With fall comes fall sports, such as football, basketball, and other fun activities. If you wear braces, those fun activities could pose a danger to your braces treatment or Invisalign treatment, as well as your mouth! That’s why you need a mouthguard for braces.
Fergus Orthodontics recommends patients wear a mouthguard for sports or other activities that could put your mouth in danger of being injured. It’s important to use your mouthguard and keep it clean.
What’s the best braces mouthguard, and do you know how to keep a mouthguard clean? Fergus Orthodontics is here to help!
Why Do I Need a Mouthguard?
A mouth guard protects your teeth, usually during contact sports or those involving flying objects like baseballs or hockey pucks. But one type can also be used as a night guard for grinding teeth.
We encourage mouthguards for braces patients because a hit to the mouth can cause more damage than usual. Not only can it hurt your teeth, but you can damage your lips by hitting the brackets of the braces. A proper mouthguard will cover your braces and prevent serious injury.
What Are the Types of Mouthguards?
There are two main types of mouthguards for braces: The temporary mouthguard known as the “boil and bite,” and the custom, professional mouthguard. There is also a third type of mouthguard known as the nightguard or dental mouthguard.
Boil-and-Bite Mouth Guard
A boil-and-bite mouthguard is exactly what it sounds like. You purchase the mouthguard, boil it until it’s soft, and then bite down on it. This molds it to your teeth so that it fits properly.
Patients like the boil-and-bite because it’s less expensive and because you can boil it again a time or two if it needs adjusting or gets damaged. This benefits braces patients whose teeth are constantly moving.
Can you wear a mouthguard with braces if it’s not custom-made by professionals? Yes, you can, though the boil-and-bite mouthguards may not fit as well and may not offer as good protection as you need.
Custom Mouth Guard for Braces
A custom braces mouthguard is made by a professional, often a dentist or orthodontist. It is based on molds or digital images of your teeth and is designed to fit your teeth exactly. These are commonly used with braces.
The downside is that as your teeth move, the mouthguard loses its custom fitting. Eventually, a new one must be made, which can be costly.
It’s better to use a custom one once you’ve gotten your retainers. By then, your teeth are made to stay in place, which means your mouthguard should continue to fit for years to come — as long as you wear your retainers!
Dental Mouth Guard/Night Guard
There is a third type of mouthguard often called a nightguard. These nightguards put a space between the upper and lower teeth and prevent you from wearing down your teeth by grinding them. Teeth grinding can cause headaches, jaw fatigue, jaw pain, neck aches, and cracked, chipped, or broken teeth.
Nightguards are usually custom-made by your dentist so that they fit your teeth perfectly. Often, nightguards mainly fit the back teeth. They may separate the upper and lower teeth and may also shift the lower jaw forward. This not only prevents tooth-grinding but can also help reduce snoring and sleep apnea.
How to Clean a Mouthguard
It’s very important to keep your mouthguard clean. A dirty mouthguard can add bacteria and other germs into your mouth, which can make you sick. You can get irritated gums from bacteria or canker sores from viruses, just to name a few issues.
What’s the best method on how to clean mouthguards? There are several options. Will simple rinsing give you a clean mouthguard? No, it won’t, but it will help and is important to do every time you remove your mouthguard or nightguard.
You’ll need to do more to keep your mouthguard sanitary and allow it to last longer. These methods will also work with cleaning a nightguard.
Rinsing Your Mouthguard
Cleaning your mouthguard does include rinsing your mouthguard or nightguard. You should rinse your nightguard every morning when you remove it. Your mouthguard needs rinsing after activities as well. Rinsing your mouthguard reduces build up of bacteria, calcium deposits, food particles, and other materials that can settle there.
Clean your nightguard or mouthguard by rinsing in cool or lukewarm water. Never use hot water, which can damage the device, especially a boil-and-bite mouthguard.
Using a Nightguard Cleaner
You need to deep-clean your mouthguard or nightguard at least once a week for good oral hygiene. You can use a non-abrasive denture cleaner or retainer cleanser dissolved in lukewarm water to soak your mouthguard.
If you don’t have the tablets available, try using lukewarm water with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Rinse the nightguard well after cleaning.
Using a Mouthguard Toothbrush
Your mouthguard may still have calcium buildup in the nooks and crannies. If you want to know how to remove calcium buildup from a nightguard or mouthguard, grab a toothbrush! Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to get into the smaller areas and remove any buildup or particles.
If you need to use toothpaste, make sure it’s non-abrasive. Whitening toothpaste and those with flavor crystals can be abrasive and can damage your mouthguard. Be sure to rinse your mouthguard well afterward.
Mouthguards for Braces in Jonesboro, AR
Using a mouthguard and maintaining it is vital to your braces treatment and oral health. The last thing you want is your braces treatment grinding to a halt while you repair damaged or missing teeth from a sports injury!
If you think you need a mouthguard or nightguard, schedule an appointment in Jonesboro, AR, with Fergus Orthodontics. We can examine your teeth and recommend the best option for you.
Fergus Orthodontics can get you ready for those fall activities while keeping your smile safe!
