What to Expect When Your Child Gets Braces

I have been taking my kids to the same pediatric dentist for years.  My youngest started going to Dermody Dental since she was a toddler.  They really take great care of the kids and make the experience enjoyable.

When I was growing up, I had such a fear of going to the dentist.  I recall having to get a cavity filled and getting an injection which traumatized me. Fast forward, I did everything in my power to change the experience for my children.

What to Expect When Your Child Gets Braces

Have you wondered what to expect when your child gets braces?  It’s an exciting time.  I was so excited for my daughter to get braces because I felt it was a right of passage so to speak.  What I mean to say is as a teenager, many kids get braces and it was one of those moments in my daughter’s life that I cherished.

My feelings on my daughter getting braces totally contrasted how she felt.  She wasn’t as excited about getting braces and she felt like her teeth were fine.  I knew that ultimately my daughter would have beautiful teeth that were properly aligned if she had braces.  She had a bit of an over-bite that could affect her in the future.

From the time my oldest kids had their braces on to now, when my youngest went in for her braces consult, technology has changed!  I was amazed because my oldest had molds made of putty that she had to hold in her mouth to make impressions.  Times have changed and that type of impression isn’t necessary.  If you see in the photo above, that is a digital impression of my daughter’s teeth.  It reminds me of something out of some high tech movie because the dentist can move the image around by the swipe of a finger.

Preventing Problems with Braces

The orthodontist should provide your child with a care card which shows illustrations of the cause and effect of typical issues kids encounter with braces.  Kids will be kids and they’ll sneak snacks and things that they shouldn’t have when they have braces.  These illustration cards have really gross pictures which hopefully will help keep our kids from eating things that can really cause problems with their braces.

Brushing and Flossing is Key

As parents, we know that brushing is ultra important.  When our kids have braces put on, their brushing is crucial because they can get white stains on their teeth once the braces are removed.  The white stains are not pretty and according to the orthodontist, they are permanent.  YIKES!!!

I can’t say enough about my daughter’s orthodontist.  They showed my daughter how to floss the right way with braces and what products are necessary for proper care when you have braces.

What I learned is there are flossing products made specifically for braces.  Some floss has a ridged end that slides easily up and through the braces and some of the hand held type flossers have flat end that easily fit up between the wires and brackets to make flossing easy. The orthodontis recommended my daughter use an electric toothbrush with a rotating head and Platypus Flossers, both of which can be purchased on Amazon.

The process of the consult to actually putting braces on can take a couple of hours.  I think I was more excited than my daughter was for sure!

The orthodontist really tries to keep things lively and your child will be able to pick from a rainbow of fun colors of the bands that go around the brackets.

Once the braces were put on, my daughter did complain of a little pain and discomfort, but it didn’t last more than a few days.  She was really upset when the braces first went on and she cried.  My daughter told me the braces were ugly and my heart was broken.  I hugged her and let her know she was beautiful inside and out and braces do not define her.

If you find that your child is upset about their new braces, give them a big hug.  Let them know how much of a sacrifice you are making for them to have braces.  Reassure them that this time in their life is temporary and there are so many other kids their age going through the same exact thing.

Our job as parents isn’t always easy, but we are here to do the best we can for our children.

If your child is getting braces soon, I wish them nothing but the best.  Time passes quickly and you are a stellar parent doing the best you can for your child.