A Helpful Guide to Getting Braces as a Teenager

If you or your child have a set of braces in the future, you might be wondering about the process of getting them on. While you may feel a bit of pressure or tugging, you can rest assured that the process is painless. Also, the entire process should be over in an hour or two. Here’s what you can expect when you get your braces on. Spacers If your molars don’t provide enough space to fit the anchors for your braces, you will be fitted with spacers about a week before you get your braces on. Spacers are generally tiny round rubber rings that your orthodontist will fit on either side of your anchor molars. They don’t hurt to be applied but they can cause some pressure, sensitivity, or discomfort while they are in place. A hot pad or over-the-counter pain reliever can help with this. Prepping the Teeth Once your teeth are ready for braces it is time to get them prepped. This involves a thorough cleaning, especially on the spots where the anchor bands and brackets will be applied. Once your teeth are clean, they will be dried completely. Having such a dry mouth might feel a little funny, but it won’t hurt at all. Attaching the Braces Your braces start with a series of small metal brackets. These brackets hold the archwire and are literally glued to the center of your teeth. Don’t worry, the glue, or resin, is completely safe but it will probably leave a funny taste in your mouth for a little while. Thankfully, the glue is a special kind that cures instantly when exposed to blue light. Next, metal bands will be placed as anchors around your back molars. These bands are also set with light-cured resin. Finally, the archwires can be placed along the brackets using colorful bands that you can pick! Your braces may feel strange at first. You might have a hard time eating and speaking until you get used to them. Luckily, this happens for most people within just a few days. Take an over-the-counter pain medication to relieve pain and pressure on your teeth. Also, you can use orthodontic wax to keep the brackets and wires from agitating your inner cheeks and lips. Before you know it, you will forget that you even have braces on! At Pearl Orthodontics you will find an experienced and caring staff that can offer you the quality care your entire family deserves! Simply click here to learn more!

Getting braces is very common in childhood, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t scary for some kids. This is especially true for young children who might be getting phase one treatment early on. If your child is nervous about getting their braces on, reassure them that the process is painless and will be over before they know it! Talk Them Through It There is ample research to suggest that people are far better able to endure medical procedures when they are well-informed about the process. Your child will be more confident going into their appointment if they know what to expect. You can read about the process online to become informed yourself. However, the basics include sitting in a special chair, getting their teeth cleaned and dried, and then having the braces put on: brackets first, then the anchor bands, and finally the archwires. It won’t hurt, but they might feel tightness and pressure as the appliance is fitted. Let Them Help You Pick Out Soft Foods to Eat Your child will most likely feel some soreness in the days following getting their braces on. Until they acclimate to the braces they will probably also have a harder time chewing their food and talking normally. Reassure them that these symptoms will only last a short time. In the meantime, it helps to have some of your child’s favorite soft foods on hand. They will be even more excited if they can help you pick them out. Think ice cream, pudding, jello, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes. Offer an Incentive What parent would make it through life without using a little bit of bribery now and then? Of course, we don’t ever call it bribery, we are simply offering our children incentives! And why not reward your child for going through with something that scares them? We all need some rewards now and then to boost morale and get us through the really tough times. Try to think of something that is both rewarding and health promoting such as a special date with you, a new toy to play with while they recover, or a fun game to take their mind off their sore mouth. Of course, the most important thing you can do to help your child before getting their braces on is to listen with compassion and cheer them on. Let them know that you believe in them! Your confidence is sure to rub off on them. If you have any questions about your orthodontic treatment or home care, click here to learn more from the experienced and caring staff at Pearl Orthodontics!

