What to Expect Before Getting Dental Braces?
For most people, having beautiful, straight teeth gives you more confidence, allowing you to enjoy a beautiful smile. But unfortunately, for some, they had to contend with crooked, misaligned teeth and other oral problems. So if you pay a visit to your orthodontist in Grayslake, IL, they might recommend you to undergo orthodontic treatment and have dental braces installed on your teeth.
Getting dental braces may be daunting at first, but it is definitely something to be excited about. Although one of the fears that hinders people to get braces would obviously be the pain and discomfort it may give them throughout the treatment. The moment the braces are attached to your teeth and get the wires tightened, it might hurt a little. But remember, all of the pain would be worth it as you would be able to see visible results even after just a few months.
Braces are a commitment, so you must be prepared to undergo a few changes with your lifestyle, and with your diet as well. For instance, how you brush your teeth should be carefully done more regularly than what you have been used to. You also can’t just eat any hard, chewy, and sticky food anymore, so you have to have your diet changed.
The application itself, on the other hand, may or may not cause you pain. However, it is still important to keep this in your mind so you will not get overwhelmed in the process. The moment they have been attached to your teeth, pain and discomfort are unavoidable.
After a period of time, when your braces are already removed, the treatment does not end there. You have to wear retainers everyday to avoid having your teeth go back to its previous form. It may be tough, but you do not want to go through the same treatment all over again, right?
In this article, what you must expect before getting dental braces will be broken down into details. After all, before having your braces applied, you need to have a full grasp of what you will be going through the duration of the treatment. Read on to learn more.
Braces are a Commitment
Before getting dental braces applied to your teeth, you have to consider the things you have to regularly do — keeping both your braces and teeth clean by brushing them habitually, especially every after a meal; visiting your orthodontist for regular oral hygiene appointments; and the like.
It is important to maintain your teeth as thoroughly cleaned and cavity free as possible by brushing them regularly. When you have braces, there is a high risk for cavities because food can get trapped in brackets, which can cause bad breath, or even tooth decay. Dental braces also make brushing a little more difficult and challenging especially during the first few weeks so you have to do it more carefully. Consistently doing this helps you to get used to it. Also, it is highly recommended to always bring a dental kit with you that includes floss, travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste, and gum-safe toothpick. You may not know when you might need them so it would be better to be always prepared.
Apart from the brushing, paying a regular visit to your orthodontist is also important. You can be able to keep track of the progress and improvements of the treatment, and have adjustments made.
Braces are indeed a commitment, in terms of time and effort as well, so it is important to always keep the things mentioned above in mind. Make oral hygiene a priority for a better and faster treatment.
Application may Cause Pain
The entire process of installing dental braces is simpler than you think. If the basic steps are followed properly, the procedure should only last for an hour or two. And though it is true that the application does not cause pain to others, every person’s tolerance for pain and discomfort is still different.
You may or may not experience pain during the application. Surely, it will not feel good. Once the dental braces are applied, you will gradually feel sore on the mouth area with a feeling of pain and discomfort. You will feel this for a few days or weeks since braces are applying a gentle force on your teeth. But then, you will not need to worry about it since it is a clear sign that it is doing its job effectively.
Prepare for Slight Discomfort and Adjustments
As mentioned above, you may gradually feel the soreness and discomfort for a few days, or even weeks, after they are applied. Getting used to having dental braces may take time especially as it is still in the adjusting stage. They may tend to feel a little more sensitive than usual.
As you experience pain on the first week of having braces, it would be accompanied by slight irritation as well. Your teeth are still adjusting and becoming used to the braces, so you should change a few things on your diet. It is recommended to eat soft foods during the first week. And little by little, you can resume your normal eating routine, given that you already know what foods are fine for eating with braces, and what are not.
Probably, after how many months, as your teeth get used to the dental braces, you will not even notice that they are there at all. You might still experience random mild pains, but it is completely normal. They will go away quickly, so you must not worry too much when this happens.
Your Diet may Need to Change
Getting dental braces is an investment. In order to protect your investment and avoid complications, you need to eat the right foods and avoid what is not good for you. You must avoid eating foods that are difficult to chew. Instead, eat a more liquid-like diet such as porridge, mashed potatoes, yogurt, soups, smoothies, and the like, especially for the first few days after your braces are installed. This will also help to manage sensitivity your mouth feels.
It is recommended to adjust your diet even before braces installation as well. You may start by eliminating certain foods from your diet — gummy and sticky foods like chewing gum and caramel candies; hard to bite foods in which you have to yank to chew; etc. This is to prepare your teeth for the procedure, to avoid complications beforehand.
Also, there are foods that need to be eaten in a different manner so your braces would not be damaged. For instance, fruits or sub sandwiches might be hard for you to bite on, so you must not bite with your front teeth. You still can eat them, but they just needed to be cut and chewed rather than bitten into.
Since you have a few changes to be made with how you go through everyday, maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet is highly suggested. It will provide the essential nutrients you need, not just to comply for your braces, but for your own well-being as well.
Retainers Need to be Worn after Braces
After wearing dental braces for a long period of time, having it removed is not the end of the procedure. Your treatment does not stop just after the braces come off. And just because your orthodontic treatment is already done, it does not mean that your teeth will stay in place. You need to keep them from moving back to their original state, so your orthodontist will produce a set of retainers. This is an important part of your treatment so you must not neglect it.
Retainers are customly designed to hold your teeth in place. They are frequently prescribed after your dental braces, to keep your bite in place after it has been aligned and corrected. There are different types of retainers — permanent and removable, and what you will be using will naturally depend on the treatment plan that you and your orthodontist decided on.
Wearing them may be irritating, but it’s less bothersome compared to having to go through having dental braces all over again. You just have to endure wearing them so your teeth will not go back to their previous condition.
Key Takeaway
Getting dental braces is a fine investment you make for a more confident smile. You may feel a bit of discomfort a few days after having your braces installed. But with a few weeks or months of adjustments, you might not feel you are wearing braces at all. Before you know it, your braces will already give you visible and satisfying results. It is important to know what you must expect before getting dental braces to make your treatment experience much easier. They may cause you pain and discomfort, let you go through a few changes in your lifestyle and diet, and may require you to wear retainers after your braces. But when you see the results, you will surely realize that the inconveniences and all of these will be worth it.
