train tracks (the braces post)

Ahoy there my darlings!

This post isn't really beauty related, but it's something I feel is worthy of being a post topic. From late 2009 - early this year (2013), I had braces on my upper and lower teeth, and when looking for before / after information, I only really found dental websites which were a bit too complex for my then 14 year old mind to understand. 

Braces differ from person to person, as we all have a different starting point (ie what position our teeth are in before they begin to get moved by the brace), and because of the outwardness of my two front teeth, I had mine on for what seemed like forever. Depending on whether or not you go private with your care definitely alters the time it takes from having your initial appointment to getting the actual brace fitted. Private (which costs typically around £3000 for braces) should take up to 6 weeks, getting braces on the NHS (which requires the braces to be more than just to make your teeth prettier) would take up to 6 months. 

First getting the brace on aches, and you have to be uber careful for the first couple of days when eating. You needn't be confined to soups and ice cream as so many people are told, just try to steer clear of gnawing on anything stupidly solid (like toffee...just, please dont!). After a few days, the aching should die down and should only reappear just after you've had your next appointment and had the wires tightened / changed. Don't be afraid to ask your dentist about your braces whilst they're on- asking how long they'll be on for or why they're putting in new wires is absolutely fine- he or she should be more than happy to explain it! (I spent months being curious but never asked!)

In all honesty, after a while, I completely forgot that i even had braces. Obviously cleaning your teeth is important (my dentist used to say that she'd once had to take off a boy's braces because of the poor condition his teeth were in...ew!), and ensuring that you don't get food stuck in them is also somewhat vital. Having a friend handy (or a compact mirror) when you've just finished eating is invaluable, as there were too many occasions where I'd completely forget i'd just eaten salad and would go about my day with a piece of lettuce comfortably wrapped around the top wire. 

Other than those little gems of advice, the only other thing i can really say is to just let the treatment do it's thing. Attend your appointments, look after your teeth and be patient. Once your braces are off, they're off for good, so taking them off too early could mean your teeth just move straight back to where they used to be (not good when you've spent 2+ years training them to be straight). Wear your retainer once they're off, and take an ipod with you to appointments. Hearing dentistry tools is 90% of the fear! 

I used to be the biggest wuss when it came to dentists, and would get absolutely terrified just walking into the reception area- but I'm insanely happy with my teeth now and am reminded of it every time i smile!

*I am in no way a professional, I am speaking from my own experiences with braces.