In the world of orthodontic care, everyone knows about braces and retainers. You have probably also heard of the Invisalign system of aligners. However, there are many more appliances that may need to be used in certain situations. Here are a few less-common appliances you may not have heard of. The Schwartz Appliance One reason for teeth crowding is that the mouth is too narrow to comfortably fit the full set of adult teeth as they grow in. There are several appliances that are made to correct this problem. One of these is the Schwartz Appliance. Before the palate is finished growing it can be expanded using this helpful device. The appliance is nestled into the hard palate that makes up the frontal roof of the mouth. The space is widened with a series of daily appliance adjustments that slowly open the palate to the necessary size. Once the bone hardens the palate into place, braces can be applied. The Forsus Appliance The Forsus Appliance is another tool used by orthodontists to properly position the bite. It is used similarly to rubber bands, but it cannot be removed by the patient. It can also correct more serious bite issues because it is composed of strong metal springs placed strategically on both sides of the mouth. Because the Forsus Appliance is such a powerful tool it can take the place of headgear in even severe cases of overjet. The Thumb Crib If your child is a thumb sucker they might end up needing the Thumb Crib. Thumb sucking is notorious for creating future orthodontic issues for children. Before these issues can be corrected, the thumb-sucking habit must be broken. Enter the Thumb Crib. The Thumb Crib is a simple metal appliance that is banded onto two upper molars and extends around the inside of the upper teeth and down from the hard palate to prevent thumb insertion. A few months in the Thumb Crib is generally all it takes to break the thumb-sucking habit for good. There are many other appliances that can be used in orthodontic treatment in addition to the three already mentioned. These devices may seem a bit frightening at first, but people generally adapt to them in a matter of days. The best news is that there is an appliance that can correct just about any orthodontic problem out there! Are you on the hunt for a caring, gentle orthodontist? Look no further than Pearl Orthodontics! Find out more by clicking here !

As the parent of a child with special needs, you know that careful consideration needs to go along with every decision you make for your child. Some things that might be standard for some kids can become extremely complicated when all of your child’s needs are accounted for. One area that this is certainly true for is orthodontic work. Here are some suggestions that might help as you think about your child’s orthodontic needs. Work Within Your Child’s Parameters While orthodontic issues can be serious problems if left untreated, it is vital that you work within your child’s parameters of both comfort and practicality. You know your child best. As you consult with your child’s orthodontist, help them to understand your child’s limitations. Together, you can formulate a plan that will be both effective and practical. You may have to focus on the most important work and let go of less vital concerns. Keep Them Comfortable For any reputable orthodontist office, patient comfort is a top priority. Your orthodontist will want any suggestions you can offer that will help your child be more comfortable during office visits and during treatment. Some ideas are to break up visits into smaller chunks, allow a family member to sit in, prescribe more powerful pain relief, or get to know the staff well before starting treatment. Remember, your child’s comfort is a crucial part of successful treatment. You might find ideas online from other parents who have had similar challenges. Play the Long Game Your child may be able to get all of the orthodontic care they need, it just might take a little longer to get there. And that is ok. When you think strategically about your child’s orthodontic needs and stay open to playing the long game, you will be amazed at all that you can accomplish. Start by bringing your child in for their first orthodontic consultation by age seven. You can come in even earlier if you have specific concerns. With frequent monitoring, your child can get the care they need before things become more difficult to treat. You might also decide to forego some treatment options until your child is older and better able to handle them. As a loving parent, your child’s needs are paramount. It can be tricky to balance special needs with vital healthcare needs. Luckily, any caring orthodontist will be happy to work with you to create a long-term plan that will produce the best possible outcome for your child. If you are looking for an orthodontist who truly cares, look no further than Pearl Orthodontics. Click here to get started!

Your beautiful, post-braces smile has been quite an investment! Not only did you go through all of the expenses of wearing braces, but you endured times of soreness, pain, and even let go of some of your favorite foods for a couple of years to get the smile you always dreamed of. Now, it is time to protect that investment and keep your beautiful smile gleaming for life. Here’s how! Wear Your Retainer The most important thing you can do to maintain your smile after braces is to wear your retainer. Religiously. Your teeth are stubborn and want nothing more than to return to their original positions. Your retainer is what keeps that from happening. Be sure to implicitly follow the instructions of your orthodontist. This will likely include wearing your retainer day and night for the first few months or even a year or more. Later, you will likely be able to reduce the time spent in your retainer to nights only, but wearing it as instructed is vital. Failing to do so could result in another bout with braces. Consider Teeth Whitening Treatment Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to prevent it from happening, your teeth come out of braces looking a bit mottled. This can be caused by several factors, from using whitening toothpaste during treatment to drinking too many staining beverages. If your teeth aren’t as white as you would like them to be, consider seeing your dentist for a whitening treatment. Teeth whitening can be done in-office in one brief visit. Continue Excellent Dental Hygiene Habits Hopefully, one thing that wearing braces has instilled is a lifelong habit of excellent dental hygiene. Now that you are used to brushing around those brackets and using a floss threader to floss, caring for your teeth without braces should be easier than ever! All you need to do now is maintain that same dedication toward your oral health moving forward. If you have been brushing after every meal, keep it up! And don’t stop flossing every single day. Finally, round out your superior dental hygiene with daily mouthwash rinses and biannual trips to the dentist. You’ve gone through all of the hard work of braces. Now, the last thing you want is for everything to be undone with poor hygiene habits and less-than-perfect retainer use. Instead, protect your investment by doing everything you can to ensure that your beautiful new smile lasts! Do you have questions about past or future orthodontic care? Click here to learn more!

