Coping with your parents when you get braces is much different than with strangers. The only similarity is that the first few days you have your braces on, your parents will probably be asking how it feels and does it hurt and so on but this is much different than the general public because they will likely be being supportive of you!
Here are some things you might have to worry about with your parents:
1. Constant reminders: Most likely your parents will constantly be telling you to brush your teeth and be getting on your case about wearing your bands or head gear. This can get extremely frustrating at times, but if you just do what they say they will eventually calm down and leave you to it. Also the more you make sure you are brushing regularly and wearing all of your equipment, the sooner they will see that you can monitor yourself and don’t need them to constantly remind you. Just remember they are trying to help and they want the whole process to work!
2. Eating and food: Sometimes parents can be really strict about telling their kids what they can and cannot eat. As we have said in previous posts, most of the foods will not hurt as long as you are careful, but then again your parents are paying for the braces so if they are adamant about your not eating some foods it would be good to just listen. You can also try talking to them and coming to a common agreement about the matter.
Chances are your parents had braces when they were teens too. Don’t just brush them aside when they offer advice or get on your case because they may have reasons that aren’t apparent and will probably benefit you in the long run. Not to mention the braces your parents had were probably much more of a pain to wear than yours are!
-Erik and Amanda
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Coping Series Part 1: Strangers
This is the first installment in our three part series on coping with braces.
Now when you get braces, people might look at you differently. But luckily since braces are not as noticeable as when your parents had them and they are also not a huge deal.
You must ignore any reactions. It will take away from your braces experience if you are constantly worried about what other people think.
A common habit some kids develop when they get braces is they use their hand to cover their mouth when smiling or laughing. Usually they don’t realize it, it just becomes automatic. But trust us, it just calls attention to your braces. And when you get your braces off you don’t want that habit!
Similarly to getting a reaction when you have braces on, you might see a difference when you get them off.
-Amanda and Erik
Now when you get braces, people might look at you differently. But luckily since braces are not as noticeable as when your parents had them and they are also not a huge deal.
You must ignore any reactions. It will take away from your braces experience if you are constantly worried about what other people think.
A common habit some kids develop when they get braces is they use their hand to cover their mouth when smiling or laughing. Usually they don’t realize it, it just becomes automatic. But trust us, it just calls attention to your braces. And when you get your braces off you don’t want that habit!
Similarly to getting a reaction when you have braces on, you might see a difference when you get them off.
-Amanda and Erik
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Update
Hello Readers!
There will be no new post next Wednesday (June 16). Thanks for the understanding!
-Amanda and Erik
There will be no new post next Wednesday (June 16). Thanks for the understanding!
-Amanda and Erik
Ode To Retainers
So I (Amanda) have had my retainers for about two months and I must admit it is very, very hard to keep up with them. Its very tempting to just wear them at night even tho I am supposed to wear them all the time except eating. Its not that they hurt or anything its just a hassle to put them back in. Now that is going to change. Since Erik just got his braces off, I must set a good example.
So we are both going to wear our retainers all the time except for eating and hard exercise. If you have retainers and you are reading this and nodding in agreement with the first paragraph, join us! All that money will be wasted if us braces-veterans don’t wear our retainers diligently!
It is hard to keep it up but we shall get through it together. Please comment telling us your story!
-Amanda and Erik
So we are both going to wear our retainers all the time except for eating and hard exercise. If you have retainers and you are reading this and nodding in agreement with the first paragraph, join us! All that money will be wasted if us braces-veterans don’t wear our retainers diligently!
It is hard to keep it up but we shall get through it together. Please comment telling us your story!
-Amanda and Erik
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Teeth Pulling
You may have to get teeth pulled if you are planning to get braces, but have not lost all of your baby teeth. Obviously we don’t want to be putting braces on just to have a couple of the teeth fall out, plus then you would have to wait the time it takes for your permanent teeth to come in! Thus your orthodontist may prescribe getting your baby teeth pulled if he/she wants to get you in braces.
Here is how my (Erik’s) appointment with the oral surgeon went:
First I arrived at the office. My family and I sat around in the waiting room until one of the assistants escorted us to a separate waiting room. I had decided earlier that I did not want to be anesthetized so that I would be somewhat aware of what was going on during the surgery. This new room had a TV in it and, after about five minutes, the same assistant came in and gave me my glass of “happy juice.” It took, again, around five minutes for the stuff to take its effect and I became pretty out of it. They moved me into the surgery room and had me sit down in the reclining chair.
Next my surgeon took a needle and injected local anesthetics into my mouth so my gums would be numb when he pulled out the teeth. Although I don’t remember most of this, the oral surgeon pulled out my two baby teeth and replaced them with squares of gauze to help stop the bleeding. Then he helped me back into the waiting room and gave instructions to my parents on what I should do and eat for the next few days. We then went home, and I slept for about three hours. When I woke up I was in very minimal pain and was even able to do some schoolwork.
After having the surgery, the goal is to get the spaces where the teeth were stopped up with a blood clot. This clot is very “loose” and can easily be knocked out by eating hard food, so you will probably be instructed to stay on a liquid diet (i.e. soup, smoothies, etc.) for the next few days!
-Erik and Amanda
Here is how my (Erik’s) appointment with the oral surgeon went:
First I arrived at the office. My family and I sat around in the waiting room until one of the assistants escorted us to a separate waiting room. I had decided earlier that I did not want to be anesthetized so that I would be somewhat aware of what was going on during the surgery. This new room had a TV in it and, after about five minutes, the same assistant came in and gave me my glass of “happy juice.” It took, again, around five minutes for the stuff to take its effect and I became pretty out of it. They moved me into the surgery room and had me sit down in the reclining chair.
Next my surgeon took a needle and injected local anesthetics into my mouth so my gums would be numb when he pulled out the teeth. Although I don’t remember most of this, the oral surgeon pulled out my two baby teeth and replaced them with squares of gauze to help stop the bleeding. Then he helped me back into the waiting room and gave instructions to my parents on what I should do and eat for the next few days. We then went home, and I slept for about three hours. When I woke up I was in very minimal pain and was even able to do some schoolwork.
After having the surgery, the goal is to get the spaces where the teeth were stopped up with a blood clot. This clot is very “loose” and can easily be knocked out by eating hard food, so you will probably be instructed to stay on a liquid diet (i.e. soup, smoothies, etc.) for the next few days!
-Erik and Amanda
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