Can You Go Swimming With Metal Braces or Retainers?

If you're a keen leisure swimmer or swim on a team, then you may be in the pool every day or even more than once a day. If you're about to have metal braces or retainers fitted, then you may worry that pool water will damage them.

Will pool water affect your braces or retainers? Can you still swim with them on?

Metal Braces and Pool Water

Some people worry about wearing metal braces in swimming pools. The fact that these braces are made from metal implies that they might rust if they are exposed to water on a regular basis. If you're having fixed train-track braces fitted, then you shouldn't need to worry. The metal that makes these braces and their wires are usually titanium-based. As well as being very strong, this metal won't rust in water. So, your braces will stay in tip-top condition no matter how often you swim.

The cement that holds your brace posts on your teeth will also survive regular pool sessions. There's nothing in the water that will shift this material.

Retainers and Pool Water

Fixed braces do most of your orthodontic work. However, you may also have to wear removable metal and plastic retainers at some point during your treatment. For example, you may have to wear retainers before you have permanent braces fitted. These retainers prepare your teeth for your braces. Or, your orthodontist may want you to wear removable retainers during the day after your braces are taken off. The retainers help keep your teeth straight until they settle into place.

You may not be able to wear removable metal retainers when you swim. Some retainers may contain materials that could be damaged by pool water. Even if your removable retainers won't be affected by pool water, your orthodontist may want you to leave them out when you swim. This includes swimming in the sea as well as in the pool. These retainers aren't fixed in place. They can sometimes fall out when you're swimming or messing about in water. If this happens, you may lose them, or someone may step on them accidentally and damage them.

Before you start your orthodontic treatment, talk to your orthodontics office about how often you swim. While this may not affect your core bracing treatment, it may affect any removable retainers you wear. Once your orthodontist knows that you're a serious swimmer, they can adapt your treatment if they need to.

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