A lot of people might have experienced what I’m experiencing right now; wearing braces. I’ve had braces on for the past 2-3 years now and I’ve learned how to live with them and what they do to my teeth. So here are somethings you should know about wearing braces.

There are various types of braces: When people hear the word “braces” they most likely think of the braces that are made of metal; you are partially correct, however, there are other types of braces like Invisalign, Ceramic, Lingual, and the braces that come with the headgear to name a few. The traditional braces are the ones made of metal which that’s the type I currently have. I don’t mind it but I can understand how it can make people uncomfortable but don’t worry, it won’t be a permanent thing.

They’re very fragile: Unfortunately I had to learn this lesson the hard way. Sometimes I would be eating something and then all of a sudden *crack* a bracket got displaced. You don’t know how many times this has occurred to me and every single time, I’d always get into a state of panic since I want these braces off but sometimes they’d actually break off on their own which doesn’t my state of mind. I’ve been trying to be careful of what I eat since sometimes some foods are just hard and I have to carefully make sure I don’t take in a lot or else the brackets will crack.

People who have braces still go get their cleaning done: I’m surprised that I have to explain this…but we still go to the dentist to get our teeth cleaned. The last time I went to my orthodontist appointment, the nurse told me that some people believe that people with braces don’t go get their six month cleaning. We still do our six month cleaning, sometimes we’d go every three months instead. We don’t avoid it, it’s just a bit harder for dentists as they don’t want to break the brackets at all.

Still use floss: Flossing is important for dental health. I wasn’t one who flossed before but now I do it every night. I’d recommend threader floss for those who have braces so that you’re able to get to your gums. My gums are a lot more healthier now than they were before. So don’t forget to floss, even when you got braces on, your gums will thank you.

If you’re interested in dentistry, the University of Maryland Baltimore has a Dual Degree Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader Track which allows you to get your B.S and M.S in Dental Hygiene at the same time. For more information here is the link to their page. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, let me know and I’ll get back to you. Thank you for reading my blog and I’ll see you in the next one!