Absolutely! We know many of our patients are very active and most orthodontic appliances can be worn with no issue.
The risk of playing sports with braces isn’t that if you get hit in the mouth your tooth would break, but rather your lips and cheeks can get quite cut up. We HIGHLY recommend that if you’re playing a sport with any chance of getting hit in the face, you wear a mouthguard. There are many brands (like Shock Doctor) that are made specifically for fitting over braces. Rubber bands won’t fit over mouthguards, but you should take them out right before and replace them when you’re done to minimize the amount of time the bands are off your teeth.
If you have a removable retainer, you’ll want to take it out to play any sport that has contact. They don’t clip onto the teeth firmly enough to withstand hits. And if the retainer gets knocked onto the playing field – odds are it will get stepped on and ruined!
Invisalign aligners can be worn during any sports activity. But to be clear: They DO NOT work as mouthguards. If you play a contact sport that needs a mouthguard, talk with us about how to fit one over the aligners. Also remember, if you’re drinking sports drinks with the aligners in, you’ll need to be careful about cleaning them after.
Some expanders and other devices may make it hard to use a mouthguard. If you’re going to be playing a sport that requires one and you have one of those devices on the roof of your mouth, please talk with us. It may make sense to change the timing or treatment option to keep your teeth safe.
Please let the Laurent Orthodontic team know your sports questions and we’re happy to work with you to keep your teeth safe and moving forward orthodontically! Give us a call at (707) 938 – 5255 or visit www.sonomaortho.com today.