Preparing for Braces

Braces are a wonderful invention that has been restoring beautiful smiles to those with crowded, angled, or otherwise imperfect teeth for generations.  When it comes time for you to actually get braces, however, there can be some concern over how it’s all going to work out, how it’s going to affect your life, and what you need to do to get ready to get braces.  Thankfully there’s a handy guide that’s been put together to help you prepare for this great day so all you have to worry about is that beautiful, perfect smile you’ll have when they finally get removed.

What Do I Need To Do To Prepare For Braces?
It all starts with dedicating yourself to a regime of oral health care that will ensure that your teeth remain healthy and intact through the time you have braces.  Braces are a wonderful invention, but you have to be certain you’re ready to care for them throughout the time you have them, and you have to be certain that your teeth are stable and healthy enough to support them going in.  This all starts with a visit to your dentist.

• A Pre-braces Visit:  This is essentially where you’ll receive your “State of your Mouth” address.  During this visit, your dentist will do a critical assessment of the health of your mouth, including pointing out where you can improve your daily hygiene routine and whether or not you’re ready to have braces.  If it’s determined that your mouth is healthy enough to sustain braces, it’s time to move on to the next visit.
• The Study: This appointment will assess your teeth in a whole new way, with full plaster models of your teeth being taken.  These models are used to plan your treatment and determine what’s needed to give you that perfect smile. Part of this process may be determined that certain teeth have to be removed so your smile can line up perfectly when it’s all done.  This can happen before you get your braces, or afterward by your dentist’s determination.
• The Prepping: During this visit, you’ll be preparing to have your teeth fitted with braces.  This includes the placement of separators between your molars so that the molar bands can be placed around them during a future visit.
• The Fitting: This stage actually encompasses two visits, during which you’ll have bands cemented to your teeth, and brackets bonded to them.  When this is all done, you’ll have your braces!
• The Journey: These visits are those that follow every month or two after the braces are fitted. During this time the dentist will adjust your braces through changing wires, adding elastics, springs, or other accessories that will help your teeth move into their final position.

These are the basics of the process of getting prepared for having braces.  If you have any questions contact Dr. Swati Singh at Smiling Kids Pediatric Dentistry in Indianapolis.  They’ve made creating beautiful smiles a hallmark of their career, and are ready to work with you or your children to help them prepare for braces and get their new beautiful smile!