Playing Footy with braces?

[GiantForce]

Can someone give me the low-down? I know I gotta wear a mouthguard and all that (Already do were one, always have). But will your standard "boil and bite" do the trick? And it a problem that the mouthguard also only protects the top teeth now with braces?

And also is it safe to play on Saturday?, I only got them Wednesday and they still hurt a little.

 

[Damon_3388]

I played basketball all throughout the time I had braces, and I couldn't wear a mouthguard while I had them. Not exactly sure how anyone could really, or if anyone ever does. The braces kind of acted like a mouthguard themselves in a way though - I got hit with an errant elbow from a teammate one game, and the dentist I visited afterward (had to go somewhere other than my regular dentist, as it was a Saturday afternoon) said that the braces are probably what kept the tooth (front left) solidly in place despite the hit. The metal from the braces made a small cut inside my lip, but that was the only damage thankfully.

My dentist fitted me with a proper mouthguard for free after I got the braces removed though (surprising, considering I was a public patient), which I'd highly recommend. Those boil and bite ones (I tried them before I got braces) are next to useless compared to a properly fitted one.

You ask "is it a problem that the mouthguard also only protects the top teeth now with braces" - I don't think you're going to be able to get a mouthguard to fit comfortably over braces anyway, but I've never known of a mouthguard protecting anything other than the top teeth; do bottom mouthguards exist or are in common use? Never heard of/seen it myself.

 

[vWestCoast]

Someone got a cut head and the the other person braces broke last weekend, obvious problems but if you can wear a mouthguard than do. Is it your first year playing footy, I see your a GWS fan.

 

[mcuzzy]

I had braces and wore a mouth guard, it felt ******ed but I was too scared to play without one..i love my teeth

i got one you put in hot water, then you put it in and make a mould that can be reset through hot water again. they sell them at pharmacies, I just asked if they had mouth guards for people with braces and I was on my way.

 

[Mitho]

Not sure about the braces thing but I've always been against boil and fit mouthguards, Ive always gone and got one fitted. A family friend is a dental tech so we got them pretty cheap.

 

[keyboard_warrior]

I played some footy thru my teens with braces. wore a mouthguard before i got them so wearing one with them was no different. but def wear one cos its pretty easy to cut your mouth up in braces.

and dont worry about a guard for your bottom teeth. you see some guys in NFL wearin dummy type guards that cover both rows but if u have something like that how are you gonna be able to talk??

and dont worry if they hurt a bit, they will hur tfor a few days every month when they get adjusted.

just get a guard and get amongst it!!

 

[roleywombat]

My son played football for 3 years with braces. You need to get your orthodontist to fit a proper mouthguard and you will have no problems. Upper only required. The boil and fit ones are useless - don't waste your money.
Good luck with your footy!

 

[GiantForce]

I had braces and wore a mouth guard, it felt ******ed but I was too scared to play without one..i love my teeth

i got one you put in hot water, then you put it in and make a mould that can be reset through hot water again. they sell them at pharmacies, I just asked if they had mouth guards for people with braces and I was on my way.

Yeah. Thats a Boil and Bite. TBH I never had a problem with them. That fit good enough if you do it right, however do it wrong and you'll be driven crazy. However those Dentist made ones do fit pretty good. But there's little difference between a Boil and Bite done well and a dentist made one.
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Someone got a cut head and the the other person braces broke last weekend, obvious problems but if you can wear a mouthguard than do. Is it your first year playing footy, I see your a GWS fan.

Nope 10th year of footy
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Thanks for the advice/help everyone

 

[Hatchy1992]

I have recently had mine removed (thank God) but my orthodontist fitted me with a special kind of mouthguard that were especially designed for braces.

Took me a few games to get use to like all things but a few games later it felt just like it would for normal mouthguards.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Thank God. I thought this thread was about players needing something to hold their pants up

 

[HARPSichord]

My ortho gave me a "boil and bite" that he moulded when I was there, so a boil and bite works.

 

[carnthepies19]

boil and bites are better, because they are cheaper and since your teeth will be moving a lot more with the braces you shouldnt get an orthodontist moulded one. You will very likely have to re-mould your mouthguard before each game, or every few games because the mouthguard mould that fitted you then quite likely won't fit after a while. Make sure it isn't too loose fitting either because once mine was and it dropped out when I went to scoop up the ball whilst running.. i was in ankle deep mud, that's saying enough I reckon haha it was absolutely foul.

 

[Tyler96]

Your fine without braces as long as you don't mind a cut lip every now and again.

Also, isn't it hard to do the proper moulded mouth guards over braces?

 

[d0gs]

Boil ones are absolutely useless, when I was playing with braces my orthodontist made one for me. Only thing is - It is way bigger than a standard one. Slightly uncomfortable but kept my teeth in tact so was money well spent.

 

[petef123]

I had braces for 3 footy seasons and played at a good standard. I never had a problem with the stock standard boil and bite mouth guard, didn't lose any teeth either.