Will Braces Interfere with Your Child’s Sports Dreams?

Your child seems excited by a certain sport. They enjoy participating, work hard to practice, and they may even excel at it! But they have crooked teeth and need orthodontic treatment, which often requires a couple of years. Could braces stand between them and their athletic dreams?

No matter the sport, braces should not hinder your child’s ability to pursue what they love. However, there are some things you should know before starting treatment so that their smile both during and after treatment can be safe.

Playing Sports with Braces

Just because you or your child has brackets and wires, it doesn’t mean you’re disqualified from participating in various activities. Plenty of sports involve low odds of getting a blow to the face, such as tennis, volleyball, and many more. In these cases, you probably don’t need to worry about wearing protection for braces.

However, if your child plays sports with more contact—like basketball, soccer, and football—and especially full-contact sports like hockey, martial arts, or wrestling, the risk of oral injury rises significantly. One errant elbow to the face could put both teeth and braces in jeopardy. Even activities like skateboarding or riding a bike come with an increased chance of interfering with smile goals.

Possible Injuries from Braces in Sports

Whether from a ball, another player, or the ground, an impact to the mouth with braces could be painful, not to mention derail your treatment. Brackets or wires can pop off, but the odds of dislodging or knocking-out a tooth completely are reduced because of the braces. In other scenarios, soft tissues could suffer abrasions from contacting the brackets.

Protecting Your Braces

The best way to prevent an orthodontic or dental emergency while you or your child plays sports with braces is to wear a preformed silicone mouthguard. This allows the teeth to move and doesn’t require re-fittings. Fortunately, there are affordable options on Amazon.

After the braces come off, you should seriously consider getting a custom mouthguard to shield your newly straightened smile from potential harm.

How to Respond to an Orthodontic or Dental Emergency

Even if you take the proper precautions, you may still end up with an orthodontic or dental emergency situation. In these kinds of circumstances, you need to reach out to your orthodontist right away for instructions and an immediate appointment. They can help get your child back on schedule as quickly as possible.

While braces don’t have to be an obstacle on your child’s sports path, you should take the right measures to make sure their orthodontic treatment can stay on track too.

About the Practice

Chicago Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics is happy to serve patients of all ages for orthodontic treatment, including adults, teens, and children. Dr. Dale and Dr. Amy are board-certified orthodontists who have experience with many kinds of alignment issues and recommend bringing in children at age 7 for their first consultation. If your child has braces and plays sports, you can ask your orthodontist any questions you may have by scheduling an appointment online or calling our office at 312-766-0995.