What Will Wearing Braces Be Like?
Whether you are currently wearing braces or looking into getting some, knowing what your life with braces will look (and feel) like can help you prepare for success and choose the right form of treatment for your needs and lifestyle. Belmar Orthodontics can help educate you on what to expect wearing braces and what you can do now to achieve the best outcome.
Braces: What Are They?
Braces have been around for many centuries. Researchers have found that orthodontic appliances actually date back as early as 1000 B.C. Even then people were anxious to straighten out their smiles. Braces are appliances that exert a certain amount of force on the teeth in order to align the top and bottom sets of teeth as well as the upper and lower jaw. The goal is to have a straight smile with teeth that are set in a beautiful arch around the mouth and jaws that line up with the teeth coming together evenly.
Components of Braces
Braces consist of brackets, wires and bands. On the teeth, they look like metal squares on each tooth with metal wires going through those metal squares. The squares are the brackets and they are cemented to the center of each tooth with a special bonding agent. The bracket is designed so that it can support a wire (called an archwire) that will go through it. Think of all these brackets as tiny workers who are holding up a strong wire.
There are two archwires: one that goes along the top teeth and one that goes along the bottom teeth. These archwires help shape the arch of the teeth in the mouth so that they make a perfect arch and so the upper and lower teeth line up with one another. Traditional metal braces also have rubber bands that go around each individual bracket. These are to help the gums from catching on the metal bracket hooks and also provide a patient the ability to add a pop of color to their mouth. Bands come in all different shades and can be customized to what you like.
Types of Braces
There are many options when it comes to wearing braces. Your option will largely determine how your braces look and how they feel. We provide the following options to our patients:
- Traditional Metal Braces – This is the option we explained above, and the most popular option among patients. This is also the most economical choice when it comes to price.
- Incognito Lingual Braces – This is an option similar to traditional metal braces and are popular with professionals and adults. The brackets are bonded to the back of the teeth and provide a hidden straightening apparatus to patients. Patients will adjust to these braces much the same as traditional metal braces, only they’ll feel the brackets on the tongue-side of their teeth instead of the cheek side.
- Clear Ceramic Braces – Much like metal braces, this system uses brackets to align the teeth. However, the brackets are made from ceramic and their white material blends in with the teeth. Even the wires can be made white. These will act and feel the same as metal braces, only with better blending with the teeth and greater stain-fighting power.
- Invisalign – This is a system of progressive, custom-fit aligners that gently move the teeth into their ideal position. The clear, removable design of these aligners renders this orthodontic treatment virtually invisible to others. It will feel like you are wearing a snug retainer or covering for the teeth and needs to be worn throughout the day. This treatment method allows patients to drink, eat and clean the teeth normally and with ease.
What To Expect Wearing Braces
There is some discomfort and adjustment when first wearing braces. Because the brackets are bonded to the teeth and there are archwires adjusting the position of the teeth, you may be sore for a few days. It’s best to eat soft foods the first few days as your teeth adjust to their appliances. A simple over-the-counter painkiller can help with discomfort. Although many patients feel mild discomfort when first wearing braces, some patients don’t.
It will take a few days to get used to the brackets and wires. You will be able to feel them during the day as they sit against your cheeks. However, you will get used to them in about 1-3 days to the point where you won’t even notice your braces. They will soon become a part of you and cleaning them as well as going to orthodontic appointments will become routine. As with any new thing, there is always an adjustment period. With braces, that adjustment period is short.
You’re Not Alone
When it comes to wearing braces, you’re definitely not alone. There are over 4.5 million people any given year that are wearing braces. Many of those are teenagers, but a large portion are also children and adults. In fact, at least ¼ of all braces wearers (or 25%) are adults. Each year more and more teenagers and adults are receiving braces.
In the past, there used to be many stigmas about braces, such as them being unattractive. Studies show, however, that braces have become quite the luxury and are seen as such. The New York Times, for example, did an article about braces and just how important they are to people. Many families literally go without needs and many wants to receive orthodontic care, even if money is really tight. Braces are a luxury that many children, teens, and adults alike are eager to have. Just think: when wearing braces, you are wearing a luxury item.
Your Braces
Remember, braces are something to have fun with! If you have traditional metal braces or ceramic braces, you can dress up your braces with colorful bands that make you stand out. Or you can choose an option that is discreet. Overall, no matter what option you choose, wearing braces for a time will help keep your mouth healthier and your smile straighter. A better smile leads to more confidence. Who wouldn’t want that? If you’re ready to receive a great set of braces, call our Belmar Orthodontics office today at (303) 225-9016!