Everyone knows the most common reasons for getting braces: get straight teeth and a properly aligned bite. However, there are additional reasons for getting braces that you may not be aware of. Here are three lesser-known reasons you should get braces. Stop Sleep Apnea and Snoring Not all snoring or sleep apnea can be solved with orthodontic treatment, but it can help. In some people, snoring and even sleep apnea are caused because of an improperly aligned jaw. At times, this is significant enough to reduce airflow to the brain, causing you to wake frequently throughout the night. If a misaligned jaw is obstructing your airflow, braces may be part of the solution. Braces and other orthodontic appliances can expand your jaw and improve your respiration. This is important because snoring and sleep apnea leads to tiredness, fatigue, high blood pressure, and even stroke. Improved Dental Health Frequently, orthodontic issues can become dental issues as well. One example of this is over-crowded teeth. Food particles love to get stuck between overlapping teeth, leading to increased plaque buildup. Plaque then hardens into tartar, which eventually causes tooth decay and gum disease. Crooked, overlapping teeth are also much more difficult to brush and floss. Additionally, an improper bite can cause undo wear and tear on your enamel, breaking down the hard surfaces that protect the sensitive inner layers of your teeth. Braces correct these issues, helping you maintain better dental hygiene and improved oral health. Increased Confidence Your smile is the gateway into your soul. It is one of your most important features! Sadly, people with orthodontic issues often feel less confident in the way they look. They might even try to hide their smile–a true tragedy. You deserve to feel confident about the way you look. If your orthodontic issues are holding you back, don’t wait another moment. Set up a consultation with your orthodontist to start treatment as soon as possible. Everyone should love their smile! There are many reasons to get braces. In fact, you may not even realize that you need them. That’s why it’s so important to be evaluated by an orthodontist early and regularly. They will monitor your teeth and let you know when it’s time to begin treatment. Remember, early intervention is key. If you wait too long, the bones in your mouth will begin to harden and fix more rigidly in their current position. Do you think you might be ready for braces but aren’t sure? Pearl Orthodontics is here to help. Simply click here to learn how to get started today!

Congratulations! You are about to get braces and begin your journey toward the smile you have always wanted! These are exciting times, but you might also feel a bit nervous. One way to make braces a bit easier is to stock up on a few items that will help you on your journey. Here are some things that every braces wearer should keep on hand. Alternatives to Forbidden Foods If you have a food allergy or intolerance or know someone who does, then you already know how annoying it is to have to watch everyone indulging in your favorite foods while you just get to sit there and watch. Sadly, the same thing may happen with braces. Some foods are just too hard, crunchy, or sticky for the delicate wires and brackets of your braces to endure. The best way to combat the temptation and angst that comes with people around you munching on the things you can’t is to stock up on yummy alternatives. Popcorn (sans kernels) is a great alternative to nuts. Potato chips are better than corn chips. And, plain chocolate is a safe alternative to gummies, taffy, or toffee. Flossing Tool Brushing with braces is no problem. Flossing, however, is another story. And yet, your dental hygiene is even more important now than ever–which is really saying something because good hygiene is always essential. Luckily, there are a handful of flossing tools available to help you with that vital, daily habit. There are tools that range in complexity from simple floss threaders to high-tech waterpiks. Choose whatever works best for you and make sure to keep on flossing throughout your treatment! Pain Control While you will quickly adjust to your braces and forget you even have them on, there are bound to be some painful moments during your treatment. Your mouth will probably be sore for a few days after getting your braces. This also happens whenever you get a thicker archwire. Additionally, you might experience some canker sores thanks to protruding wires. You can combat these painful times with over-the-counter pain medication, hot and cold packs, orthodontic wax, and saltwater rinses. You will be surprised by how quickly life in braces becomes the new normal. Still, there are a few drawbacks. You can soften the blow of these drawbacks by stocking up on the items that will make your life in braces a little bit easier! Ready to start the process toward getting the smile of your dreams? Click here to set up your free consultation with Pearl Orthodontics!

