Dealing With Dental Braces As An Adult
As a kid, having dental braces is almost a right of passage. Every kid expects to have them and those that are lucky enough not to need them often spend their time wishing they did, especially today when every effort is made to make dental braces look "cool", like adding rubber bands in colors to suit any occasion. As an adult, however, the prospect of having dental braces is often less than desirable. There are things we did not expect to deal with when we became grown ups and one of them is certainly dental braces.
There are numerous reasons you might choose as an adult to get dental braces. It could be that your wisdom teeth have crowded your other teeth and made them crooked, an accident that required oral surgery and then dental braces, or perhaps you needed them as a kid but your parents could never afford them and now you can. Whatever the case, there is a certain satisfaction in being happy with your smile and dental braces are often the key. Here are a couple of survival tips for the adult with dental braces.
Talk To Your Orthodontist
Before you get your braces, talk to your orthodontist about what you can expect. Ask for a realistic expectation of what your teeth will look like afterwards, and how long you'll have to have the braces on. Find out if you'll have to wear a retainer, how often, and for how long. The more you know, the better you'll feel about the whole experience.
Traditional, Invisalign, Self Ligating And Ligual Braces
There are four main types of dental braces and they include the traditional braces, Invisalign, and self ligating braces as well as ligual braces. It pays to consider each one of them which will help you make an informed choice, and the first one you will need to learn about is obviously the traditional braces that are most commonly used. The traditional braces have been used on teeth of children from the very earliest times when dental braces came to be used and they usually contain a tiny bracket that is glued to the front of each and every tooth along with a band that is often used in the molars in order to provide support.
The brackets used in this form of dental braces are generally known to be long lasting and they can be made from various materials including gold, metal and also ceramic and they are also sometimes decorated with various ligatures which allow users to choose their favorite color as well as style.
Another type of dental braces is the invisalign that is now becoming very popular and it owes its name to the technology developed by Align that is a brace made of clear plastic trays or simply called aligners that can be customized for different teeth and they can also be removed or adjusted every once in a while. However, you should only use this type of dental braces if your orthodontist recommends it and it is certainly not meant to be used on children's teeth and are more suited for use on adults and teenagers.
Self ligating braces are another type of dental braces that do not require ligatures or even any bands and are sometimes called speed braces of which the most well known brands is Damon Brackets and Damon3 in particular. Finally, you should learn about another dental braces and that is the ligual braces which are ideally suited for people that don't want to look like they are wearing metals on their teeth and so use these brackets that are placed behind the teeth thus making them invisible to everybody else.
Get To Know The Toothpaste Aisle
With braces, eating becomes a whole new experience. Everything you need to make that experience a less self conscious one can be found in the toothpaste aisle of your local drugstore. Many people find it handy to carry a toothbrush with them, as well as floss. You can pop into the restroom quickly after that working lunch and take care of the food particles that love to attach themselves to your new dental work.
If you've forgotten the toothbrush, a quick swish with water in your mouth should do the trick to get rid of most of it. Grab a toothpick on your way out of the restaurant or the employee break room and take care of the rest when you get a private moment.
Another thing the toothpaste aisle is good for is relieving the discomfort of dental braces. There you can find dental wax and oral anesthetics to help ease the pain of metal rubbing against the inside of your mouth. Eventually you'll build up a tolerance and your mouth won't be as sensitive, but for the first few months these aids can be invaluable.
