a mold of your child’s teeth and Invisalign will do the rest. As the process moves forward, there may be some discomfort in the first few days of each new piece.

EFFECTIVE
Teenagers are still growing, and their mouths are no different than the rest of their bodies. Due to the ability to adjust the plastic trays that are used for the teeth alignment, any modifications can be done fairly easily. Also, if the teeth move again after the treatment is concluded, new plates can be ordered to make the necessary corrections. The alignment plates must be worn twenty-two hours of each day to be effective. The appeal of the process is that it delivers the same results as traditional braces without the pain and discomfort or the unsightly look of metal and wires. Invisalign can be brushed very easily and the aligners should be cleaned by your child each time they are removed before putting them back into the mouth.

COST
Both braces and Invisalign come with a significant cost, however, most insurances at least partially cover both options. Invisalign care can range from $3,500 to $8,000 depending on the amount of realignment that is required. Dental practices understand that this cost can be burdensome to many families and are happy to work with you to ensure that you receive the highest insurance reimbursement available to you. If your insurance does not cover the entire amount, and most will not, many practices offer financing or payment plans for the remaining balance. Talk with your dentist’s office to learn more.

The teen years are already filled with enough awkward moments, and braces do not have to add to the stress. With Invisalign Teen, the straightening process is one that is discrete and does not need to cause any embarrassment. Your child deserves a healthy and beautiful smile, and Invisalign delivers results without the pain and discomfort of metal braces. Talk to your family dentist today to learn more about Invisalign and how it can help your child gain a healthy and gorgeous smile!

For more information, contact Bracify 3D Orthodontics today.

Reasons You May Need an Orthodontist

Reasons You May Need an OrthodontistIt’s a fact of life that nobody wants to visit their dentist for a routine cleaning and have the appointment end with a recommendation to see an orthodontic specialist. Although such a situation may inherently sound scary, it probably is not going to be as frightening as it sounds. Most likely there might be a potential problem that can be treated with a touch of prevention rather than waiting for it to become exacerbated to the point of emergency. There are several reasons you may want to see an orthodontist or your dentist may recommend a consultation with an orthodontic specialist.

Reasons You May Need an Orthodontist

Braces and Fixed Appliances
Everybody knows how and why braces are prescribed to guide misaligned teeth back into their proper place, or with some specific forms of misalignment, a fixed appliance may be indicated to wear at night or for certain amounts of time during the day. Often, these corrections may seem like cosmetic fixes which aren’t very important from a true medical viewpoint. There are some cases in which crooked teeth may be functionally fine, but the patient wants an alignment service for the sake of looks, but more often the misaligned teeth are going to cause other problems which are more severe.

The fact is, your teeth are designed to work a specific way. When teeth aren’t properly aligned, they are not coming together properly, which means you might be causing damage the roots or your gums when chewing food. Teeth which are out of alignment can also be difficult to properly clean on a daily basis, leading to decay. You may feel you can live with these situations, and in all likelihood, they aren’t causing any immediate problems or cause for alarm. However, such problems never fix themselves but only get worse over time. It’s always better to treat such potential problems with prevention at your convenience rather than waiting for it to become a situation that requires you to stop everything else in your life for urgent care.

Headaches and Facial Pain
Unfortunately, one of the first signs of a problem with teeth is often overlooked as an unrelated symptom. Regular headaches and migraines are typically associated with stress rather than a tooth infection. It is possible to complain to your doctor for years and treat only the symptoms rather than finding the root cause of a toothache that causes the regular pain.

If your dentist recommends an orthodontist, don’t postpone it. Most likely, it’s just a small issue that needs to be reviewed and documented. If it is a larger problem, it’s always going to be better to treat it now rather than later. Contact Bracify 3D Orthodontics today to schedule an appointment!

Do I Need Braces?

Do I Need Braces?You see so many people with gorgeous, stunning teeth – and you have to wonder whether it is because of their lucky genetics or carefully placed orthodontics.

Orthodontics is a specialized area of dentistry that focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of conditions affecting the alignment of the teeth and jaw.

How do you know if you need braces?

Is your smile not as straight as you would like it to be? Some people are simply born with crooked teeth, while others are affected by things like thumb sucking or pacifier usage.

Some issues your dentist may refer you to an orthodontist for include crowded teeth, underbite, open bite, crossbite, deep bite, spacing, wisdom teeth, impacted teeth, or missing teeth.

While you may have a normal bite, you may suffer from varying degrees of crowding or spacing, another factor that can lead to misaligned teeth. Crowding is a condition that causes the teeth to overlap, rotate, and in some cases, grow into the incorrect position in the mouth, or in more extreme cases, cause the tooth to become trapped in the bone.

The teeth and jaw relationship begins right from birth, so it’s important to pay close attention to a child’s jaw development. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that children should be seen for their first orthodontic consultation no later than age 7. By the time a child is seven years of age, it’s usually quite obvious to a dentist/orthodontist if a patient will have orthodontic problems, as most of the adult teeth should be present. This pre-screening process can help the orthodontist recommend preventative measures or advise on future procedures if necessary. Adults can seek treatment at any time, as it is never too late to correct their teeth.

Are there non-cosmetic benefits?

Among the many benefits of braces is the improvement of small breathing passages or difficulty breathing, especially through the nose. Some of the signs that indicate you have difficulties breathing through your nose area are mouth breathing – especially while sleeping, daytime sleepiness, snoring, and more.

In addition, braces can help solve the issues of speech impediments, jaw pain, difficulty chewing or eating, sleep apnea, snoring, grinding or clenching teeth, gum disease, and tooth decay.

Healthy teeth and gums, improved health, relief of breathing issues, and enhanced self-esteem are just a few of the many benefits of correcting your teeth with braces.

To find an orthodontist in your area, you can visit The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) website. Ask around among your family and friends to see who they recommend or see themselves, or book an appointment with Bracify 3D Orthodontics to get their best recommendation.

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