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Playing Sports with Braces

by | Feb 1, 2022 | Dental Care

Many people worry that when they get braces they won’t be able to do all the activities they normally enjoy, like playing sports. The good news is, it is usually possible to continue doing your favorite activities if you take the right precautions. When playing sports with braces it’s important to protect both your teeth and your braces. Here’s what you can do to stay safe while playing hard.

Wear Your Protective Gear

The number one thing to remember in order to stay safe when playing sports with braces is to wear the right protective gear. The gear you’ll need depends on the sport you’ll be playing and its risk of impact through contact with other players, the ball, or falling. Let’s talk about the different types of protective gear that can help to protect your teeth and braces.

Helmet

Wearing a helmet is important when playing contact sports or sports with a risk of falling such as skiing, snowboarding, BMX biking, skateboarding, hockey, football, and many others. Wearing a helmet can help to protect you from head injuries, which is also important for your dental health because many head injuries result in injuries to the jaw as well, due to the force of the impact. Make sure the helmet you wear has all the proper safety certifications and is designed specifically for the sport you’re using it for.

Face Shield

Helmets often come with the option of an added protective shield for the face. If given the choice, it is always a good idea to add a face shield. Not only can it protect your teeth and jaw from getting hit by a ball or puck in sports like football or hockey, but it can also help to protect your jaw, teeth, and other facial features from serious injury if a fall occurs during sports like biking, skiing, or snowboarding where speed is a factor.

Mouthguard

Mouthguards are not always required for playing sports, even when other protective gear like helmets are, but wearing a mouthguard is important if you want to keep your teeth and braces safe. Mouthguards are especially important when playing sports with braces because they provide a protective barrier directly around your teeth and braces that can protect your mouth and lips from being injured by the wires or brackets of your braces during impact.

Talk with Your Orthodontist

If you enjoy playing sports, it’s a good idea to let your orthodontist know which sports you’ll be playing while you have braces so that they can offer safety recommendations specific to your chosen sport. It’s important to stay safe, but also to continue doing what you love, and your orthodontist is here to help.

Call our Knoxville, Alcoa/Maryville, TN, dental office to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.

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