When your child, loved one, or even you might need braces, you may have a number of questions. Understanding braces doesn’t need to send you into a tailspin.Happy Smiles offers free consultations to answer all of your questions. Here are a few things you may want to know before your consultation.
Aesthetics Are Important ? But So Is Your “Bite”
A dentist evaluates a number of things when you go in for a consultation. Although many people think that braces only make teeth straight, in fact, they accomplish a lot more.
One of the most important things that dentists evaluate is your “bite.” This is the way that your top and bottom teeth meet when you open and close your mouth. Orthodontists are just as concerned with how your mouth functions as they are with making your teeth look great. After all, what good are straight teeth if you can’t chew or speak properly?
You Will Need To Take Good Care Of Your Teeth
If you are going to spend thousands of dollars and years of your time on your teeth, you’ll want to make oral hygiene a priority? When you have braces, you will need to brush your teeth several times per day, ideally after every meal. This may sound like a lot, but if you create the habit early on, it will eventually become a habit. Chances are you will want to brush your teeth often, because food gets stuck between your brackets, which can be really disgusting and cause bad breath and tooth decay. At the very least, you should swish your mouth with water after eating.
You should also floss at least once per day. It isn’t always easy, but there are many “floss threader” products on the market that help. Your dentist can show you how to brush and floss properly. Speaking of brushing, remember not to use a whitening toothpaste when you have braces. It may cause you to have “two tone” teeth after the brackets are removed!
Yes, It Will Hurt For A While
It typically does hurt to wear braces at first. It doesn’t hurt to get them put on your teeth; the pain and pressure come a day or two later. Not only will your teeth feel sore, but the brackets will rub the insides of your gums and lips and cause mouth sores. Fortunately this stage only lasts a couple of weeks. Soon scar tissue forms inside your mouth and everything hurts less. To soothe the mouth sores, rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times per day. You may also want to use dental wax or get a lip protector for braces. The initial stage of braces passes soon enough. Believe it or not, in a few months the braces won’t bother you very much at all.
Call Happy Smiles today to schedule a free consultation about braces in Kansas City.