Mouthguards are essential to protecting your teeth, gums, and jaw while you’re playing sports— especially in braces! Just like a helmet and pads protect your body, mouthguards keep your smile and your braces safe from injury. In addition, there is research that shows a properly fitting mouthguard can help minimize the risk of sustaining concussions.
Sports and Your Smile
If you play a full contact sport, we highly recommend that you wear a mouthguard. No one wants a baseball or a stray elbow to the mouth, but every athlete knows that the unexpected injury can happen.
Not only is an injury painful, but without a mouthguard, you also risk damaging your brackets and wires. In addition, damage to your teeth caused by an injury could lengthen your orthodontic treatment, as we often have to remove brackets so the teeth can heal and be repaired.
Safety First
If you want to protect your mouth from unexpected injuries, simply let us know. We can help recommend a mouthguard that will work best for you and your extracurricular activities. Keep in mind that we are trying to move your teeth, so you cannot use a mouthguard that you boil and mold to your teeth since it won’t fit for very long!
Contact Kelley Orthodontics
Contact us at Kelley & Gardner Orthodontics today to discuss any questions you may have about protecting your smile while in treatment. Dr. Kelley and Dr. Gardner can help you determine the right mouthguard for you as well as provide tips on cleaning it and wearing it correctly.
Note: If you have experienced an orthodontic emergency and require immediate treatment or appliance repair, call our office at (843) 856-9323.
