Wearing dental appliances can be one of the most difficult things one does in life. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. I write this from my heart for anyone who has brakes and needs to know how to master them instead of them mastering you. Braces don’t have to be difficult, they can actually be fun, if you master a few areas from the first day you put them on…

I am sure that this letter is reaching a variety of age groups, which is my hope and prayer. You see, I’m 41 years old and it felt a little weird getting full braces on. Everyone in the waiting room was between the ages of 7 and 25, but my dentist said to get them or not to expect my teeth to straighten. If you are a child, I hope you like this article. If you are an adult, I hope to cheer you up as well.

Let’s do it. How do you master braces instead of them mastering you? A little disclaimer: what worked for me might not work for you, so please follow your dentist or doctor’s instructions first, but I’m going to be upfront and direct to help most of you out there. this moment. .

The best advice I received from the beginning. Chill out. Relax and try not to think about them being in your mouth. In fact, the dental assistant told me: Don’t think about it. Just be yourself and be normal. That was priceless. Because?

The first day I got my braces on, I wanted to take them off and tell the doctor to take them off my face. I even thought about the $4,600 I had to pay (my insurance didn’t cover it because I’m over 25) and thought about how I didn’t care even if I had to pay it, it just keeps this bottom bracket from breaking on my cheeks!

Alright. So I’m not trying to scare you, but wearing braces can be hard if you don’t master them before they master you!

First of all, you have to have fun, laugh, and be yourself just like you did before you got braces. I know, I know, the directions say “no sugar, no sweets, no candy, etc., etc., again, follow your dentist’s instructions, but I say, use moderation instead and enjoy your life!” food!

Your teeth are going to hurt for a while. There are some things that are normal that you will not feel as normal. I’ve already called my dentist and all of the following are normal, believe it or not: moving teeth, being able to touch and see teeth moving, pain, tension and much more.

My dentist told me that I would feel normal in about a week or two. No way. It took me about a month and a half. After a month, I was starting to feel like the old “me” and starting to enjoy my food. Now, about the food. Please don’t make the mistake I did, don’t try to eat with ALL your teeth at once.

I thought, ok, this better be normal, so let’s go ahead and chew! Yuck! I have so much food stuck in my front teeth you could have filled two gum wrappers with it! Do not bite. Don’t eat as if your teeth weren’t affected. Okay, everyone is different, but if I could give you this advice. If you used to brush hard, brush medium, if you brush soft, good for you. If you brushed a lot like me, you’re going to have to back off a bit!

Let me explain. I went through a lot of undo pain the first few weeks just breaking my bottom teeth. Before I put my braces on, I would just rub and rub. However, the bottom tooth is the one that is crooked, so I was actually rubbing daylight off a tooth that is MOVING. It’s not a good thing.

Realize, your teeth are moving now, you wouldn’t clean a moving car with a 500lb jet sprayer, so don’t do it with your teeth either. You have to be a little more sensitive to yourself.

Again, the first two weeks for me, I wanted to get my braces back to the dentist. Now, I hardly know there. Another thing is prayer. Seriously, pray and ask God for help right now. I am a Christian, so one day I said this simple prayer and I encourage you to do it too: “Lord please teach me to eat again, with these braces on.”

He heard my prayer and I began to eat more with my molars. But first, there was peace! God gave me the peace to carry on and I felt moved by him to stop brushing so hard and also to eat more with my molars. Not to ignore my front teeth, and to chew on them too, but just to switch them from my main teeth to my backup teeth, if that makes sense.

The first three weeks for me can be summed up in one word: uncomfortable. Well, I can help you get over that too. I wanted to sit up at night and slurp down my “Welch’s Grape Juice Bars” every night. Uh oh. No way. They were history. They are history for now. Until I take off the brakes. It was too cold for my teeth and everyone tensed up like they were preparing for war or something.

