If you picture someone with braces, who’s the first person that comes to mind? Odds are it’s one of your peers who’s currently sporting a set. Getting braces as a teen is practically a rite of passage in some cases. If braces are in your future, you don’t want to go rushing in unprepared. There are some things you’ll need to do first.
Make an Appointment
Okay, so this one’s a gimme. You’re obviously going to need to make an appointment with an orthodontist before you get braces. You could leave it up to your parents, or you could take charge and make the appointment yourself. The first one should be an orthodontic consultation where you’ll learn about your options and what to expect throughout your experience. If you make this appointment yourself, make sure it’s one that one of your parents can attend with you. There will likely be a lot of information presented, and it helps if there’s another person there to hear it.
Explore Your Options
Speaking of options, make sure you ask the orthodontist about which ones are available to you. Traditional metal braces are pretty much always an option, but you aren’t necessarily stuck with them. Invisalign is much less intrusive than traditional braces. Not everyone’s a good candidate, but you won’t know unless you ask. You can also ask about options like lingual braces, ceramic braces, and Damon braces.
Get Your Teeth Cleaned
Unless you get a removable option like Invisalign aligners, once the braces are applied, they aren’t going to be moved from those spots on your teeth until it’s time for them to be taken off. Because of this, it’s crucial that you have your teeth thoroughly cleaned prior to the braces being put on. This is a good time to schedule a dentist appointment for a professional cleaning. You’ll need to keep up on cleaning your teeth yourself as well. Be thorough and disciplined about brushing twice a day, and remember to floss at least once. That will help reduce your risk of dental decay from your braces.
Getting braces puts you one step closer to that brilliantly beautiful smile you’ve dreamed of having. As long as you make sure you’re prepared, the experience should go fairly smoothly. Just make sure you take good care of both your teeth and braces once they’re on. The better you follow the directions given to you by your orthodontist, the sooner you’ll be able to get them off.
Check out this article to learn how to prevent needing extensive work on your teeth!