Getting braces can be a scary adventure. You don’t always know what to expect. There was a lot I didn’t know, or thought I already knew, about braces. But one thing’s for sure, there’s a lot more I know about them now. So, to help you out, I’m going to share some of the tricks and tips for braces that I have found out over the past year or so of my son’s treatment. Some you might already know, and some might ease your mind and help you out. So here goes, Aubrey’s 5 tips and tricks with braces.
This post was written on behalf of E&S Orthodontics. All opinions are my own.
5 Tricks and Tips for Braces
Keep wax handy– When you get braces, you should also get some wax. Keep it handy because chances are you might need it. You will undoubtedly find yourself with a sore in your mouth from getting hit in the face or biting your cheek. The wax will really help you out.
You can take a little ball of wax and place it on the braces wherever it is rubbing. This will help the braces not continue rubbing, poking or catching on sores so that they can heal. Sometimes a piece of the braces might break and the wax will keep it from hurting you until you can get to the orthodontist to fix the broken piece.
Avoid certain foods– If you’ve ever worn braces or not, you know that you’re not supposed to have gum and sticky things with braces, even if you don’t know why. But when you have braces, you learn that there are lots of other foods you should avoid too.
There are many different reasons to avoid certain foods. Hard foods like chips and pretzels can cause pieces of the braces to break. Then you’re stuck getting poked in the mouth or paying to have brackets replaced. Sugary foods and drinks like sodas cause cavities and staining because brushing well around braces is not an easy feat.
Then you have sticky foods like Jolly ranchers, Gummy bears and gum. These sticky foods get stuck in braces and can even pull them apart and break pieces. Basically, you just need to be careful that the foods you eat won’t get stuck in the braces or break pieces of them off.
Brush often– Braces make it easier for food and things to get stuck in them. It’s also a lot harder to brush your teeth and floss around the braces. This makes you more susceptible to cavities and teeth staining. If you want your teeth to be straight, healthy and still beautiful when you’re done with braces, you need to be sure to brush often.
Brushing and flossing daily is a necessity. You should really be brushing several times a day. Especially after you eat a meal. Failing to brush and floss daily can cause teeth to stain and deteriorate, leaving you with straight teeth, but stained and broken.
Follow the Treatment Plan– The orthodontist does not create a treatment plan just for their enjoyment. The treatment plan that they create is made to help you get beautifully straight and aligned teeth in as less time as possible. If you skimp out on parts of the treatment, it will take longer for your teeth to align and you’ll be in the braces longer.
Things, like the rubber bands, that you might have to wear, might be slightly annoying or even cause discomfort at first. After a while, they will serve their purpose and you will be further along. Doing things like not wearing the rubber bands all the time, will only make it so you have to wear them and the braces longer.
Style with Color bands– Create your own style by selecting colors to put on your braces. You can match them to your school’s colors or just to your favorite color. Whatever color you like, they add a little personality and style to your braces. They are also used as a reward for good oral hygiene. If you’re not brushing your teeth well enough, having the bands on can create a place for plaque and cavities to form. So the orthodontist won’t let you have colors on if you aren’t brushing properly.
Our adventure with braces has definitely been a learning experience. I know things about braces that I would never have even known. The staff at E&S Orthodontics has made sure that we are able to ask questions and know what’s going on every step of the way. When we have questions about things, they are knowledgeable and able to answer them.
At E&S Orthodontics, they create a treatment plan to help you get the straightest, most beautiful smile you can get. Check out E&S Orthodontics to find a location near you and start your own braces adventure.