Why Braces Are a Good Back to School Accessory

If your tween or teen has gotten the bad news that they need braces, they are probably dreading having to face school this year with wearing braces. While no one certainly loves wearing braces, there are some reasons for your child to get excited about going back to school with braces.

If your tween or teen has gotten the bad news that they need braces, they are probably dreading having to face school this year with wearing braces. While no one certainly loves wearing braces, there are some reasons for your child to get excited about going back to school with braces.

While your teen might try to persuade you to hold off until the next summer break to get braces so they can enjoy one more school year without having to worry about what they look like with braces and how it will affect their school photos, it is better not to delay treatment any longer than you really have to. If you do, more dental issues may pop up in the meantime.

Here is why braces are a good back to school accessory?

Many of Their Friends Will Be Sporting Them

Reassure your child that they will not be the only one wearing braces in their school. This is a common age group for getting braces and they will be pleasantly surprised to see many of their other students in the school halls sporting a similar look. No one is really going to care that they have braces and actually it will be seen by others as a positive sign that you are working on getting a healthier, more beautiful smile.

There is even a really good likelihood that one of your child’s close circle of friends will be wearing braces at the same time so they can commiserate and help each other through the experience.

Braces Can Add Style to Their Back to School Look

Today’s braces are so different from what you remember growing up so luckily your kids will have many more options to choose from. If they are wearing traditional metal braces, they can jazz things up by picking different color rubber bands to complement their outfits or you can use the colors to design a certain theme like your school colors or holiday like Christmas or Halloween.

If your tween or teen prefers the less noticeable look than getting them ceramic or lingual braces or Invisalign braces might be the better way to go. With these types of orthodontic treatments, most people will not even realize that they are even wearing anything on their teeth.

Wearing Braces Can Actually Increase Their Self-Confidence

One of the biggest fears young people have about wearing braces is that other kids will make fun of them and that they will feel like outcasts, but that isn’t really the case. Unlike what singer Katy Perry depicts in her video for “Last Friday Night,” braces today don’t make you feel like an outcast. There are even teen supermodels who aren’t afraid to proudly display their orthodontic work.

And most orthodontists report that their patients say they actually more embarrassed by the crooked teeth themselves than when wearing the braces to fix them. Tell your kids to be proud that they are doing something that is good for their overall health.

If they proudly own their new look and don’t act embarrassed about it, no one will likely say anything about it.

Your child still not convinced? Then you need to impress upon them how important it is to fix their crooked teeth or bite issue. Remind them that it is not just about appearances. Have a frank talk with them about possible health issues that could result or ask the orthodontist to lay it all out clearly for your child. He or she needs to understand that they will be susceptible to cavities and gum disease and will have to face years of expensive and uncomfortable dental work and even tooth loss if they don’t treat the alignment issues now.

One way you can help your child adjust to having to wear braces is to help them pick the type of treatment that they will be most comfortable with. Luckily there are many options available.

Before choosing a treatment, make sure you understand what each treatment option entails. The traditional approach is metal braces which are a combination of metal and wires that are adhered to your teeth and slowly move your teeth into better alignment. Another option is Invisalign aligners which are clear and removable braces. Other options include lingual braces and tooth-colored ceramic braces. Here is what you should know about all of them:

Metal braces

• These are permanently adhered to your teeth and can only be taken off by the orthodontist at the end of treatment
• The orthodontist tightens the wires during treatment to help shift the teeth
• There are certain food and drink restrictions with this treatment
• May have to wear them for 3 or more years depending on how your treatment goes
• Most bite and alignment issues can be treated by metal braces

Invisalign

• They are clear plastic aligners that can be easily removed
• Can be removed to eat and to brush and floss your teeth
• Treatment includes a new set of aligners every two weeks as your teeth shift into proper alignment
• Invisalign can also handle both simple and complicated alignment issues
• Your teen needs to wear them 20 to 22 hours a day in order for them to be effective so you will need to make sure he or she is compliant with this.

Lingual Braces

• These braces are attached to the backs of the teeth instead of the front so they are less noticeable.
• Not all orthodontists are skilled in this type of treatment so you might have to look around for someone who specializes in it. It requires special wire work.
• Because when we speak our tongue hits the back of our teeth, your child might have a little problem with speech at first until they adjust to the lingual braces.
• You might need to help your child with brushing and flossing at first because it is a little more challenging to clean the brackets and wires when they are on the backs of the teeth.

Ceramic Braces

• These are basically like the traditional metal braces except that the brackets are tooth-colored so less noticebable.
• Your teen might have to watch what they eat and drink because the brackets might stain more easily.

All in all if your teen needs orthodontic work it best not to delay it. Do all you can to help them adjust to them and make it a positive experience. Want to know more about picking the right type of braces for your child, call Orthodontics Limited today.