Braces and sport: yes, they can keep playing
Rugby, netball, hockey, football, basketball, water polo, martial arts: every one of them carries on with braces. The only change is a mouthguard made to sit over the braces for contact sport, and we help you choose the right one. Teeth that stick out are the ones most often damaged in sport, so for many teenagers braces make the mouth safer, not riskier. Here is how each sport works with braces and with clear aligners, and what to do after a knock.
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Reviewed by Dr Shaz MacAvoy, Specialist Orthodontist. Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (Orthodontics), registered with the Dental Council of New Zealand.
Sport by sport
What changes, and what does not.
Rugby and league
Mouthguards are compulsory anyway. With braces, use an orthodontic mouthguard: one designed to sit over brackets without being moulded tightly to the teeth, so it still fits as the teeth move. Braces themselves cope with tackles; it is the lips and cheeks the guard protects.
Netball, basketball and football
Elbows and balls to the face happen. A mouthguard is strongly recommended for games, even though the codes do not require one. Aligners can stay in for netball and football, and come out for anything rougher.
Hockey and cricket
A ball or stick to the mouth is the classic dental injury. Wear the guard for games and training. Helmets and face masks fit exactly as before; braces change nothing there.
Swimming, surfing and water polo
Braces and pool water get on fine. Aligners stay in for swimming and surfing, because they are not going anywhere, and come out for water polo, which is a contact sport.
Martial arts and boxing
A mouthguard is essential, and it should be an orthodontic one over braces. Aligners come out for sparring and go straight back in afterwards, still counting towards the 22 hours a day.
Music, dance and drama
Not sport, but the same question. Wind and brass players adjust within a week or two. Dancers and performers often choose clear braces or aligners so nothing shows on stage.
After a knock to the mouth
Most knocks with braces on cause no damage at all. Here is the order to check things in.
Braces or aligners for a sporty teenager
Braces
Fixed in place, so they cannot be lost on the sideline. They need an orthodontic mouthguard for contact sport, and a replacement guard part way through treatment as the teeth move. Clear and LightForce custom braces are as robust as metal.
Angel Aligners
Come out for contact sport and go back in straight after, which keeps the mouthguard simple: a normal one, or the aligners themselves for non-contact sport. The trade-off is that they must still reach 22 hours a day, so a busy season is worth a conversation.
Which mouthguard over braces
Ask us at the fitting. Orthodontic mouthguards are made to sit over brackets and to be remoulded as the teeth move, and they come in sizes for teens. A tight custom guard moulded to the teeth is not right during treatment, because it locks the teeth where they are. Once the braces are off, a properly fitted custom guard over the retainer is the best protection there is.
Answered honestly
Can you play rugby with braces?
Yes. Wear an orthodontic mouthguard designed to sit over the braces, and replace it when it stops fitting as the teeth move. The braces themselves handle tackles well. Many of our patients play rugby right through treatment.
Do you need a special mouthguard with braces?
Yes, for contact sport. An orthodontic mouthguard sits over the brackets and is not moulded tightly to the teeth, so it keeps fitting as they move and does not hold them in place. We help you choose one at the fitting.
Can you play contact sport with clear aligners?
Yes. Take the aligners out for the game or sparring, wear a normal mouthguard, and put the aligners straight back in afterwards. They still need to reach 22 hours a day, so plan the rest of the day around it.
What happens if a bracket breaks during a game?
It is rarely urgent. Leave the bracket on the wire, cover anything sharp with wax and phone us on (09) 520 1880. We will fit you in for a repair. A broken bracket left for weeks can slow treatment, so do not wait for the next routine visit.
Can you play a wind or brass instrument with braces?
Yes. The lips take a week or two to adjust, and wax over the front brackets helps in the meantime. Brass players sometimes find clear aligners or a lip guard easier. Nobody needs to give up music for braces.
Are braces covered by ACC if they are damaged in sport?
ACC covers injury to teeth from an accident in New Zealand, including during sport. Damage to the braces themselves is usually a simple repair, and we sort it at the clinic. If a tooth is injured, we help with the ACC side.
Should we wait until after the season to get braces?
There is no need. The first week is the only time sport needs any care, so a start date in a quiet fortnight works well. If a big tournament falls in the first week, we simply book the fitting for after it.
Does a mouthguard fit over LightForce custom braces?
Yes. LightForce brackets are lower profile than standard ones and an orthodontic mouthguard sits over them in exactly the same way.
Keep them playing, and get them a great smile
A free 20 minute Smile Assessment at Newmarket or Albany. Tell us the sport and the season and we plan around both. No referral needed, no obligation.
Related: orthodontics for teens, braces at high school, life with braces and orthodontic emergencies.