It’s likely that you have a million questions. At the top of the list is always the question of what the braces will look like. Will wearing them hurt? Will people laugh? How long will this last?

To ease your mind (and to put a little smile on your face) the doctors at JU School of Orthodontics have collected the top ten myths about braces they have heard over the years. You might be surprised, so read on!

Myth 1: My braces will set off the metal detector at the airport.
Busted: Lucky for you, braces are made of materials that do not interfere with metal detectors, even the ones at the airport. So no, your braces will not make security go wild as they try to figure out what in the world has alarms wailing.

Myth 2: Braces are for little kids
Busted: Nobody is too old for braces. Even grown-ups, some of whom are in their 70s and 80s, are getting braces. In fact, as many as 25% of the people who wear braces are adults.

Myth 3: Braces will increase my chances of being struck by lightning.
Busted: Wrong! People who wear braces have a 1 in 700,000 chance of being struck by lightning. People who don’t have braces have a 1 in 700,000 chance of being struck by lightning. It doesn’t make any difference. Braces are not lightning rods.

Myth 4: Braces will hurt all the time.
Busted: It is absolutely false that braces will hurt all the time. When they are first on you’ll find yourself sore for a few days. When you have them tightened you’ll be a little uncomfortable for awhile. Other than that, you should have no problems with pain.

Myth 5: If two people with braces kiss, they will get stuck together.
Busted: Again, not true. It’s funny (or scary) to imagine two people with their mouths stuck together in a never-ending embrace, but very unlikely to happen. The brackets and wires that are used in today’s braces are so small that it is almost impossible for them to get locked together.

Myth 6: I’ll be wearing braces forever.
Busted: Nope. The amount of time you’ll have to wear your braces depends on several things, including what the problem being corrected is and how well you take care of your teeth. The average person has to wear their braces for 18 to 30 months. That’s a lot less time than forever.

Myth 7: My braces will interfere with radio and Wi-Fi signals.
Busted: C’mon. Who is making this stuff up, anyway? Braces are not made from materials that can possibly turn you into a big antenna that makes your mouth work like a radio.

Myth 8: Braces will make me look dorky.
Busted: Braces do not have to look dorky, especially with all the variations available now. Ceramic braces (also known as invisible braces), braces with colored bands, and even braces that attach to the back of your teeth where nobody can see them are all options.

Myth 9: I won’t be able to play sports with braces in my mouth.
Busted: Unequivocally false. You can absolutely play sports while you are wearing braces. You just need to wear a mouth guard to keep from getting hurt, especially in contact sports. Obviously, a soccer ball to the face would make the braces cut your mouth. Wear the guard and you’ll be fine.

Myth 10: If I have braces I won’t be able play my flute.
Busted: Not true. Playing will feel different and a little awkward at first but that’s short-lived. Once you get used to the braces you’ll be making music just as beautifully as ever.

With those rumors dispelled, hopefully you’re feeling better about getting braces. Ask anyone who wore them and they’ll tell you time and again that straight teeth are absolutely worth the occasional discomfort. If you have more questions, just contact JU School of Orthodontics.

Affordable options, advanced technology and beautiful smiles, that’s the mission of JU School of Orthodontics.

Q. When should an orthodontist first be seen?

A. Children should usually see an orthodontist around age seven. By doing this, big problems can often be minimized. Adults can visit an orthodontist any time, even if they’ve had braces before.

Q. How do I know if I need braces?

A. The number one reason to choose braces is the desire to improve your smile. However, braces may also help correct or avoid dental health problems such as improper alignment of teeth which can sometimes lead to gum disease and early tooth loss. Additionally, straightening teeth can eliminate uneven chewing, which can cause headaches and pain.

Q. How long will treatment last?

A. Expect your treatment to last from 18 to 30 months depending on your individual needs. Keeping your maintenance appointments, caring for your braces and practicing good oral hygiene is the best method of completing your treatment on time, or in some cases, earlier than anticipated.

Q. What can I expect on my first visit?

A. At your complimentary initial visit, you’ll meet our staff and get most of your questions answered. Then, we’ll determine a course of treatment and provide an estimate of the treatment costs. If you decide you would like to move forward, we can take the required X-rays, and make an appointment to place your braces.

Q. What kind of braces are available?

A. Today, braces are a fashion statement, so you can be as traditional or hip as you want to be. Go with traditional metal bands, colored, gold or clear.

