Many people prefer not to think much about life with braces, they’d rather picture themselves at the end of treatment enjoying the benefits of their straight teeth and new smile. However, preparing yourself for your time with braces will help you take better care of your braces and your teeth, allowing you to get to the end of your treatment more quickly and with the best results. So, how exactly will life change when you get braces?
Honestly, your life won’t really “change,” but there will be a few adjustments you will have to make.
Food Restrictions when You Get Braces
One of the biggest things that will take effect when you get braces is a change in your diet. To protect your braces, you will have to refrain from crunchy or chewy foods that could damage your brackets. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to switch up your diet to include softer alternatives to foods you typically enjoy. For instance, you can eat bananas or peaches instead of apples or stick to nut butters instead of regular nuts.
To prepare yourself for your time with braces, it helps to start looking for meals and snacks you enjoy that are safe for your braces before you actually get braces. This way, by the time it’s most important to stick to your new diet, you will be ready.
Teeth Cleaning
This really shouldn’t be too much of a change for you if you already keep up with good oral hygiene. But it could also be a good opportunity for you to build better habits for the future. Your treatment with braces will optimize the position of your teeth, reducing your chances of wear and tooth decay. But during your treatment, your teeth will be more vulnerable to tooth decay since food can more easily get trapped under the wires and around the brackets.
To keep your teeth in good condition, be sure to brush your teeth after every meal and to floss every day. This will ensure food particles are removed from your teeth and brackets. You should also invest in other teeth-cleaning tools to make it easier to keep up with oral hygiene, such as floss-threaders. It’s also a good idea to use mouthwash and water flossers for supplemental cleaning.
Enjoying Activities with Braces
If you play a musical instrument, particularly a wind or brass instrument, it will take some extra hours of practice to get used to performing with your braces. However, after a few weeks, you should feel confident playing your instrument.
If you play contact sports at all, you should protect your braces and your mouth with an orthodontic mouthguard. You can get one from your orthodontist designed to fit your teeth and braces.
So, you’ll need to make a few changes to your lifestyle temporarily, but the changes you will eventually see in your smile will definitely be worth it!