Get Your Braces in Time for Back-to-School
School is just around the corner and it’s time to prepare your peers for your beautiful smile. Braces not only help straighten your teeth, but they can also improve your speech, your appearance and–most importantly–your confidence! New technology gives you more options for adding a little fashion flare to your smile or straightening your teeth discreetly. Learn about all of your amazing options for braces today.
Back-To-School Success
Summer is almost over and it’s back to school time. Is your smile ready? A lot can happen over the summer and each year brings new exciting changes. Getting a straighter, more beautiful smile is something you don’t want to be without as a new year starts off. Did you know that kids with straighter teeth tend to feel more confident in school and around their peers? That confidence can help them get better grades, make more friends, and be more willing to try new opportunities. Every child and teenager alike wants to shine in their own way. You can do that and receive more confidence by getting your braces just in time for school.
In the past, many adolescents saw braces as embarrassing or unattractive. However, studies show that children and teens are receiving braces in much larger numbers than they did in the past. Now, instead of being embarrassing, braces are seen as a luxury for many families and individuals. In times of recession, families even go without necessities to make sure their children receive braces. Braces truly are worth having because of how beneficial they are for boosting self-esteem, confidence and how you’re perceived socially. Investing in them is a great way to help a child as they start off school once more.
Options for Your Braces
We love providing options for our patients at Belmar Orthodontics! Our most popular option for braces for children and teens alike are our traditional metal braces. However, there are other options we provide as well:
- Traditional Metal Braces – This is our most economical option. Our patients love the colorful bands that they can customize their braces with. Each patient can choose a certain color they love every appointment or even do a rainbow of color if they so choose.
- Incognito Lingual Braces – This option is very similar to traditional metal braces, however the braces are worn on the tongue-side of your teeth. We make an impression of your teeth and then custom-make braces that fit the inside of your teeth perfectly. You can straighten your teeth with the perfect hidden apparatus.
- Clear Ceramic Braces – We can provide ceramic braces for our patients. These braces are similar to traditional metal braces, but they are made from ceramic material. The braces blend in with your teeth perfectly as the brackets and even the wires can be made white. Ceramic braces can also decrease demineralization that can happen with metal sometimes.
- Invisalign Teen – This is a version of Invisalign transparent aligners designed with the needs of teenagers in mind. These custom-fit aligners can correct smiles and unevenly-spaced teeth while allowing patients to continue eating, drinking, and cleaning their teeth with ease.
Cleaning At Home
Your braces are something new and exciting. However, they must have proper care to truly work wonders. Brush and floss your teeth often. We recommend brushing and flossing at least twice daily. However, with braces you may want to brush the teeth more than twice a day. After each meal would be best, as food can become trapped in the brackets very easily, where it will then sit on the teeth. Plaque is a sticky, acidic substance that you want to avoid. Plaque is made from the sugars in the food you eat that mix with the bacteria in your mouth. When food is left on the teeth, that plaque can form and begin to erode your teeth.
Not brushing and flossing enough can cause erosion and demineralization that will be obvious once the braces come off. Use special flossers to get in between the teeth sufficiently. Take care of your teeth so that your smile is beautiful and straight without blemishes when your braces come off!
Tips for Success At School
Your braces are easier to manage when you’re prepared. At school, take a mouthguard with you to gym class. You can get injured with braces when playing sports, especially contact sports. A mouthguard will help protect you and your mouth from injury. Be careful what you eat as well. Some foods can damage or break your braces and other foods can get tremendously stuck in the brackets. Some foods to avoid are anything hard, gooey, crunchy or sticky. This includes food items such as gummy bears, fruit snacks, hard candies, chips of any kind, hard vegetables, and nuts. If you really want a food (such as hard fruits and veggies), make sure to cut them up into bite-size pieces. Biting into foods can lodge them into the braces, so be careful with this.
We also have braces kits you can have or tips to make one yourself. Take a kit with you to school that has the cleaning essentials you need: mirror, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and flossers, wax for pokey wires, etc. If you need a quick cleaning or a quick fix for a wire, you’ll be set!
Your Free Consultation
There never was a better time to straighten your smile! Braces can provide your child the boost of confidence they need to start of the school year right. If you want to schedule your child’s appointment, call our Belmar Orthodontics office today at (303) 225-9016!