Q. How long does it take to apply braces?

A. It depends on the individual case, but typically one-and-a-half to two-and a half hours.

Q. Will my braces hurt?

A. The modern cast, low-profile brackets we use are designed to minimize any discomfort between visits to the orthodontist. Your mouth is usually sore the first few days after you get braces and for a day or two each time they’re tightened. If you do experience pain that doesn’t diminish, alert your doctor and he/she will determine the cause of your problem.

Q. Will braces cause sores?

A. They may at first. Just rinse the mouth with warm salt water and they’ll heal in about a week.

Q. Do I need to do anything special the first week or so?

A. Yes, while you’re getting used to the braces, eat softer foods. Your gums and teeth will appreciate it. Be extra careful around your around your entire mouth area while it is tender.

Q. Can I play sports?

A. Absolutely! However, plan to wear an orthodontic mouth guard for protection.

Q. Can I still chew gum with braces?

A. Gum is not a good idea because it not only sticks to your braces, but also the sugar gets trapped and may cause cavities. However, ask your orthodontist if non-stick, sugar free gum is an option for you.

Q. What other foods should I avoid?

A. Stay away from hard, sticky, gooey or crunchy foods. If food is too hard to
chew, it could cause some of your braces to come loose.

Q. What happens if a bracket does come off?

A. The orthodontist will attach another one. Keep in mind, each time the orthodontist has to replace your braces, it delays the orthodontic treatment.

Q. Do I need to brush more with braces?

A. Plan to brush with a fluoride gel and floss after every meal and before you go to bed. Flossing is especially important to avoid trapped food.

Q. Why do some people wear rubber bands?

A. The rubber bands are used to move teeth forward or backward in your mouth. If rubber bands are recommended for you and you don’t wear them, it could lengthen your treatment time.

Q. Will I need to wear a retainer?

A. Yes! Retainers keep your teeth straight after the braces come off. Without them your teeth will move and the entire treatment could be jeopardized.

One of the common fears about orthodontics is that if proper brushing methods are not used, braces can contribute to tooth decay. This is because the bands or bonded brackets on your teeth, along with the attached tubes and wires, tend to create a little shelf around the outside of the teeth. This shelf makes it harder for you to clean the spaces between your gums and the attachments with your toothbrush. Additionally, foods that would typically slide across the teeth and gums during chewing if you did not have braces, can no longer do their usual job of helping to clean the teeth and exercise the gums. And, if you fail to get the teeth clean and exercise your gums, the gums swell, making teeth cleaning even more difficult. Continued neglect of teeth and/or gum areas can certainly result in decay. However, with proper care, this is a problem that can be avoided.

The Solution

Frequent Brushing:

• It’s best to brush within five minutes of eating. For this reason, we recommend carrying a folding or travel toothbrush with you. At the very least, after you’ve eaten something particularly sweet, rinse your mouth with clear water.

Careful Brushing:

• First, brush back and forth across and between the wires and gums on your upper and lower teeth to loosen the food particles.
• Next, brush as if you had no bands on:

1. 1. Start on the outside of the upper teeth with bristles at a 45-degree angle toward the gum on the “shelf.” Scrub with a circular motion, two or three teeth at a time using 10 strokes, then move on.
   2. Do the same on the inner surfaces of the upper teeth.
   3. Scrub the chewing surfaces last.
   4. Start on the outside of the lower teeth and repeat the process. Remember to direct the brush at an angle toward the gum.

• Rinse your mouth and your toothbrush. Look in a mirror to see if you missed any places. Check the little half-moon spaces of teeth between the bands and gums as well as the space between the molar tubes and gums. If you see any areas you missed, go back and clean them.
• When you have finished, the bands and wires should be free of ALL food particles as well as the soft white coating (plaque). Your braces should appear clean and shiny.
• Please note that any type of liquid oral hygiene product can indeed be very helpful, but only AFTER a thorough brushing. It is NOT a substitute for brushing, but is useful for removing particles the brush can’t reach.

For many patients, spacers are the first step in getting fitted for braces. These
small springs or plastic modules are placed between certain teeth to create additional space, making the banding process that follows more comfortable for you. After a few days your teeth will move slightly apart, enabling us to slide the metal bands in place more easily.

What To Do

You can expect the spacers to cause temporary soreness that will disappear
within a few days. Relieve your discomfort by rinsing with warm salt water. The more you are able to chew normally, the more quickly your teeth will begin to feel like they usually do.

