Carol’s Daughter founder Lisa Price with braces
If you look around these days, adult women and men are adorning their choppers with braces more than ever before, these adults include black women. What used to be the custom for toothy kids and teens is showing up on the molars of folks not only with drivers licenses, but credit cards, mortgages and grown folks business to handle. This isn’t the ‘90s, and no longer are braces the huge encumbrance they used to be. They are less of a fashion statement and more about (hopefully) working to get askew teeth back on the same page, keeping teeth clean (which is harder when they’re not straight) and dealing with joint issues in the mouth that can be corrected with some hardware. If you’re well over 18 and thinking about trying braces as an adult, here are five things you should know to get prepared in order to rock them with confidence.
You Can’t, Always Eat, What You Want
Say goodbye to cashews, almonds, and pecans in the tins, gums and hard candies in the bags and a lot more sweet and fattening things. But that might be a good thing actually. While your orthodontist can probably fill you in further, know that hard and overly-chewy candy, tough meat, and small and hard foods need to be purged from your cabinets. The damage they can do to your braces include bending wires, getting stuck in your attachments and decaying your teeth tenfold (teeth have been said to be more sensitive and susceptible to decay in braces). Switch out gum for breath drops, take in a lot of calcium and drink a lot of water. And yes, you’ll have nasty cravings, as if your jonesing for Snickers minis wasn’t bad enough already. You’ll have cravings for foods you probably haven’t even tried, but sacrifices are necessary, so take heed: soft foods are your friend, hard foods, the enemy.
Like Ice Cream, Braces Come in Many Flavors
Know your options, girl. You don’t necessarily have to settle for the hardcore stainless steel braces that garnered many a kid the name “metal mouth” back in the day. They are most often used because they’re the cheapest. And while it’s great that you can decorate these bad boys, they have been known to stain the teeth. Other options include ceramic braces. They are less visible than the stainless steel option, and can seemingly fit in with the natural color of your teeth. However, its been said that ceramic braces can be broken a lot easier.
If you’re allergic to nickel, then there are gold plated braces, and lingual braces that sit behind the teeth and aren’t visible, but are more expensive. However, lingual braces can be uncomfortable for the tongue, and can even give it sores and cuts. And then of course, there’s the notorious Invisalign braces. If your teeth aren’t in really bad shape, then they’ll be great for slight orthodontic issues and can be taken off when it’s time to do some brushing in the morning, or for eating meals. Convenience!
Being Romantic: Don’t Be Sorry, Be Careful
Let me tell you, braces don’t have to hinder you from doing your thing, but from personal experience, take things slowly and be gentle. I once had a boyfriend who wore braces for a majority of our relationship, (we were adults) and in the heat of the moment if he got too riled up, he could cut up my lip like I was having my way with ginsu knives. So have your significant other avoid grazing their tongue near your teeth during steamy sessions, and keep your kisses and movements slow so your braced teeth don’t hit your boo’s teeth. But practice makes perfect, so don’t be scared. And as for kissing anywhere else (you know), you should be all good as long as you don’t use your teeth like a cheese grater…
Clean Your Teeth Better Than You Did Before
You probably know this, but please, please, please brush and take care of your teeth when wearing braces. Brush them in the morning, before you go to bed and between your meals. If you don’t have a brush with you after a meal (try carrying a travel brush), rinse out your mouth with water, and when you finally get near a brush, clean your teeth thoroughly. All kinds of gunk and junk can get caught up in your braces, so don’t only go for the teeth, but also clean the braces as well. Ask your orthodontist about water picks, water from a high pressure tool that’ll remove all the scraps inhabiting your hardware. Orthodontists also recommend fluoride rinses, floss and different sized toothbrushes. Braces don’t cure everything. I’ve seen people who wore them for years, took ‘em off and had teeth the shade of buttered popcorn where the braces had been. So don’t be scary, brush, brush, brush!
Braces Don’t Make You, But You Can Make the Braces
By all means, be proud of your gear. They’re going to be with you, or better yet, on you, for up to two years depending on the state of your teeth, so it’s best to get used to them. You have two options: act as if they aren’t there, or make them your newest fashion statement. Your personality definitely needs to shine through with them, to the point that when you get them removed, people won’t be able to (but will) imagine you without them. Try funky lipstick shades and smile that “why are you so happy” grin whenever you can. And keep in mind that people have a lot more going on in this world than to spend all their time focused on what’s going on in your mouth, so don’t be bashful. Besides, who’s going to hate on you for trying to better your teeth?
Are men and women with braces more or less appealing to you? If you’ve worn braces as an adult, why did you?
