5 Questions to Ask Your Dentist Before Getting Braces

Working towards a happier, healthier smile is a worthwhile goal. Our smiles play a big part in our lives, from helping us to maintain oral health to be an instrumental part of all of our first impressions.

If you’re considering getting braces as part of an effort to better these elements of your life, it’s an exciting time. However, there’s still a long road ahead and you likely have many questions you need to be answered before getting braces.

It’s important that you have all the proper information before signing any paperwork and getting down to business. Knowledge is power, especially where complicated and often expensive medical care is concerned.

What questions should you ask before you get braces? Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.

1. Table of Contents

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   How Do Braces Work?

You’re aware of what the end result of getting braces is, but maybe you’re not so certain about how the process actually works. It’s important to understand everything about the procedure going in so there are no surprises.

That includes getting familiar with how braces work.

Braces move the position of your teeth in your mouth. They do this by positioning pressure against your teeth over many weeks and months. The shape of your jaw will adapt to this pressure, changing shape as time goes by.

Your teeth are sunk into a membrane connected to your jaw and it is this membrane that controls the position of your teeth. It’s true! It responds to the pressure and it is easier to move your teeth around than you might think.

This is important to understand because once your braces are removed and this pressure is gone, your teeth can move yet again. This is why it is important to wear a retainer as your orthodontic professional recommends.

2. What Are the Benefits of Braces?

Why might someone get braces? There are many reasons, but the most obvious is to help straighten out crooked teeth. People with crooked smiles tend to feel more self-conscious, and fixing this cosmetic issue can help to resolve the problem and provide more confidence.

Of course, there are more benefits to a straight smile than just looking nice. Teeth that are straight and well-aligned will also be much easier to clean and care for. If you are able to floss and clean your teeth with ease, you’ll have an easier time fighting off gum problems.

Maintaining oral health is key to maintaining a strong sense of general health. In this way, braces can be an important step to maintaining your well-being for years to come.

Misaligned teeth can also often lead to headaches and migraines, a problem that can be solved by straightening teeth out. All you need to do is search orthodontist near me and find somewhere to get this procedure done.

3. How Long Does it Take?

One of the major questions people who are considering braces ask is how long the procedure will take. Unfortunately, this isn’t always as easy to answer as it might sound.

The length of treatment for braces will depend on the current oral issues one is trying to fix. Someone with a very straightforward oral issue may only need to wear braces for a few months. More severe cases and issues may result in treatment that lasts nearly two or three years.

As you can see, the timeline of wearing braces will vary by a large margin from person to person. When you come in for an initial assessment, your orthodontist should be able to give you an expectation of how long you might need to wear braces.

This timeline could change over the course of your treatment depending on how well your teeth are responding to the procedure. However, the general sense of how long you’ll be expecting shouldn’t change by all too much.

4. What Will Change in Day to Day Life?

At the end of your time with braces, you’ll have a brand new smile that can help make every single day a little bit brighter. That being said, you’ll need to adjust to life with braces before you can get to that sunny day.

You will need to clean your teeth much more thoroughly during the time that you have braces. Food can get trapped in braces and actually lead to worse oral health during your procedure if you aren’t careful.

Learning how to clean braces and keeping up with this cleaning will be essential during the timeline of your procedure. Proper cleaning can help prevent problems from developing.

You also might find that your gums can get irritated during your treatment, your gums rubbing up against the metal of the braces. You can apply orthodontic wax to help prevent this from causing damage or pain.

Overall, however, it’s very easy to adjust to having braces. Soon you’ll forget that you even have them on. Outside of some minor inconveniences, you can go through your day-to-day life with braces much as you did before.

There are no large adjustments that you’ll need to get used to.

5. Are Braces Painful?

Many people spend nights before their procedure worrying about the pain that might come with getting braces. However, there’s not as much to worry about as you might think.

Braces are generally mostly painless. Some soreness during the procedure and in the days following is to be expected, but it won’t be anything a few over-the-counter pain medications can’t help to manage.

What To Know Before Getting Braces

Walking down the path towards a better smile can be an exciting time. However, there are many questions that are worth asking before getting braces and the above are only a few of the major ones. Making sure you have a full understanding of the procedure before getting started can be beneficial.

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