Can I do sport with clear aligners?
Many patients with invisible aligners lead active lives and do all kinds of sport. If you are considering treatment with aligners, or are currently in treatment, you may be wondering whether you can also wear your aligners while doing sport.
The answer depends on the sport you do. If you play contact sports such as hockey, you should be wearing a mouthguard anyway. A mouthguard not only reduces the risk of chipped teeth – it can even protect you from serious injuries such as concussion.
Braces + gentle sporting activities?
Sports such as football, tennis and basketball involve only limited physical contact, which is also rarely rough. The jolts in athletics, cycling and gymnastics may affect you, but they don’t usually cause injuries to the mouth or jaw. For fitness activities or light contact sports, you can probably wear your invisible braces the whole time.
Braces + contact sports?
There are a number of sports in which physical contact is unavoidable. American football, hockey, rugby and polo can get rough. If there’s a collision while you’re wearing your aligners, they can break or be knocked out of your mouth. For activities such as wrestling, boxing and martial arts, wearing your aligners is not advisable. If you’re not sure, it’s better to take them out.
Remember: if you play contact sports, take out your aligners before putting in your mouthguard. Don’t wear your aligners under your mouthguard. Only then can the mouthguard do its job and protect your teeth and lips as well as possible.
If you’re one of those people who don’t like wearing a mouthguard, your new smile may give you fresh motivation. Think about how much time and money you’ve put into your teeth. Wearing the guard is worth it if it protects your investment.
Taking out your aligners regularly: a problem?
If you find that you have to take out your aligners regularly because of your training, discuss the situation with your orthodontist.
Your dentist can advise you precisely on whether the shorter wearing time will have a negative effect on your treatment plan. As you know, you should wear your aligners 22 hours a day and only take them out to eat.
Of course, your dentist will understand that there are situations in which you need to take your aligners out. Just make sure you keep this time to a minimum so that your treatment isn’t extended by weeks or months.
We’ll be happy to advise you personally on these and any other questions.
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