Orthodontic Safety and Youth Sports

The fall sports season will soon be underway, which means now is the time for athletes to get fitted for mouthguards. As one of the south suburbs’ trusted orthodontic specialists, we at the Orland Park office of Dr. Cynthia Wong are especially concerned about children’s dental safety. It is vital for our patients to understand which mouthguard option will best preserve their orthodontic progress.

An Invisalign aligner is not a mouthguard, and patients will need to remove their aligner or retainer before putting a mouthguard in. Although mouthguards should be made of sturdy material, they should not cause obstructed breathing when fitted properly. The one-size-fits-all models available from athletic retailers are better than using no protection at all, but orthodontic patients may prefer boil-and-bite models. These oral appliances can be reshaped after each orthodontic check-up, allowing them to keep pace with the changes in a patient’s teeth’s position. They can also be shaped to accommodate traditional braces.

Student athletic associations generally require participants to have gotten their mouthguards refitted recently, and sports such as wrestling require participants with fixed braces to wear mouthguards on their upper and lower teeth. Like aligners and retainers, mouthguards and their cases need to be cleaned after each use. Cleaning instructions will vary by model, but unlike dentures and retainers, mouthguards and their containers should be kept dry to prevent the growth of pathogens.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit Dr. Cynthia Wong and send a message.

 

Mouthguards with Braces

Protecting teeth during sports is always important, but the risk of injury is even greater for a patient with braces. At Dr. Cynthia Wong’s orthodontic practice in Orland Park, we want our patients to understand how to work with their care team to protect themselves.

A mouth injury to a person with braces could cause the brackets to become dislodged and the wires to gouge the patient’s lips, cheek, or tongue. Many sports require players with braces to wear mouthguards, and wrestlers are required to wear ones on their upper and lower teeth. Typically, dentists advise patients to get mouthguards that are custom-fitted. These are the most durable and offer the most protection.

However, braces present an additional complication in that the teeth are shifting position. A custom-fitted mouthguard will not still fit the teeth months later.  Therefore, it is necessary for the mouthguard to be updated continuously throughout the patient’s treatment. While this can get expensive, new products are always being developed that provide patients with more affordable options. There may still be phases of orthodontic work when fitting a mouthguard is impossible, but orthodontists generally are willing to cooperate. Patients with braces should not attempt to fit their own mouthguards, or the guard may get caught on their brackets.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit Dr. Cynthia Wong and send a message.