Is Life With Braces Difficult? Here’s What You Need to Know

Misaligned teeth come with lots of issues ranging from jaw strain to poor aesthetics. For this reason, seeking orthodontic treatment becomes the best thing to do. However, the decision to get braces may not be an easy one to make since you will need to invest your time, energy, and money. It is no wonder that you may be wondering how life is like with dental braces.

However, there are many types of braces that you can choose from, such as:

• Traditional braces, which are also known as metal braces that are characterized by the brackets and wires
• Self-ligating braces are an alternative to traditional braces since they use a slide mechanism to adjust your teeth
• Ceramic braces are similar to conventional braces with one significant difference; the brackets are made from ceramic
• Lingual braces are designed to be less conspicuous since they are attached to the back of your teeth
• Clear aligners are an alternative to braces since they are removable, have better aesthetics, and are discreet

Regardless of the type of braces you choose, you will have to brace yourself for some level of discomfort. Your life will definitely change, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Just as you deal with other things in life, living with braces will get easier as the days go by.

Without further ado, let’s see how your life with braces will look like.

What to Expect Within the First Few Days With Braces

Remember, the goal of any orthodontic treatment is to straighten your teeth. So, the orthodontic devices have to apply some degree of pressure to push teeth to their desired position. So, when your teeth start shifting, you can expect your mouth and gums to feel a bit sore or tender.

You need to peel your eyes for the soft tissue in your mouth, like the inside of your cheeks, tongue, and lips. Our dentist will give you an analgesic and wax to help prevent friction between the soft tissue and braces.

Habits to Avoid While Adjusting to Braces?

Since braces are made from metal, you might assume that they don’t need special care. However, they need special care since they are intricate. If you are cavalier about them, you will find yourself in our office having them fixed every other day.

Therefore, you might need to avoid the following habits:

• Chewing on ice
• Chewing gum
• Biting your nails
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Picking or poking your teeth and braces
• Chewing or biting pen caps

You should care for them since you don’t want to have damaged braces with protruding wires that can hurt your cheeks, tongue, or lips.

Is There Need to Change Your Diet?

Not necessarily. There’s no need for you to have a drastic change in your diet since you are wearing braces. However, you may need to make some key changes to accommodate them. This is because you don’t want to give yourself extra work when it comes to cleaning them.

Here are some foods that you need to avoid:

• Hard foods such as popcorn, hard candies, and nuts
• Doughy or chewy foods such as soft pretzels
• Sticky foods such as soft caramel
• Foods that you have to bite into, such as corn on the cob or apples

Oral Care With Braces

Cleaning your braces is vital since you don’t want to have straight teeth that have cavities. You might assume that cleaning your braces could be difficult, but it isn’t. It’s just different. Here’s how you clean them:

• Immediately after meals, you need to brush your teeth to avoid food buildup in your braces. Always use fluoridated toothpaste
• Always have extra toothbrushes with you since braces wear them down faster than usual. Also, remember to have travel toothbrushes that you can use whether you are at work or in school
• Brushing braces should be done carefully to clean the crevices. The metal should not be dull but shiny
• Flossing each day is critical to remove plaque

How Long Do I Need to Wear Braces?

It is impossible to tell exactly how long you might wear braces. However, here are some guidelines:

• You might wear them for 18 – 24 months
• In severe cases or older patients, it might take three years
• Less severe cases might take anywhere between 6 and 12 months

As you have seen, life with braces is not difficult, but a bit different. Just like any sound investment, it will pay off in the end. Contact us at ESP Dental if you need more information.