What You Need to Know About Braces
It’s important to understand the process of getting braces and orthodontics, but it’s also important to remember that it’s nothing to stress over. Learn more about braces and orthodontics, from why you may need braces to how to fix a broken bracket, by reading below.
1. Do You Need Braces?
The first step in the process of getting braces is finding out if you actually need braces. Understanding why your child, loved one, or even you yourself might need braces can be complex and varies for each individual. Take some time to learn about who is the best orthodontist, along with who offers benefits that go beyond just having straight teeth.
2. Orthodontic Records
Your orthodontist will get your orthodontic records even before you get your braces put on.
Orthodontic records contain information about your past dental history, and they help your orthodontist plan your treatment, whether it’s about where each bracket needs to be placed or predicting what your teeth will look like after treatment.
3. Adult Braces
Although braces are generally applied during childhood, braces aren’t just for kids. Braces are actually for anyone who is interested in improving their teeth. Adult orthodontic treatment is becoming a very popular form of cosmetic dentistry, because there are many individuals who want to preserve their natural enamel rather than have veneers or crowns implanted to improve their smile.
Celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Danny Glover wore them in public and helped make people aware of the options. If you are dissatisfied with your alignment, make an appointment with an orthodontist to see what option is right for you.
4. How to Brush and Floss with Braces
Flossing your teeth is hard enough without braces, but it’s even more difficult when you have braces on. The braces tend to get in the way of the floss, which makes it difficult to reach certain spots.
You’ll want to remove elastics, bands, and other removable parts before brushing. You should also brush each wire and then brush your teeth and rinse.
When flossing, waxed floss is less likely to get caught and shredded in your braces. You should thread the floss carefully under the main wire before flossing gently between a pair of teeth. You’ll have to remove it and re-thread it again under the main wire to floss each set of teeth.
5. What You Can and Can’t Eat with Braces
Do you know what you can and can’t eat with braces? Having braces makes eating certain foods difficult, but it doesn’t mean that you will be living on pureed, bland foods during your treatment.
Knowing what foods you can and can’t eat with your braces will help you achieve the best results after your orthodontic treatment has been completed.
- Fruits: Choose soft fruits and cut hard fruits such as apples into pieces that are more easily chewed
- Vegetables: Avoid hard, raw vegetables such as raw carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. Since you need to enjoy a variety of vegetables for a healthy diet, choose softer raw vegetables such as leafy greens and cook or steam vegetables for a softer texture.
- Grains: These are often cooked or baked, but sometimes whole grains can get caught in your braces. Hard rolls can also be a problem with braces. Cut them into pieces for easier chewing.
- Dairy: You won’t have problems with most dairy products, although some types of cheese can get caught under your braces.
- Meat: Eating meat from the bone and stringy cuts of meat can get caught in your braces or even damage your braces. Remove meat from the bone, cut it into smaller bites, and choose tender cuts.
- Nuts and Seeds: These can get caught in your braces and bend wires. You may want to choose nut butters and ground seeds instead.
- Candy: You should avoid both sticky and hard candy when wearing braces.
6. When You Have a Loose Brace
Dealing with loose braces may be handled in a variety of ways, depending on the situation at hand. If your braces are loose, don’t be nervous, because dealing with a loose bracket is easier than you might think.
It is always a good idea to inform your orthodontist immediately if a brace becomes loose, or if you are having any other issues related to your braces.
Source: VeryWellHealth.com
