While it may seem intuitive to double up on the duties of the little plastic bits wrapped around your teeth, the short answer is, NO! Invisalign aligners should not be moonlighting as mouthguards on their off-days.
The damaging effect on your teeth and is lessened by a thicker, shock-proof mouthguard. Invisalign does NOT provide this same level of shock absorption.
If you were to experience impact to your face, you would still be at risk of serious damage to your teeth, tongue, or gums. Additionally, your costly aligners could easily get lost on the field during the course of a game, which would likely not make your parents all too happy! This space-age plastic is designed to craft a perfect smile, not protect those pearly whites from damage during sports. We’re not THAT far in the future just yet!
While Invisalign is designed to be worn throughout the day, every day, you will need to take them out temporarily while wearing a mouth guard for sports. Just as you take them out regularly to eat and brush your teeth, if you’re suiting up for the big game, you’ll want to swap those aligners out for their more sports-ready counterpart – the mouthguard. In order to protect your teeth properly, we recommend having a personalized, custom mouth guard designed for your unique teeth and mouth. Ask us about the right options for you!
If you’re concerned about the time you’ll be spending without your aligners each day, feel free to ask us. Extended lengths of time weekly without your aligners could lengthen treatment time, but that doesn’t mean we don’t encourage you to do what you love! Make sure to be diligent about wearing your aligners whenever possible. And when not in your mouth, make sure to properly store them in their case. We don’t want them getting damaged or yellowed! Now that Invisalign is an official sponsor of the NFL, you can even get a case sporting your favorite team’s logo!
If you have questions about starting
Invisalign treatment, or about proper Invisalign usage, we’re here for you!
Schedule a consultation or give us a call, or bring it up next time you’re in and we’ll be happy to walk you through the ins and outs of the entire process.
In the meantime, wear a proper mouthguard for any risky activity. We need teeth in your mouth to keep our jobs!
