Last Updated on February 22, 2024
Getting braces is one of the staple moments of teenage years, as most young people have to get braces by the time they are in high school.
Of course, this means you will have perfect teeth before you enter college, which is great, but high school years are such a delicate time and having a lisp due to braces is not going to boost your popularity.
Braces come with many life changes, so here are all the things you need to know before getting them.
The difference is noticeable right away
From the moment you get braces, you will be able to notice a difference in the position of your teeth. But this doesn’t mean you are going to take them off in a couple of months.
Even if the gaps between your teeth will visibly change in the following days after getting braces, you will be going to wear them for some time, as your teeth need time to readjust with their new position.
Specifically, how much time you will wear the braces depends on your unique situation. As per Dentaly, it depends on how quick your teeth move and respond to the treatment.
The awkward feeling fades out in about one week
When you first receive the news that you will have to wear braces you might be enthusiastic, but the novelty fades out really quick. When you get braces, you will notice a strange feeling in your mouth, as well as the awkward taste of metal. You will have to readjust to talking and eating, but the awkwardness fades out in about one week.
The lisp is temporary
Speaking and eating with braces takes a little practice, but the lisp is temporary. To speed up the process of getting used with the braces you can practice your speaking in front of the mirror. This way, you will get used to the new feeling and your lisp is going to fade out sooner.
You will have to avoid certain foods
Depending on your doctor, they might tell you not to avoid certain foods or to do it. Generally, if it is sticky, you shouldn’t be eating it. Gum, dried fruits, popcorn, and sticky candy can and will get caught in the braces, which can become a problem if you are not home and can’t brush your teeth right away.
These foods can also damage the braces and break the small elastic straps on them, so you should eat them rarely or not at all.
You will also get a retainer and you will have to wear it
After your braces are off, you will have to wear a retainer, to prevent your teeth from shifting back to their initial position.
The problem with the retainer is that you will have to wear it all the time, in order for it to work and certain foods will be completely off-limits, as the retainer is easier to damage and can get out of your mouth when you chew on something.
Chocolate, gum and beef jerky are some of the foods you should avoid while wearing the retainer.
Get used to the pain
Shifting your teeth is going to hurt. After years of staying in a faulty position, your teeth are going to be pretty stubborn when you get braces. Each time you will tighten your braces, it will hurt.
Depending on each person, the pain can range from mild to excruciating. But there is also good news: the pain you get after each tightening session fades out in about one day.
Over the counter pain relievers will do the trick of easing the pain and you will be able to carry on with your daily schedule.
The glue that used to keep your braces on will leave marks on your teeth
Once the braces come off, the glue leftovers are going to create small indentations on your teeth. You can ask your doctor to remove the glue during a scaling.
After getting your braces off you can eat anything you want, but keep in mind that your teeth are now highly sensitive to staining. They are also prone to food sticking to them. Both these issues are easily solved by brushing after each meal.
Getting braces is not a nightmare anymore, nor a trendy thing to do, but something you have to do in order to have a good bite and beautiful teeth.