9 things you should know before getting braces

Getting braces can be a daunting experience. But it doesn’t have to be scary. With the right information and advice, dental braces can be a walk in the park.

Crooked teeth can be a real problem, the biggest blow is to self-esteem, because misaligned and unusually placed teeth are considered to be inferior.

Even if a patient has great oral hygiene, it doesn’t stop people from making negative judgements about crooked gnashers.

In this article, we’ll be listing some of the most important things to know about dental braces before getting one done. Read on to know.

1. You may have a minor lisp
So you may have a minor lisp when you get your teeth straightened with braces. Why? When you attach metal brackets to the teeth, there’s almost no way that it won’t impact the way you speak. Please don’t worry if you find your speech impacted after getting braces, you will get used to talking with the extra hardware in a short amount of time. This is a first step on the way to the straight teeth you’ve always wanted!

2. Don’t forget to bring lip balm
Lip balm is going to be crucial to your comfort during treatment. This is true even from the first day, when your orthodontist applies the brackets to your mouth. This process can take a couple hours, and there’s no way to moisten your lips while it takes place. You’d be wise to bring some nourishing lip balm with you to your appointment to avoid discomfort.

3. The application of the actual braces hurts
There really isn’t any way to sugar coat this: the application of braces doesn’t feel good. The process itself will take up to two hours to complete, and during that time the patient should expect to feel some pain and discomfort. Since you’re already out and will be at the office for a couple of hours, why not take off the rest of the afternoon to recover with a smoothie and some favorite movies?

4. There’s an uncomfortable feeling for the first few weeks
You’ve probably never had anything stuck to the front of your tooth before, and now there are two rows of brackets adhered to each chomper. It’s going to be an adjustment getting used to braces, but this will happen remarkably fast. In a matter of weeks, you won’t even remember what you looked like before you had braces on!

5. People of all ages have braces
You may not have noticed it before, but folks of all ages use braces to achieve the smile they’ve always wanted. Once you have braces on, you’ll realize just how many others are going through the same process that you are.

6. It won’t matter to a potential crush
People with braces have not always been painted in the best light by movies and TV shows, but reality is much better! So many of us have either had braces or currently have them that they’re now considered totally normal. That special person at school or work isn’t going to care if you have braces; they are going to love your smile!

7. Food will get stuck in your braces
This is a definite. Food will naturally get stuck in and around your braces. We recommend traveling with a braces care kit or anything that contains a spare toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and floss threaders. And parents: remember to pack something like this in your child’s backpack when they head back to school.

8. Tightening is essential but it can hurt
Tightening braces can hurt a bit, but the pain will soon fade and you will be one step closer to the smile that you’ve always wanted. This is obviously going to be different for everyone, but if you are someone who is considering braces, it’s important that you’re aware.

9. Your teeth will change a lot in the first month alone
Braces make quick work of reshaping the look of your teeth and smile. In just the first month alone, you should notice a much straighter set of pearly whites. Just imagine what they’ll look like after you get then taken off!