Many children are anxious about getting braces. Often, children are scared it will hurt, that they may look silly and get teased and that eating will be difficult. After a chat with your orthodontist, they should feel confident that although it may be uncomfortable and odd at first, there’s no reason to feel scared.
If you can help them conquer their fear and realize braces aren’t forever, they will be on their way to confidently achieving the beautiful smile they are after. Your Orthodontist will put any fears at ease with a treatment plan tailored to your dental health needs. With various orthodontic options available, we will turn your fears into excited and healthy smiles.
This article tackles a few questions that most people ask, like: should I be scared to get braces? Does getting braces hurt?
Does Getting Braces Hurt?
Bonding braces isn’t an uncomfortable process. In fact, it’s a relatively gentle process to realign your teeth. Once they’re bonded, you may experience some discomfort at first. For a few days after having them placed, your teeth and mouth may feel slightly uncomfortable, but this is because your mouth is getting used to having them there.
Sometimes the metal brackets might poke the inside of your mouth at first, but your orthodontist will give you wax to put over the brackets to keep them from causing you further discomfort.
You can also expect discomfort after regular adjustments and tightening, which happen regularly – about every 10-12 weeks. Although this may sometimes be sore, it feels more like bruising, which makes them slightly tender, but it’s not painful. The truth is, getting metal braces is uncomfortable and feels a bit strange at first, but you won’t be in pain all the time. Your mouth will feel normal in no time.
While Invisalign is said to hurt less than metal braces, you will still experience mild discomfort when having them fitted. These plastic aligners are known to be more comfortable to wear, but the initial process of having them fitted and the first few days of each cycle of the new Invisalign may be uncomfortable. New aligners are usually fitted every 7 days with Invisalign. However, as with metal braces, you’ll get used to wearing your aligners and the mild discomfort that comes from them.
Are Your Children Worried About How Braces May Change Their Appearance?
Looking different and being teased is a real fear for children. And most children will feel shy about showing their braces at first because of how it changes their appearance. It’s a good idea to remind them that although having braces may last a year or two, the result will be a straight smile for the rest of their lives. Also, remind them that they will likely not be the only ones at school with braces. Plenty of kids go through orthodontic treatment during their tween and teen years.
Some children might like knowing they can accessorize their braces with many fun color elastics and brackets. If this still doesn’t calm their fears, looking into Invisalign is a good idea. These are primarily invisible and will more likely help get skeptical children on board.
Will All My Food Get Stuck in My Braces?
Another issue children worry about when getting braces is whether their food will get stuck in them. Although this seems like a mundane factor to worry about – especially considering food gets stuck in people’s teeth even when they don’t have braces – it is something children will naturally fear. Their embarrassment, too, can last for days after the event. Drinking water after eating will help wash away any food clinging to their braces, and they can choose to have a pocket mirror to use after eating.
3 Things Aren’t True About Having Braces
- You can’t play sports with braces. Although this isn’t the case, orthodontists recommend wearing an orthodontic mouthguard when playing contact sports.
- Braces give you a lisp. This one is partly true, but it’s only slight and temporary. Also, not all people will develop a slight lisp; if they do, it often goes away once your mouth is used to having the braces.
- Your braces will rust. Orthodontists do not use metal that can rust.
A little research and a thorough talk with your orthodontist will quickly alleviate any fears you or your child may have about wearing braces. You’ll hopefully never hear the phrase “I’m scared to get braces” again. Remind your children that braces are proven to be a safe and effective way to straighten or align teeth, and it is worth the slight discomfort you go through to have a confident smile in the end.
How Can We Help?
Find an Orthodontist near you to see how they can help your orthodontic needs!
Source: https://aosmiles.com/why-you-dont-need-to-worry-about-getting-braces/