Are you tired of your crooked, oversized or misaligned teeth? It is high time you consider getting teeth braces.
Braces not only improve your teeth but also your quality of life.
You look and feel good with a better smile and appearance. As well as your bite and speech improve.
However, before getting them you should know a few things and be aware of some considerations.
This article highlights the things you should know about braces and then why should you choose to get them.
Want to know more? Let’s dive in!
1. Age Doesn’t Matter
The ideal age to get braces is between eight to fifteen years.
However, that is not the only time to get braces. Most people wonder if they are too old to get braces now.
Age factor does not hinder you from getting them. Though, getting braces early is beneficial.
Your teeth will align faster when your bone and teeth are growing. Moreover, it is good to get your children acquainted with the dentist at an early age.
However, this simply does not stop you from getting them when you are an adult. They will just take a longer time than they would have when your bones and teeth were forming.
Moreover, if you have wisdom teeth by that time, then the orthodontists may extract them to make space for the braces.
Your dentist will check your bone structure and look for any bone loss.
If your teeth have a structural issue, you may not be able to restore that with just braces as your teeth stop growing.
Hence, you will require surgery for that. Furthermore, checking for bone loss due to gum disease can lead to complications.
2. Different Types of Teeth Braces
When you think of correcting your teeth you may only think of a mouth full of brackets and wires.
Traditional stainless steel metal braces are no longer the only option for aligning, straightening and correcting.
Advances in technology mean you can have almost invisible braces.
Apart from traditional braces, you have Invisalign or clear aligners, lingual braces and ceramic braces.
Ceramic Braces: These are less noticeable than traditional metal braces.
You may ask why? Well, the brackets are not of metal but of a clear material that blends with your tooth and is not that prominent. Hence, only the metal wires are visible and no metal bracket.
Lingual Braces: While lingual braces are similar to the traditional ones they are not on the front of your teeth but at the back.
Hence, they are less visible and a good option for you if you care about your appearance and look of your lower and upper teeth.
However, they may be a little uncomfortable in the beginning and may hinder speech.
Another type of braces is self-ligating braces that do not use elastics in orthodontic treatment.
Invisalign: Clear aligners like Invisalign do not use any wires or brackets.
These are hardly noticeable however, you may get a lisp in the beginning.
Aligners are similar to retainers however, they are form-fitted to gradually exert pressure on your teeth to align them.
You will need to constantly replace them so that they fit around your teeth.
However, you do need to realize that everyone cannot get Invisalign or other kinds of braces.
Traditional braces are sometimes more effective than aligners and your orthodontist will be clear with you if you should get aligners or braces for your treatment.
That said, ceramic braces may work as well as traditional braces. So, if you want your treatment to be effective and not affect your appearance then your dentist may recommend these. Hence, proceed with an open mindset to get any of these.
3. Teeth Braces Do Hurt
People may sugarcoat this but it is important for you to know that braces will hurt.
However, what you do need to know is that this pain will not last all the time.
You will feel pain in your first braces application. This process lasts for about 2 hours.
Moreover, you will feel slight pain when you will change your brackets and tighten them every month.
So application and adjustments may hurt but the good news is, it won’t last always.
After all your teeth and gums are repositioning and tightening with the help of wires and brackets, it has to hurt a little and it will make your teeth and gums sore.
The brackets may also hurt your lips and gums but using a dental wax can help contain that.
However, it is not unbearable pain. You will feel mild discomfort and you need to be patients but that’s all.
It will last a few days after clinical visits for adjustments but it will settle down.
Don’t let the fear of this pain stop you from getting braces. You should not surpass the option of getting a beautiful smile for slight bearable pain.
4. You will Make Dietary Changes
If you want to have an effective treatment then you will need to take care of your teeth during the treatment.
First of all, the food you consume will change. In order to protect your braces, you will have to avoid any hard, chewy foods and resort to soft foods that are easier to swallow and chew.
You will love to incorporate smoothies into your regular diet as they will not get stuck. On the other hand, you should avoid foods like chewing gum, popcorn, nuts, corn, hard to bite foods such as apples or carrots.
Moreover, if you are a heavy tea, coffee and soda consumer then you will have to put brakes on that especially if you wear ceramic braces and Invisalign.
These can stain and will look unappealing if you wear braces on while they are yellow and dark.
It goes without saying that you should quit smoking when your teeth are undergoing a restorative orthodontic procedure. Smoking can slow down wound healing moreover, it can turn your teeth yellow and dark brown.
Hence, to not cause any harm to your mouth and braces as well as to keep your braces clean you will have to restrict your diet and habits for a while.
After you are done with braces, you will have a lot of food to look out for.
But first, you will have to take care of your teeth during and after the procedure.
5. Care Is Important
While you do take care of what you eat, it is equally important to be mindful of cleanliness.
You would not want a buildup of tartar, plaque and cavities in between your procedure.
Even if you’ll visit the dentist regularly, it is important that you keep your teeth clean with brushing and interdental flossing.
Hence, it is best to regularly brush your teeth after you eat in order to prevent any food from getting stuck and the buildup of bacteria leading to plaque.
Moreover, it is equally essential to floss once a day. It will be hard to floss with the braces but you can ask your dentist to guide you about it. Use floss threads or an interdental brush to reach in between the teeth.
Furthermore, you should avoid any teeth whitening toothpaste during your procedure. This is because you will have two-toned teeth after your treatment is over.
So get any dental whitening procedure after you are completely done with braces in order to get white teeth with perfectly straight teeth.
Moreover, if you maintain good dental care during this time, these will eventually the oral habits that you will carry on forward after finishing your treatment.
Keeping your teeth clean by regular brushing and flossing will keep your ceramic braces clean and transparent.
For clear aligners, you should brush your teeth every time you remove them to eat and put them back in.
It is crucial to brush beneath the gum line and around the brackets as you may ignore these areas but this is exactly where bacteria and tartar can grow.
When you travel, remember to keep a Dental Kit with you containing the brushing and flossing equipment.
Additionally, you may use water irrigators to send a strong stream of water that removes any debris effectively.
Lastly, use mouthwash occasionally to swish it around in your mouth so that it remains clean.
After The Teeth Braces Procedure
The duration of your Dental Braces depends on your age and the time it takes for your teeth to move.
However, this procedure isn’t done once you remove your braces.
Traditional metal, ceramic and lingual braces will require you to wear retainers after the treatment.
These can last for about 6 months to a year. Your dentist may recommend you to wear them 24/7 for the first 6 months and half a day for the next 6.
You can easily take off your retainers while eating and drinking, unlike braces.
However, many people are unaware that retainers are an essential component and if not worn, your teeth may gradually go back to their initial position.
This throws all your money and effort down the drain. No one would want that but it is extremely common.
Hence, don’t forget that your procedure does not end at braces. You need to make sure that your teeth remain at their firm position and that will happen only if you regularly wear retainers.
In Conclusion
You should be aware of these facts before you get your teeth braces.
It is a procedure that can change your quality of life and improve your bite, lifestyle and confidence.
Therefore, check thoroughly with your dentist if you should get braces or some other restorative procedure accordingly.
Though, you should get them if you have resolved to get rid of your crooked teeth, misaligned teeth and want to straighten your teeth.
After all, there’s nothing better than a beautiful smile!
