More and more people are starting to see these little dental procedures pop up: braces. The set of metal and rubber that can perfect a smile, but have gained a reputation of being painful, lengthy and rather annoying. After recently finishing a year of having them cemented to my own teeth, I feel that I have learnt a great deal about caring for them and how to truly get the most out of the process, so that the result is a final grin that isn’t regretted. Whether you are part way through your time with braces, or are considering the approach, I hope to help answer any simple questions you have about them and hopefully aid decision- making.
Firstly, braces are a series of tracks that are glued on to teeth, clasped together with elastic bands and joined through the use of wires. They have the purpose of straightening crooked teeth that have either rotated or shifted; some people naturally have obtained this wonky look, but for many, the jagged row of teeth could have occurred due to an unfortunate accident to occur, so importantly, braces are not just used for cosmetic reasons. For me, before even starting the procedure, two molars on my top row of teeth had to be removed due to having too little space. This may result in teeth rotating to try to all fit in, which was my problem- especially my front couple which were facing the complete wrong ways!
At the dentist, the procedure of applying the braces and allowing the glue to set personally took around 1 hour and 30 minutes- admittedly, this section of my time with them was not very comfortable. As he pressed and secured metal on to my teeth, I was in a bit of pain due to the pressure; my advice for this part would be to take painkillers, if possible, right before the process starts, as this occurs after cleaning, drying and glue- applying. Once the brackets are in place, however, the rest of the procedure is pretty painless, as it just simply includes securing elastic bands into place around each individual piece. In the practice I visited, there was a selection of colours to choose from, which I thought was a nice, fun way of ending the session. I picked a deep purple as it was one of my favourites! Here I would also recommend staying away from white, as this can unpleasantly combine with the shade of your teeth to make them appear more yellow (in fact this as well as other light colours can stain easily as well). As I discovered later on in the journey, you are allowed to use more than one colour, so don’t be afraid to ask about this and enjoy mixing and matching if you would like to!
After the procedure is over, you may feel a bit of relief after all of the pushing- unfortunately, this pain- free time may be temporary… although I recall my mouth feeling a little strange due to the strong tightness after the initial tug the braces would have done, around an hour after the process, I started feeling a dull ache in my gums. Some painkillers were definitely needed at this point for me- it will also be more comfortable to eat only very soft foods for the rest of the day as the continuous throbbing extended.
During the time you have your braces, you may find that confusions arise as to what foods you can eat. The guidance as to what to do with this topic should be given by your orthodontist, but I learnt a lot more detail about which to choose and also the best drinks. One tip that I strongly encourage would be to avoid sticky foods, such as jelly sweets, various gums and chews- I managed to resist the temptations of these sugary treats and so never broke mine! The consistency of these products can actually pull at the wire and elastic bands, causing excess pain and possibly lengthening the time you need to have the attachments for. A problem that I had a few times during the experience occurred as I ate hard foods- fruit, bread, popcorn and pizza left me with loose wire. I found that I could actually push the string of metal back into place myself, but larger problems may actually result in another trip to the orthodontist. Some practices will charge for fixing issues with braces, so I urge you to chop up sturdy foods as much as possible! As for drinks, try to avoid ones that contain a lot of sugar, since this can lead to decay as it gets trapped around the metal pieces, elastic and wires.
Cleaning teeth conventionally follows the rule that is to do this small task twice a day for two minutes… easy! With braces, however, this quick trip to the bathroom does unfortunately become a prolonged and quite tedious chore if you want to take the best care for your teeth. Not only does regular scrubbing with a toothbrush require you to be a lot more cautious and thorough with braces, but additional processes may be needed to make sure the actual teeth are sparkling clean! For example, I personally found a type of brush named ‘Tepe Interdental brushes’ incredibly useful- these are small handles that have an extension of wire and miniature bristles, resembling pipe cleaners. They come in sizes from 0 to 7, as shown below, which increase in length and thickness, but I would recommend going for one of the more compact ones due to the fact that these are the easiest to manoeuvre and will definitely be able to fit into all of the gaps between your brackets. By spending some time brushing underneath the wires, you will ensure that there is no food or plaque, which is caused by a build- up of bacteria, between your teeth. Try to remember that after your braces have been taken off, everything underneath them will be able to be seen, so it is just as important to keep this area clean as the rest of your teeth. Try to keep this in mind to stay motivated- just wait for that perfect smile!
After your time with braces ends, it is highly likely that you will be given the chance to have some sort of set of retainers. This can depend on which type of braces you had, but the majority of people receive light, plastic ones that are shaped specifically for their new teeth. Retainers are a type of product that are designed to help keep teeth in place after they have been shifted over a period of time by braces. The fitting of these, I found, was very quick and easy plus was done immediately after the removal of the braces to make sure no movement occurred (the releasing of the pulling of braces will make your teeth be eager to start to travel back to their original position) and consisted of a paste, named alginate, being applied to the teeth to make an impression of them. In order to make sure that all teeth are covered well, it is necessary that quite a lot is used, which many people find uncomfortable, as the roof of the mouth often gets covered with a large, dense material. However, in my experience, the dentist had different sizes of holders for the alginate- as I have a relatively small mouth, it was a relief to find that there was a tiny, comfortable one for me! The thirty seconds felt quick and easy, leaving me satisfied as precise impressions of my teeth were taken. The retainers are usually made within the next few days- as you can see in the image below, mine turned out well with smooth edges.
The entire process was enjoyable and rewarding. Although I liked many aspects of the journey, like pondering over colour choices, discovering interdental brushes and improving my dental care in general, I am very happy with the aftermath, and am loving my new smile!
It would be lovely to hear about all of your experiences, decisions and questions in the comments below- I hope I helped!
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