I’m a juice bar freak, but I almost like ice cream as much as juice bars. Come find out, ice cream has less fat than some of those juice bars! Anyway, he needed some food that he could enjoy. Before I tell you about my favorite brace-wearing food, let me cheer you up by outlining some of my runner-up runners-up. I love to eat corn cream, well-cooked ribs, because with your fingers you can take them off the bone…

A new love! Tapioca pudding! He’s an old flame actually, but for the first few weeks he got me through it! Also, health wise: Fig Newtons! Awesome bland, healthy food, and eating them is fun with your braces. Again, though, you want to focus on eating with your back teeth, not your front teeth. Also, put some food on your tongue and let it sit there for a minute, then move it back, because you don’t want it to get stuck on your front wires!

Hmm… let’s see. Other foods you might like: peas, creamed corn-man this is satisfying with keys. Also chili! Yes, Chile! Do you have a Farmer Boys near your home? The best thing you can do for your little one after they get braces is take them to Farmer Boys for a hot bowl of Chili! Farmer Boys makes them with meat, and not as many beans, and the meat is lean, so you’ll be nourished and feeling normal again in no time! Chile my friends! Chili!

Hmm… what else? Also, soft fruits are great. Watermelon, cucumbers, and orange slices look amazing with braces.

But remember above all. You have to cut everything! You can’t just sit down and eat a cheeseburger! You need to cut all your sandwiches into quarters or eighths, make everything bite size. You can no longer eat huge.

Watch out for the nuts! They seem to be the hardest to eat with braces on. You can eat them once in a while, but let me show you how. Chocolate Nut Clusters Anyone? Me too! However, you can NEVER eat them with your front teeth! You just can’t! Eat them only with the BACK teeth. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. I tried to eat one the first three days and it almost went all out in my mouth. Also, if you eat sweets, eat only one! Trust me, one is going to feel like four with braces on.

Second, eat slowly, enjoy, and chew your food. Never before has chewing become so important! Chew! Chew! Chew! Enjoy! You’ll be glad you did.

Also, lastly, you have to relax and be careful with the wax! The doctor told me to put on wax, wax, wax. I have a scientific mind and he told me that I’m just postponing the inevitable. Those braces next to your cheek will have to break and indent or bruise over time. So after using wax for only a day or two, I gave it up.

Then of course there was the usual pain, but after a day for me it started to go away. Yeah yeah the braces put a notch in my cheek and if I move my tongue under my cheek I can feel the scar tissue or whatever but hey my cheek has hardened and I don’t need wax anymore. . I have talked to people who have waxed for months!

Ok, I promised to tell you my favorite food. It’s vanilla ice cream, sherbet or strawberry. I only eat a tablespoon or two at night three or four times a week because it’s so soothing to my mouth. At first my mouth started to get a bit hard, but after doing it for a day or two, the tightness has subsided and is hardly noticeable. I feel so good after eating the ice cream because it is so soothing to my mouth!

Now, again, follow your dentist, but on my first brace check, I’m way ahead. I think I’ll have my braces out in 8 months or less! And that’s also eating ice cream!

My crooked truth has almost completely straightened out and it’s been less than three months! Also, I am wearing Damon Braces, and they are very comfortable and are a brand new technology that works with the natural movement of your teeth, and they don’t require as much squeezing as standard braces! If you’re a parent shopping for braces, don’t forget that name!

Lastly, if I can do it at 41, so can you. Don’t let the brakes get the best of you. You must master them. And one last word on flossing as well. You will NOT be able to floss every day. It is too difficult and you will get frustrated. Floss regularly, but most importantly, brush regularly and use plenty of mouthwash. It will soothe your mouth! Peroxide mouthwash! Colgate makes a great one.

Also, my dentist recommends Colgate Total for best results while wearing braces. Let me tell you why I agree with him. I have been a public school teacher for 20 years and once had a sixth grader do an in depth science experiment comparing Colgate Total, Crest, Agua-Fresh and more. Long story short, Colgate Total was a winner in all areas: less cavities, less cavities, and most of all, more teeth whitened than any other brand.

That student was one of my smartest and her research was intensive. I was actually an assistant principal at the time and a science fair judge. With that being said, please enjoy your new braces and remember, be the master of them, before they master you!