One of the major things to note before beginning treatment with braces is the fact that fixed braces make tooth brushing a lot harder and can create a friendly environment for plaque to develop and accumulate (Huang J et al.,2018). As a result, individuals who are faced with the prospect of getting braces must be willing to forego certain things to avoid developing plaque.
What Can and Can’t I Do With Braces?
They will also understandably have many things in mind such as how long does it take to get braces? What are the different braces steps and how they are installed? Are there some different kinds of teeth braces I should know about? Should I get braces or is there another option? how long does it take to put on braces? Is this something that I need an orthodontist to help with? And how can I know if I have teeth that need braces or if I can get away without using them? Knowing these different steps to get braces are all important and are things that people will often ask their orthodontist about.
Getting braces
In general, many orthodontists know that patients will likely require additional motivation to maintain good oral health during the treatment process and that orthodontists have an important role to play in their patients’ ability in reaching this goal (Huang J et al.,2018).
And let’s face it, the only realistic way how to get braces is at your orthodontist office. There are certainly some tempting online offers out there, but no matter how affordable they are and how easy they seem to be, you should only trust your smile to a professional orthodontist.
On the other hand, something that most individuals don’t think about is what kind of limitations they may have once they get braces. The fact of the matter is that maintaining your braces requires care. You cannot simply have them installed and then continue your life exactly as it was before.
Braces are an important orthodontic implement and making sure that they are taken care of is an important part of ensuring your oral health. Taking care of your braces means that you may well have to adjust your diet to protect your new orthodontic implements.
When it comes time to get your braces, your orthodontist near me will have already done an assessment including either an x-ray or a digital scan of your teeth and possibly an impression of your teeth. This is how he or she will create the treatment plan and decide what kinds of appliances you will need. Your appointment the day you get your braces on will probably be 90 minutes to 2 hours long. Each bracket will be carefully glued to the front of your teeth (or back if you are getting lingual braces) using special cement. Then a wire is run through the brackets to actually apply the pressure needed to move the teeth. Finally, the wire is secured in place using small bands. You can even get these in fun color braces!
One thing you should do before you get your braces on is paying your dentist a visit to have a good deep cleaning done so you know your teeth are as clean as they can be before starting your braces treatment.
Top Things To Do Before You Get BracesPhoto by Polina Zimmerman from Pexels
Teeth braces
Unfortunately, you’ll find that there are many new limitations that you must have to put up with as part of getting braces such as you cannot eat foods that require a deep bite like apples or corn on the cob. This is because taking these deep bites can potentially damage or stress your braces. Since your braces are going to be attached either to the front or the back of the teeth, having any foods that require a bite deeper than the reach of your braces is going to be a problem.
This is why foods like thin-crust pizza are totally fine but thicker foods like a deep dish pizza crust that require a deep bite are not okay. This can sometimes come across as very unwanted news for any individual who is simply looking forward to having a beautiful smile and not realizing that they might have to change their diet. However, there are some things that you can do before you get braces. Knowing what is on your food bucket list before your braces are installed can give you a great idea of how to get ready for these foods until your braces come off.
Teeth that need braces
To help you maintain the health of your teeth while wearing your braces, there are certain things you should definitely avoid. It seems ironic that most of the food which will now be banned is usually categorized as junk food. However, this also makes them perfect for having a party before you get your braces installed. Things that are on the banned list include things like nuts, popcorn, sticky or gummy candies, toffees, thick pizza crust, ice chips, large pieces of hard vegetables, or hard rolls like a bagel. Basically, anything that requires the aforementioned deep bite, or might become sticky or lodged in your orthodontics.
Having items get lodged in your braces is no fun for anybody and especially not for the individual who has to put up with it. Lodged items cannot only damage your orthodontics but they can also cause the build-up of plaque and other food particles leading to severe bad breath in addition to the general damage overall. This is why it’s important to make sure that you follow the dietary restrictions from your orthodontic office as close as you are able as that is the only way to make sure you protect your valuable orthodontic appliances.
Should I Get Braces? Important Things To Consider
However, since you’re likely to have several days before you get your braces installed it could be fun to plan a party and include at the party all the food you will not be able to eat until your braces come off. For most individuals, from the time that you are prescribed braces to actually having the braces installed usually takes a few days. Although there are many different types of braces such as traditional metal braces, lingual braces, or ceramic braces, the unfortunate part is that all three will still require the same dietary restrictions so there is no particular benefit in that should i get braces to picking one over another.
Other things that you might consider doing before getting your braces installed besides having your splurge meal, or splurge meals as the case may be, is to also start thinking ahead about some of the food that you would like to be able to eat and seeing if there is a way to be able to make it work. For instance, while you may not be able to eat deep-bite foods such as apples or corn, you still can slice apples into smaller bits and use corn that is already off the cob and eat that safely.
Trying to figure out if there are ways of eating your favorite foods while not breaking your braces rules can be a huge psychological benefit to individuals who were under the impression that they were not going to be able to eat these foods during their entire braces procedure. Knowing that they are oftentimes alternatives or alternative ways of eating the foods that we love can make getting braces more bearable.
This is also true for the knowledge that some foods, particularly any soft foods, are totally fine and are in fact encouraged as they can cause less damage to braces. So at least in the dessert department, you don’t have to worry because things like cake are 100% okay with your orthodontics as long as you make sure to brush and clean them regularly.
If you do not take the appropriate steps to maintain a good oral hygiene routine during your active treatment, you may have to terminate your orthodontic treatment prematurely (Huang J et al.,2018).
Reference
Huang, J., Yao, Y., Jiang, . and Li, C. (2018). Effects of motivational methods on oral hygiene of orthodontic patients A systematic review and meta-analysis [Electronic Version] Medicine, 97(47), pe13182. Retrieved 31 March 2021 from10.1097/MD.0000000000013182
Summary
In preparation for any medical treatment, your health professional will tell you that in order to make an informed decision, you need to know about the pros, the cons, the restrictions involved, the expected period of treatment, and any other necessary information. It is also important that you understand what you should and should not be doing during your treatment.
For instance, it is important to understand that your dental hygiene during your orthodontic treatment is as important as before treatment. When you have braces on, it may be more difficult to maintain your prior oral hygiene routine because of the braces in your mouth. The orthodontist will give you guidelines on how to make this process easier so that you do not develop plaque, tartar, or any tooth disease because you have your braces on.
It is essential to avoid getting bits of food pieces stuck in between your teeth or in between your braces and your teeth. In addition to this, it is essential to avoid eating things that can easily get stuck in your brackets during your treatment.
If care is not taken and these foods are consumed, it can lead to the development of plaque, and potentially tooth and gum disease.
