Getting Your Braces On

So you are going to get braces. Here is how your procedure will probably go:

1. First you sit in the orthodontist’s special chair and your orthodontist will polish your teeth with a sand-like substance. They do this so that they have a smooth surface to work with when gluing on the brackets.

2. Next is gluing on the brackets. First he/she will put a dab of their fancy glue on your first
tooth and place the bracket on.

3. After your orthodontist has positioned the bracket so that it is straight and in the middle of your tooth, this is the procedure our orthodontist followed, he/she will then shine ultraviolet light on your tooth (before they do this step, you will be outfitted with a pair of glasses). The glue is special in that it dries under ultraviolet light.

Steps two and three will be done for all of the teeth you are getting braces on.

4. Next is attaching the wire. Your orthodontist will get out a wire of specific stiffness, usually relatively soft at the beginning. Then he/she will cut the wire to the right length for your mouth. Then, after heating up the ends of the wire, your orthodontist will bend the ends so that they will hook around your back brackets after being pushed through the hole.

5. Once you have the wire ready, your orthodontist will push it into each of your brackets and then pull the wire through your back brackets.

6. Next you will pick a color of band and they will fit those around the bracket to keep the wire in place (see Rainbow of Rubber).

7. Now your orthodontist will cut the wire in the back so it doesn’t poke your cheek (see post Wretched Wires).

8. You now have braces!

This whole procedure usually takes somewhere between 30 minutes to 45 minutes per jaw. Congratulations on your new braces!

-Erik and Amanda