Super Bowl Sunday Sm:)e Byte: Mouthguards with Braces?

On this Super Bowl Sunday, a question we receive frequently at Wade Orthodontics: "Do I need to wear a sports mouthguard with braces?" The best answer: yes!

For any sport that carries risk of head contact, a mouthguard is recommended, even if not specifically required by coaches and referees. If a patient wears braces, a mouthguard is no less important.  

In addition to protecting a patient's teeth from trauma (both to the teeth themselves and to the soft tissue of the inside of lips and cheeks), a mouthguard also helps protect against concussion. How?  If an athlete receives a traumatic blow to the jaw, the shockwave produced can be transferred from lower jaw to upper jaw and continue upward to the brain, potentially causing concussion. A mouthguard will help break up the shock wave before it reaches the brain.  

At Wade Orthodontics, most of the worst sports-related tooth injuries we have seen have occurred in sports where mouthguards are often NOT specifically required, such as basketball and soccer. Sports where mouthguards are required to gain access to the playing field (football, lacrosse, field hockey) have a much lower incidence of tooth trauma.  

Wade Orthodontics provides braces-friendly mouthguards at no additional charge to our patients.  Braces-approved mouthguards purchased from retailers are also OK to use. Custom mouthguards can be fabricated at our lab (typically for a fee) as-needed, most commonly for competing in martial arts.  Mouthguard questions? Interested in straighter teeth for you or your child?  Give Wade Orthodontics a call at 614-878-7887 or visit our website: www.wadeorthodontics.com