As an athlete the decision to wear braces could be a big one for you. You may be concerned about how braces can affect your game. The good news is, we consulted with the family dentist in Spruce Grove and found out that braces don’t have to affect your game. The only thing you need to be cautious of, is wearing a mouth guard so that you can protect your teeth as well as your braces.
There are actually many famous athletes who made the decision to wear braces but when when you have them, wearing mouth guards are especially important. In the US alone, over 5 million teeth injuries occur in one single year And this could have been prevented if they wore their mouth guards. The issue here is that mouth guards aren’t mandatory for all sports. It’s only mandatory for sports like field hockey, ice hockey, football, and lacrosse. There are actually other sports with alarmingly high rates of injury like baseball and basketball.
Cuts on your cheeks, tongue and lips as well as jaw fractures and knocked out teeth are just a few of the injuries that you can sustain while playing sports. The thing about braces is that you can still sustain injuries but your risk is heightened because the brackets and wires can wreak havoc on the soft tissues of your mouth like your lips, tongue and cheeks. There’s also the issue of your braces causing damage to other players.
All of these injuries can lead to damage of braces, so it’s good to have mouth guards on at all times during the game because they act as a buffer between the braces and the soft tissues of your mouth. This can save you a lot of pain.
Playing any sports or engaging in any physical activity, can lead to facial trauma. This applies to sports like martial arts, cycling, skateboarding, tennis, baseball, basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, hockey, and the list goes on. To secure the safety of your smile you should wear a mouth guard even if you choose the route of doing Invisalign treatments and even after the process of your teeth straightening is complete.
As an athlete having a custom mouth guard would be a better choice especially if you have braces because the boil and bite mouth guards may not be as effective. This is because you also need room in your mouth to be comfortable so you need a proper fit. When you’re on the field you don’t want anything to distract you so it’s better to have a mouth guard that feels natural.
Whenever you’re done using a mouth guard it’s always good to take care of it by brushing it with a soft bristle brush and some toothpaste. Every so often you can do a more thorough cleaning with soap and water. You should also store them properly as overexposure to the sun can affect its performance. Mouth guards should also be replaced as soon as you realize they’re not working as good.
We’ve compiled a list a famous athletes who wore braces.
Brett Favre – This may be a surprise to you but in his teenage years the Green Bay Packers Legend Brett Favre wore braces. He led his team to the Super Bowl because of hard work and perhaps that winning smile. We should never underestimate the power of confidence. And that’s something a great smile can help you achieve.
Lashinda Demus – if you’re into track and field you remember Lashinda Demus, who received a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Her clear braces we’re hardly visible while she was jumping over hurdles and accepting her medal.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time. When he was younger the Portuguese soccer player had braces and completed the transformation. Now we’re left with that brilliant smile that he flashes.
Dwight Howard – When Dwight Howard entered the NBA he wore braces. Even though its treatment was complete by the end of the season, you can still notice the metal hardware in his mouth at the 2004 NBA draft.
Serena Williams – At a younger age Serena Williams wore braces to straighten her teeth. These braces can be seen while she was the winner of a few tennis competitions. Now she has a brilliant smile so we know that her braces worked.