I was thinking of getting braces.. but i was afraid that if i got braces i cant spar as i cant wear a mouth guard and if i get punched in the face my braces would cut the inside of my mouth. And in kumite its a rule to wear a mouth guard .... so i was thinking if there was any gear i could buy/wear if i got braces.. or do i hafta lay off kumite for the time im wearing braces ? .. Any one got similar problems or heard/know about such case please give me advic thank you !
It depends on what type of sparring you plan on doing. It may be that you can wear head gear that has a good face shield on it and that will allow you to spar with light contact to the head. If you are going heavier contact to the head, the head gear is a good idea anyway but I think you would still be required to wear a mouth piece, which might not work as you point out with braces.
i wouldn't advise haevy contact to the head if you have braces... but i believe that you can get gum shields which the orthodentist will make for you that go over your braces...
Dunno, where you are, but in the UK, dentists carry a brochure on gum shields which they can custom fit to your mouth....these should cover any metal work you have.
Hmmm maybe i would ask one ... But the thing that comes to my mind immediatly is Braces + mouth guard = Extra protruding top lip ?
I tried a shock doctor mouthguard specially made for braces and it was a horrible fit. It was for 11+ and was too big around the molar area....I asked my orthodontist about mouthguards, he said a double mouth peice should be fine. Don't shape it to your teeth because it won't fit for long, since braces are continually moving our teeth--so I thought maybe that'd help. Try to get one that fits without having to meld it to your teeth, or talk to your ortho/dentist about it. Happy sparring. And try not to block any strikes with your face. lol Cyndi
I just recently got braces and i wear a regular mouth guard. Its nothing fancy just a cheap 3 dollar mouth guard! You know the basic plastic ones u soak in hot water and then put in your mouth so it forms to your teeth, braces, etc. plus u can reheat it and remold it if needs be, but after doing that a couple times u'll need to get a new one cause they get pretty messed up after a while! It looks a little strange cause the braces make it stick out more but it works just as well!
Quick question, I just got my braces off dont want to knock out any teeth, are mouth related injuries common in this sport?
I played rugby and did Judo with braces. Even *ahem* *erm* years ago it wasn't hard to find a mouthguard. You just have to take a little more care forming it. The advice about talking to your orthodontist is very wise. He's probably had to deal with this 100 times this week alone.
