Best Mouthguard for Braces

Braces are oral appliances that are meant to correct crooked and crowded teeth, but they can also help with malocclusion. It’s true that braces are often used in adolescence, but there are plenty of adults that take advantage of this teeth-correction method and get corrective dental braces even when they’re older. While they can be efficient for their purpose, braces also require that you follow the orthodontist’s instructions.

Braces 101

If you’ve ever wondered what makes braces efficient in solving a variety of dental problems, we’re going to explain just that in the following lines. Because they are custom-made for each particular individual, braces will always be a perfect fit for whoever wears them. The constant pressure that is exerted on your teeth for prolonged periods of time is what makes the teeth move bit by bit over a longer duration.

But in order to further understand how this works, you should know that there is actually a membrane that connects your teeth to your jawbone, a membrane which is also responsible for the position of your teeth. It is this precise membrane that will respond to the pressure exerted by braces. Getting braces in itself doesn’t hurt, but you might feel sore the first few days after you’ve installed them, but you will eventually get used to them. You are also likely to experience discomfort a few days after each readjustment of your braces.

Those of you that would like to know more about the different components should read about terminology such as:

• Bracket adhesion – This refers to the brackets that you orthodontist will apply to your teeth after they’ve been cleaned. These brackets can be made from a variety of different materials, such as stainless steel, plastic, or ceramic. You might feel discomfort while the brackets are being applied, but the procedure isn’t painful. The purpose of these brackets is to make sure that the pressure is applied evenly to your teeth.
• Bands – Formally known as “ligatures”, these bands will go around the braces and their main goal is to apply even more pressure to the jaw.
• Spacers – Typically in the shape of metal rings or rubber bands, spacers are what orthodontists may apply between the molars. They aren’t mandatory, but they are sometimes needed in order to help push the jaw forward.
• Archwires – Archwires are responsible for connecting brackets to the teeth. They are generally made from copper titanium, nickel-titanium, or stainless steel.
• Buccal tube – Made out of metal, buccal tubes are attached to one of the molars. They are considered to be the anchors that hold the brace components together at the back of your mouth.
• Springs – Your orthodontist might also see fit to attach coil springs to your braces’ archwires. The role of springs is to apply pressure between two of your teeth in order to add space.
• Facebow headgear – While there aren’t many people who need this, some patients may require a piece that’s worn at night and it’s mean to apply extra pressure to the braces where further correction is needed.

Caring for Your Braces

While people get used to wearing braces pretty fast, this oral appliance does require some special care, just as avoiding foods (such as chewing gum, for instance) that can get trapped between your gum line and the braces. It’s very easy to trap foods that lead to tooth decay when you’re wearing braces. Always be wary of the dangers of eating too many starchy foods and drinking sugar-based drinks that could eat away your tooth enamel.

You should consider purchasing and using dental floss so that you can navigate around your braces and clean areas that would be otherwise harder to reach if you were just using a toothbrush. Your orthodontist might also recommend buying an interdental toothbrush, which is a special type of toothbrush that’s used to clean braces at a higher efficiency level. It is also imperative that you visit your orthodontist and have your braces cleaned professionally once or twice per year.

Mouthguards and Braces

Getting mouthguards for braces can be a really good idea in a number of different scenarios. For instance, if you or your child has braces and you practice a sport, getting injured is really easy if you fall or get hit. Of course, you’re probably wondering what kind of mouthguard could fit with braces. The two most common types of mouthguards used in such a situation are boil-and-bite and custom-made ones.

Custom-made mouthguards are the best possible choice, but not everyone can afford them, as they can cost a few hundred dollars.  However, you need to consider the fact that the role of the braces is to move teeth around, so a custom-made mouthguard might end up not being the best long-term investment. In some cases, you might just be able to get the job done by purchasing a generic mouthguard and fitting it yourself. You should also know that mouthguards that go with braces are generally more expensive than the average mouthguards you might be familiar with.

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Top Mouthguards for Braces

Now that you know a little bit about how braces work, what they can do for you, how important it is to care for them, let’s look at some of the best mouthguards that are compatible with braces and which can really aid you if you have problems like teeth grinding, sleep apnea, or are just looking to stay safe during a potential sports injury.

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Bottom Line

It’s true that finding a mouthguard for braces top and bottom is a bit more complicated than seeking a general mouthguard since your product options are more limited. However, if you know what are the best brands that manufacture and sell this kind of product, you can efficiently narrow down your choice to only a select few products that actually deliver as promised.

It is crucial that you remember that using a mouthguard is only a part of keeping your braces and the integrity of your mouth protected. When opting for a mouthguard that’s compatible with braces, it’s normal to feel a little bit of discomfort at first, but you’re going to have to read the room a little bit and see if that particular mouthpiece really is a good fit for you. If it causes prolonged discomfort, you might actually need to try another product.