Is it normal to be excited about getting braces

They are especially useful for dislodging bits of food that may get stuck while eating. Rinsing your mouth with water or a saltwater solution after meals will also help to keep your teeth and braces clean, and neutralise the residual acids that linger after meals. Apart from the additional cleaning effort required and some temporary dietary changes, having braces won't create any major disruptions to your life.

However, in order to ensure your treatment time goes as smoothly and quickly as possible, here's a few extra tips on how to make braces work for your lifestyle. If you play a musical instrument such as the flute, clarinet or trumpet any instrument that involves mouth control , you'll still be able to do so while wearing braces.

Just bear in mind that it could take a little time to readjust, and could make your mouth feel sore if you do so in those first few days after getting braces put on or an appointment to tighten them. Your orthodontist suggests the use of mouthguards while playing sport. They slip over your braces to protect them from potential damage during high impact sports. Over the counter mouthguards from your Chemist are specifically designed to stop braces from breaking after bumps or scuffs on the field and provide satisfactory protection during the period when your teeth are moving into their new position.

Don't forget that with Invisalign braces, you can take your aligners off for short periods when necessary for instance, while playing sport or eating.

With metal braces, you'll need to attend regular follow-up appointments in order to adjust and tighten your braces. This allows us to keep your teeth moving into the correct position. It's also an opportunity to check the progress of your treatment. These appointments happen every weeks and only take minutes.

In the grander scheme of things, these sessions only take a tiny part out of your day — and skipping them will only mean your treatment time drags out longer! While this might seem like a hassle, keep in mind that Invisalign appointments only take a few minutes — so you'll be out the door and on with your day with little fuss. Every now and then the wires or brackets attached to your braces may break.

This is most commonly caused by eating the wrong foods, impact from playing sport, or habits such as nail biting or pencil chewing. If something goes wrong, call our office as soon as you can to come in and have your braces fixed. In an emergency, a piece of sugar free gum can be moulded around a broken wire to protect your mouth in place of orthodontic wax. We all know that the idea of getting braces can seem very off-putting. But there's a reason why thousands of people all around the world continue to get them; braces mean a little investment, for a very big payoff.

Apart from the occasional soft chocolate and sugar-free chewing gum, just about all other lollies are banned; specifically Minties, Mentos, Tic-tacs, lolly pops, Chupa Chups, toffees, candies, Redskins, Warheads, Fantales, etc. Avoid most of the bars as well; particularly muesli bars, which are not only sugary, but also hard. Drinks - Soft drinks and cordials should be sugar free, ie. Even then, you should restrict these to no more than a couple of times a week.

Some of the sugar free drinks can be quite acidic, particularly the Cokes. If you have them more than a couple of times a week, the acid could damage your teeth. You can drink as much plain water and plain milk as you like, whenever you want, there are no restrictions but it must be plain. The commercial milk drinks such as Big M, Breaka, Up-and-Go, Iced Coffee Breaks, flavoured milks, etc, which are much higher in sugar, are also on the banned list. This means you may have these drinks occasionally as a treat, but not every week.

Smoothies are OK if you make them with fresh fruit, milk, perhaps a dollop of ice cream or yoghurt, but you must not add any flavourings or honey etc. This also applies to other hot drinks like hot chocolate, Quik, etc. Fruit Juice - Fruit sugar is just as damaging as normal sugar so even pure juice should be restricted to alternate days only.

Apple is probably the safest because it is fairly neutral. The more acidic juices, such as orange, lemon, pineapple, should ideally be restricted to once or twice a week.

If you drink all your drinks through a straw, it may reduce the amount of fluid that goes on the front surfaces of your teeth. We also strongly recommend that you rinse your mouth with plain water straight after drinking a sugary drink, to wash all that sugar off your teeth!

See the section on sport for more information on mouth guards. In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately.

Of course, having a confident smile is going to help you feel happier. You will smile more freely, which helps you experience the positive feedback of emotions that improves your mood. It can help reaffirm relationships and make everyone happier. Your newly confident smile can help you become your true self.

Feeling confident in your smile can transform your life in ways you never imagined. Most people do not care if you have braces as an adult. If you pay for braces for others, but not for yourself, it can make you feel devalued.

That leads to a sense of need, rather than creating a sense of satisfaction that makes you freer to give. Everyone is different, but as soon as you get your braces, your teeth are essentially being given the green light to move. As you prepare for your braces appointment, know that your dentist or orthodontist has your best interest in mind. That includes the best interest of your teeth!

Whether your dentist recommends sealing the rough part of a bracket with wax, tightening or avoiding sticky foods — they know what is best for you and your dental plan. Though it is still recommended to brush and floss twice a day, your daily routine may change.

That can look like your routine taking a little bit longer or having to take extra steps to make sure your teeth are as healthy as can be. When modern day braces were first put on the market, they were expensive.