Getting braces is an incredibly common occurrence for many people. It’s uncommon to be born with straight teeth, so braces are often needed to fix dental issues. If you do get braces, the following changes will likely occur.
Take Better Care of Your Teeth
It’s always important to take good care of your teeth, but the need multiplies when you get braces. The machinery of your braces makes it easier than ever for various food particles to become trapped against your teeth. When this occurs, bacteria in your mouth are attracted to those particles, and eat away at your teeth until cavities form. The space behind your brackets and wires is difficult to get to, so it’s important to put extra care toward your oral health. Brush your teeth thoroughly after each meal to ensure that your teeth stay clean. An electric toothbrush can help you get a more thorough clean.
Change Your Diet
While the lifestyle changes after getting braces are fairly minimal, it should be noted that you do need to adjust a few things during your treatment period. One of these adjustments is your diet. When you have braces, it’s important to avoid foods that can damage the machinery of your braces. You should generally avoid hard or sticky foods when wearing braces. This means that lollipops, caramels, popcorn, and chewing gum will all unfortunately need to be avoided. These types of foods can cause your wires or brackets to break, and lead to more issues. They can also become stuck to your teeth and cause more cavities.
Dealing With Confidence Issues
Many people find that the hardest part of having braces isn’t the machinery or the diet restrictions, but the blow it can take to their confidence. If you’re already insecure about your smile, adding braces into the picture can make things even more difficult. However, during these times, it’s important to remember why you’re going through the treatment. At the end of your braces treatment, you’ll have a new straight smile that you can keep forever. In the scheme of things, your time dealing with braces will be short-lived compared with the longevity of your new smile.
Getting braces can be a big life change for many reasons. It’s a lot to get used to and can be difficult to deal with sometimes. If you’re preparing to get braces, these are some of the changes you can expect.
Check out this article on what you need to complete your dental routine!