These are thin bands of metal carefully fitted to each tooth and then cemented
into place. Each band is fitted with brackets or tubes, offering us a way to grasp and control each individual tooth. Imagine bands as small handles on each
your teeth.

Brackets

Brackets are the parts of the braces that hold the archwires, which control the movement of your teeth. Traditionally, these are affixed to the bands that encircle your tooth. However, recent methods and materials have been perfected that often allow these brackets to be cemented/bonded directly to the tooth surfaces without using the band. Once treatment is complete, the brackets are removed and the tooth surface is polished free of the cementing materials.

Archwires

These are attached to the brackets and act as guides or tracks along which
your teeth are moved. They are changed continually throughout your treatment, with each change bringing us closer to the ideal tooth position.

Rubber Bands

These provide additional force to help your teeth move, usually by employing one group of teeth against another.

Braces, also called orthodontic appliances, are mechanical devices that
are attached to the teeth and permit specific forces causing them to move.
At the cellular level, when orthodontic forces are applied to a tooth a
corresponding force is transmitted to the underlying bone. Certain types of
cells respond by softening the bone on the “pressure” side, while other cells lay down new bone on the “tension” side as the tooth moves in the desired direction. Braces come in many different designs, the two most common are removable and fixed.

Removable Braces

Removable braces – often called retainers, aligners, bite plates or functionals – serve several purposes. Some keep the jaws apart during tooth movement. Others actually reposition the jaws allowing the orthodontist to modify jaw growth. Many have the ability to move teeth, but they lack the precision that occurs when fixed appliances are used. Finally, removable appliances are most often used to help stabilize the finished orthodontic result. Depending on why they are used, these types of braces need to be worn anywhere from full to part time.

Fixed Appliances

Fixed appliances comprise two parts. The part that attaches to the tooth is called either a band or a bracket. Both bands and brackets have specifically designed attachments welded to them so that the second part – the wire – can be secured to the fixed appliance. Bands are made of metal, but brackets can be made from either clear or toothcolored plastic, ceramic material, or porcelain, as well as from metal. The bands are cemented around the teeth while brackets are bonded by various methods to a small part of the tooth’s surface. The bonding materials can be easily removed when the orthodontic therapy is completed. The wire has two functions. By virtue of its shape, or by your doctor placing certain bends into it, the wire has the ability to move your teeth in a desired direction. Because of the type of metal employed, the process used in manufacturing, and the size of the wire; very specific forces can be applied to the teeth. Thus, the wire has the potential to precisely move the teeth according to your doctor’s treatment plan.

The second function of a wire is to act as a track for the teeth to move along. Tooth movement is accomplished by using different springs or elastics with varying force levels. Again, detailed control is the main feature of the fixed appliance. Returning for periodic visits to adjust the force levels used, and by carefully monitoring the progress achieved, orthodontic correction occurs.

Your Part

It is important to understand that tooth movement should be a smooth, uninterrupted process if the best results are to occur. For this to happen, your doctor will often depend on you to help effect the desired changes. This will occur through your cooperation with such things as:

• keeping regularly scheduled appointments wearing and changing rubber bands as instructed
• using a headgear in a certain way being careful not to break or bend the fixed appliances
• keeping your teeth and gums clean and healthy

A successful outcome is not achieved by chance. It comes from your doctor’s continuing education; technical excellence of your dental team; stringent cooperation from the patient;
and last but not least, patience. It takes time for your teeth and their surrounding structures to change from a malocclusion into a beautiful smile.

Foods high in sugar content also pose a problem as sugar lingering around the braces may cause cavities. Again, refraining from these foods is best, but if you do indulge, plan on brushing your teeth immediately. If this is not possible, rinse your mouth with clear water after eating particularly sweet foods.

Do NOT Eat:

• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Peanut Brittle
• Ice (even if you’re careful)
• Lemons (pure lemon juice can hurt your tooth enamel)
• Corn-on-the-cob
• Corn chips, crisp tacos
• Taffy and caramels
• Fruit Chews, Gummy Bears, etc.
• Pizza Crust (the hard outer edge)
• Bubble Gum (Ask your doctor if nonstick, sugarless gum is sometimes allowed)

You MAY Be Able to Eat:

• Carrot Sticks (if cut into thin carrot curls)
• Apples (NOT whole, only when cut into thin wedges)
• Hard French Bread (if taken in small pieces, carefully)
• Diet Drinks