A patient from Georgian Dental® Barrie inquired about the use of scuba diving masks over braces. The answer is “Yes, but.”
Georgian Dental® resident expert on this matter is Dr. Siu Ng DDS who is NAUI certified and a certified rescue diver at the University of Toronto. Safety depends on the type of braces you are fitted with. There should be no problems using a scuba diving mouthpiece if you’re being treated with Invisalign® orthodontics. This is because the aligners used during Invisalign® treatment is removable.

The risk is very much higher with conventional metal or ceramic orthodontic brackets and even lingual orthodontic braces. In a rare emergency event when rescue breathing is required, and a mouthpiece needs to be shared, I would not wish for a loose orthodontic wire to cause entrapment of the mouthpiece. The risk is unlikely but the stakes are pretty high at 60 feet below surface! A solution could be to use a strip of silicone wax to cover over the brackets and wires to reduce the likelihood of a sharp edge tearing at your mouthpiece – but realize this is still no guarantee of an unforeseen wire edge or bracket wing snagging on the mouthpiece. Assess your risk before hand on a clear head and use better judgement.

Barrie dentist Dr. Ng advises that If you are wearing Invisalign® aligners, please be sure to remove and store the aligners safely before getting active so they don’t go missing during the dive. There’s lots to keep track of, so simplifying before diving will better prepare you to be in the present and enjoy the experience.

Georgian Dental® provides holistic dental care for whole body health. If you need help from Orillia dentist, reach out to Georgian Dental® Orillia at (705)325-1765. For Barrie dentist, telephone Georgian Dental® Barrie at (705)739-6725. Call today to prepare for a bigger smile ahead of your dives and we will help you Get Your Smile In Style!®