If you've suffered from crooked teeth your entire life, choosing braces in middle age or later is a big deal. Although you won't be wearing them forever, it may seem like it. Also, if you are single and dating, you may feel braces are a negative influence on your social life. Fortunately, you can more easily adapt to your new accessories if you follow a few tips.
Brushing
You may already be conscientious about your oral health, but braces require that you take things up a notch. Brushing twice a day is no longer enough. You need to brush with soft bristles after you eat anything, including your afternoon snack. Experts suggest that you rinse out your mouth with water first and then brush above and below your brackets. Finish up by brushing the brackets themselves. Following this procedure will help prevent the tooth decay that sometimes accompanies brace installation.
Small Bites
One of the biggest frustrations for brace-wearers is food getting stuck in the brackets. For adults, this problem may feel particularly embarrassing. To avoid having meat or bread crust dangling from your teeth, try breaking or cutting your food into small bites. Chew slowly and deliberately. You'll be less likely to damage your hardware that way, and the food is more likely to go down your throat rather than hang around for others to see. Also, wearing braces gives you an excuse for avoiding tough, clingy foods like broccoli and brussel sprouts. For brace wearers, softer is better.
Delayed Gratification
As an adult, you actually have an advantage on your younger self. By this time, you have learned to wait for satisfaction. When you were a teenager, two or three years seemed like an eternity. Now, that period of time is a small blip on your radar. Also, this may be the second time you have had to wear braces, possibly because your teeth have reverted to their original position. Since this issue is often your own fault for failing to wear your retainer regularly, you can look at wearing braces again as earned punishment.
Adult braces do not have to be a huge imposition on your life if you take a few precautions and have the proper attitude. Self-confidence and extra brushing can go a long way toward making this period in your life bearable. Ask your dentist for other tips on how to live with your new hardware.
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