All About Your Child And Their New Braces

Posted on: 22 February 2016

If your child is going to be getting braces, learning everything you can now will help prepare the both of you for everything that comes with getting and wearing braces. The information detailed here will help you to prepare your child for the procedure and help them get used to their new braces.

Preparing for the procedure

Before you take your child in to have their braces put on, it may be a good idea to take them out to get something to eat. Their mouth will be a bit sore for a while right after having the braces put on and they will have a hard time eating regular food. You may also want to schedule their appointment for a Friday so your child will have the whole weekend to take it easy before they have to go back to school. This way, they will be over the hardest part of getting used to the braces when Monday comes.

Options for the braces

There are now more options available when it comes to braces so your child isn't stuck to wearing the big silver braces most people think of. They can go with clear braces that make it harder for other people to notice them. There are colored braces that allow your child to pick out bands in the color of their choosing, such as blue, red, green, orange or any other primary color they like. They can even go with a bunch of different colors if they want.

Getting the braces put on

When the dentist puts the braces on your child's teeth, they will clean the surfaces of the teeth first to make sure that bacteria and plaque don't get trapped against the teeth by the braces. Then, a glue will be used to adhere the brackets to each tooth, and the bands will be put in place. The dentist will finish by tightening the wires so they will slowly pull the teeth into proper position to straighten them out.

Wearing the braces

You can expect your child to have some discomfort for the first few days or so after the braces are put on. However, an over-the-counter pain reducer should be all it takes to help control the pain. They will also find it easier to eat soft foods until they feel better. Hard foods like ice cubes and tortilla chips should be avoided because they can break the wires and then you will have to take them in to have the braces repaired.

Learn more about this topic by visiting your family dentist or orthodontist.

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About Marcel and the Dentist

Hi, my name is Marcel. Welcome to my site! I started it to help others learn about children's dentistry. Most of us don't remember dentist trips from our early childhood. Maybe we didn't even really care about our teeth until we started losing baby teeth. In my case, I became interested in children's dentistry as a young father. When my kids were young, I was a student, and our insurance did not cover visits to the dentist. Although my wife and I tried to teach our kids good hygiene on our own, it was difficult. When we we finally able to take them to the dentist, my little girls were scared and didn't know what was going on. Luckily, they appreciate the dentist now that they are older, but their first experiences helped teach me more about the importance of children's dentistry. Hopefully you can learn from my experiences!

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