Do you have to sacrifice your ability to play your favorite sport while you’re wearing braces? Absolutely not! The thought of a soccer ball colliding with your braces is unpleasant, but most people do not realize a braces mouth guards exist. These guards can protect your braces and teeth during sporting events. You just have to remember to ask your orthodontist in Melbourne, FL about this product.

Mouth Guards for Athletes

We’ve all seen athletes in certain sports, such as football or boxing, wear mouth guards to protect their teeth. But braces mouth guards are a product that was specifically designed to protect braces and the teeth they are attached to. Any type of contact sport, including low-contact sporting events, carries a little bit of risk of dental injury. Chipped or broken teeth, cracked dental work, and other types of orthodontic injuries are just some possibilities. Combining speed, multiple athletes, and a ball whizzing across the court or field, there is definitely a risk for injury.

Serious dental accidents during sporting events are fairly rare, but they do happen. When that accident involves braces, it can lead to expensive repairs at the orthodontist in Melbourne, FL. That’s because accidents that involve braces frequently require repairs made to the braces themselves, as well as the player’s teeth.

Braces Mouth Guards

Braces mouth guards are the modern-day solution to this risk. At Melbourne Orthodontics in Melbourne, we make an exact mold of your teeth and braces during a visit. Then, the mold is sent to a special dental laboratory to be crafted. The result is a braces mouth guard that is an exact, perfect fit for your teeth and braces. This is not the same thing as an over-the-counter mouth guard. When using these guards, you have to heat them yourself and bite down on them to make a mold. A braces mouth guard is a precision instrument that will provide superior protection for your teeth and braces.

A braces mouth guard is wider than a traditional mouth guard. It’s designed to fit over your teeth, braces, and gums while still leaving adequate room to breathe around it. An over-the-counter mouth guard will still protect your teeth and braces better than nothing. However, there are some important insurance issues to consider when making a decision on how to protect your teeth and braces during sporting events.

Insurance and Mouth Guards

While an over-the-counter mouth guard or a professionally designed braces mouth guard offers added protection, they are not a silver bullet. It’s still within the realm of possibility that you could sustain a serious dental injury on the playing field that requires repairs to the braces or your teeth. The way the insurance companies handle this depends on the type of mouth guard you have in place.

Most insurance companies will not pay for repairs to braces or teeth if the athlete is wearing an over-the-counter mouth guard. On the other hand, most insurance companies do pay for repairs if the athlete is wearing a custom-made braces mouth guard from their orthodontist. Keep this issue in mind when deciding on the best way to protect your teeth. First, check with the coach to determine what type of mouth guard the sport requires. Then you check with your insurance company on whether they have requirements about the types of mouth guards they recommend for coverage.

Caring for a Braces Mouth Guard

Bacteria are always an “extra” challenge to be concerned with when you’re wearing braces or another type of orthodontic appliance. Be sure to brush your braces mouth guard with toothpaste or dunk it in an over-the-counter anti-bacterial mouthwash after every use. Otherwise, the braces mouth guard can become a breeding ground for bacteria that you don’t want to expose your teeth and/or braces to.

Contact Us About a Braces Mouth Guard

Whether you use traditional braces, Invisalign, or invisible braces in Melbourne, FL, a custom braces mouth guard is the most effective way to protect your teeth and your investment. Contact our office to schedule an appointment if you already wear braces and you have an upcoming sports season to get ready for (321) 254-5232.