Can You Be an Athlete While Wearing Braces?

The benefits of getting braces to straighten your teeth are myriad: More confidence, a healthier bite, and less of a chance of needing orthodontics later in life. But of course, there are always some sacrifices we need to make -- changing our snacking habits and maintaining your braces or Invisalign trays are just a few things that we “give” to have straighter teeth.

But if you’re an athlete or enjoy summer sports in Pittsburgh, you can still enjoy your favorite activities! Although getting hit in the mouth by a ball while wearing braces (or without) is never a pleasant experience, with some attention to prevention, you can be just as active as ever. At Reed Orthodontics, we strive to give you the best treatment for your lifestyle, so we thought we’d offer up some ways that you can enjoy sports while undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Ways to Play if You Have Braces

Although running or swimming might not have much of an effect on your mouth, any sport where there’s contact can potentially affect your treatment. However, there are a few things you can do to compete safely:

• Get a mouthguard fitted: By using a mouthguard that has been custom-molded to your mouth and not bought off the shelf, you can protect your teeth, your wires and brackets, and the effectiveness of your treatment. Your dentist can help with the process, which takes about half an hour.
• Get Invisalign: Since Invisalign uses removable aligners to straighten your teeth, you can actually take them out while you play! That means that even if you play a medium- or high-contact sport, you won’t risk damaging your teeth or your appliance. It’s also recommended that if you do remove your aligners while you compete, wear a mouthguard!
• Lingual braces: We also offer lingual braces, which attach to the backs of your teeth. Not only are they essentially “invisible,” but they’re a little more protected than traditional braces when you play sports. Even if you have lingual braces, talk to your dentist about getting a mouthguard fitted anyway.

At Reed Orthodontics, we want all of our patients to enjoy their favorite activities, even when they’re getting treated. We also want you to be as healthy as possible, and staying active throughout the summer helps you stay in shape for the rest of the year.

If you have any questions about how orthodontic treatment might affect your ability to play sports, call us today at 412.421.8565 or send us a message!