If braces are in your future you might be feeling a bit worried. Maybe you are wondering if they are going to hurt, how they will look, or if you will suddenly be viewed as an outcast by your peers. While wearing braces might not be the most fun you’ve ever had, we can certainly put your mind at ease on at least those three points! So let’s get started on the attack against those three common myths. They are Uncomfortable While it is true that braces take some getting used to, it is also true that get used to them you will! Ask anyone who has been in braces longer than a week or two and they will tell you that they don’t even notice them anymore. In fact, your teeth will feel pretty strange for a while when you get them off–you get that used to them! Your mouth will be sore for the first few days after getting your braces on and whenever you get a thicker archwire placed, but other than that life with braces will soon become the new normal. They Look Funny If you are worried about getting braces for cosmetic reasons, know that in many instances people feel a boost to their confidence as soon as those metal brackets and wires go on. Why? Because they prefer the look of braces over the reason for the braces–misaligned teeth. Also, keep in mind that braces are getting more sophisticated. Today’s braces sit closer to the gums and feature smaller brackets, making them much more discreet than the braces of the past. Plus, just think about the end goal: the straight, even smile you have always dreamed of! I’ll Be the Only One For today's youth, getting braces is far more common than not! In fact, 80% of kids in the U.S. will wear braces at some point in their growing-up years–a far cry from you being the only one! Chances are good that most of your friends either wear braces now or will wear them soon. With nearly 5 million people in braces every year in the United States, you can rest assured that you will be in good company! Braces may not be a picnic in the park, but they are certainly not something to feel too anxious about, either. Best of all, braces offer a permanent fix to any orthodontic issues you have been dealing with. So try to set your mind at ease and look forward to your braces, instead of worrying about them! If you think your child might be ready for braces, click here to set up your free consultation with Pearl Orthodontist. It’s never too early to check!

You never got them as a teen, although you wish you had. Now, as an adult, you watch with envy as friends, coworkers, and relatives seem to be getting them like crazy. Even now you want them, but you just aren’t sure if it’s worth it. What are we talking about? Braces! The good news is that it’s never too late to get the smile you’ve always dreamed of. And yes, you are absolutely worth it! Close That Gap! Do you have a gap between your two front teeth that is all the rage with Vogue Magazine models but you can’t stand it? Why not get that thing closed? Gaps are a simple fix. If your teeth are straight and your bite is aligned in every other way, chances are your stint in braces will be lightning fast. If you don’t want to deal with the metal brackets and wires of braces, you would be an excellent candidate for Invisalign as well. With such an easy fix, why not just do it? Straighten Things Out! Some adults have always had crooked teeth. Others got their teeth knocked out of whack in a sports injury or other accident. Either way, crooked teeth can be a major pain. Food is constantly getting stuck in them and flossing can feel like World War 3. Plus, you have smiled with a closed mouth to hide those crooked teeth long enough! Get the smile you have always wanted with braces or Invisalign. Your hygienist will thank you! A Better Bite! Overbite, underbite, crossbite–they all, well, bite! These bite issues can lead to jaw pain, improper wear and tear on your enamel, difficulties forming certain sounds, struggles chewing, and improper facial structure. Your parents may not have thought that your bite issues were worth correcting, but you get to make that decision now. You can provide yourself with the care you deserve and fix that bite! How do you know when it is finally time to take the plunge and see your orthodontist? Well, watching in envy as the other adults in your life all perfect their smiles is a good indication that it’s time for you to do the same! You have worked hard and you deserve to spend a little bit of your hard-earned money on your own self-care. Ready to take the plunge and move toward the smile of your dreams? Click here to learn more about how Pearl Orthodontics can take care of your orthodontic needs at any age!