Play Ball!

Are you worried about playing sports now that you have braces? Well, don’t worry — there’s no need to sit out a season of football, softball, hockey or any other sport. Our team here at The Best Braces of Southfield, MI does, however, recommend you take special precautions to avoid damaging your teeth and braces.

Part of playing sports may involve injury to your mouth every now and then. Whether it’s getting hit in the mouth by a ball or a teammate accidently hitting your face with their hand in soccer, injuries happen. With braces, accidents like these might result in broken wires or loose brackets. They can wind up cutting the inside of your mouth, as well.

To protect your braces and teeth from sports contact, we recommend wearing a mouth guard. In fact, we recommend wearing a mouth guard during sports whether you have braces or not. They provide a cushion for the teeth if there is a blow to the face and protect the soft tissue of your cheek lining, lips and tongue.

In the case that you do sustain injury to your teeth while playing sports, please contact us as soon as possible. We will check for damage to your teeth and gums. It can be difficult to tell if a tooth has loosened while wearing braces. We’ll also check to make sure the braces have not been damaged. It’s best not to wait until your next orthodontic appointment because damaged braces can affect your teeth alignment and make matters worse.

We recommend that you meet with us so we can help you make the best decision when it comes to choosing a mouth guard. You don’t have to stop playing the sport you love, but we do suggest taking extra precautions in order to protect both your teeth and braces.