How to Make Braces Fun
Braces have been inducted into the
embarrassing preteen life memory book. They have become infamous for being
super uncomfortable, not cute, and very inconvenient. We see at least one
braces-clad character in every teenage coming-of-age film or television show.
It seems that everyone is getting braces, for cosmetic and dental reasons.
Now, all you have to do is convince your
child that the braces will be worth more than kids potentially laughing at them
in school. Fortunately, our experts are here to give some tips for making
braces fun.
Clean Your Teeth Together
Braces take a lot of maintenance and cleaning,
way more than most kids are used to. It’s hard even getting them to brush their
teeth, let alone use a water pik. However, kids learn from example more than
anything. So, if you start water piking too, your kid will be more likely to
want to do it.
It’s good health in general to use a water pik or
at least floss, so this is great practice for you and your child. Start water
piking a few months before you bring up braces, or if you want to be super
sneaky, start years before an orthodontics visit even comes into the picture.
If you get your child used to something, such as
cleaning their teeth thoroughly, they won’t complain or make a fuss about it.
Going to a Fun
Dentist
A big part of braces are those monthly or
bi-monthly visits to see how your child’s teeth are doing. Having a fun and
friendly atmosphere at the place where your kid goes every month makes the
thought of a checkup much better.
When looking for the perfect dentist, make sure
you have a list of criteria in mind. They must have a special orthodontics
portion of their clinic that works specifically for children. If you’re taking
your child to an adult only dentist, they are going to be treated as adults.
That might be scary for kids with braces.
Places like Valley Ridge Dental
Centre in NW specialize in orthodontics and
pediatric care. Seeking out this type of specialty clinic ensures you’ll find a
place that knows how to take care of your child.
Alternatives
If you’ve been water piking for years, found an
amazing orthodontics clinic, and even maybe got braces yourself, and your child
still refuses to get braces, it’s time to talk to them about alternatives.
Having a mouth full of metal, though extremely
common these days, is still considered embarrassing by a lot of kids. Many kids
refuse to smile while they have braces, or they get plain colors because they
are afraid of being teased for bright colors.
If this sounds like your child, Invisalign is a
great way to get their teeth straight and healthy. Invisalign helps reverse all
the same conditions as traditional braces, overbite, crowding, large gaps, etc.
However, they are invisible. This means that the work is done without anyone
knowing any wiser.
Braces have become a part of the culture of
growing up, but that doesn’t mean that kids love them. Braces still carry a
stigma of being ugly and making the owner seem gross and unclean (because of
rumors that food stays stuff in back braces).
Though these rumors are false, it’s hard to make
your kid believe they are. Hopefully, these tips for making braces fun can
start you in the right direction.
