Truths often become exaggerated as they circulate from person to person. It’s like a game of ‘telephone’: the original phrase becomes progressively distorted as it passes through each person. Eventually, you’re left with a phrase that doesn’t even slightly resemble the original phrase. The realities of braces are just like a game of telephone!
How can you determine the accurate facts from the mythical?
Here are 10 common braces myths: BUSTED!
1. Myth: Braces hurt!?
This is a common belief. After all, traditional braces are made of metal brackets and wires, which can appear fairly jarring to some people. The truth is braces don’t hurt! Sure, braces will cause mild soreness when they’re placed on your teeth, but this discomfort lasts for a week or two at most. Pain relievers like TYLENOL® and Aleve® are effective at reducing the initial soreness of braces. Typically, Invisalign® clear aligners are a more comfortable way to move your teeth and correct your bite.
2. Myth: Traditional, metal braces are the only braces option?
You might be surprised at how many braces options are available! We offer two forms of bracket-and-wire braces: (self-ligating) metal braces and (clear) ceramic braces. We also offer Invisalign® clear aligners and Invisalign® Teen clear aligners. Every patient is different, with different needs, preferences and smile goals. To better suit our unique patients, we offer options in clear affordable braces as well as traditional braces or sometimes even a combination of both!
3. Myth: I can’t play sports with braces!?
Don’t quit the soccer team just yet! You can play sports with all forms of braces. Though Invisalign® aligners are better suited for sports, you can play sports regardless of your treatment choice. If you choose metal or ceramic braces, be sure to wear a mouthguard each time you practice and perform. It’s extremely important to protect your mouth and teeth during high impact activities, even if you don’t have braces or Invisalign®!
4. Myth: My braces will rust!?
Rusted braces? What an awful experience that would be! No, braces will not rust in your mouth. This treatment is specially designed, using non-corrosive materials (such as titanium and stainless steel). As long as you seek a professional orthodontist for treatment, your braces will never rust.
5. Myth: If I kiss someone who has braces too, our braces will lock together!?
This scenario is funny to imagine, but it’s extremely unlikely to happen. This is one of those instances that falls under the “Well, nothing is impossible… but also this is basically impossible” category. Nowadays, metal brackets are smaller than ever. It would take some conscious effort to lock two braces together.
6. Myth: Braces are only for kids and teens!?
Incorrect; braces are available for kids, teens, adults, and every person in between! We offer orthodontics for adults with options in braces and Invisalign. Adult braces are more common than you may think. With advancements in clear aligners and ceramic braces, many adults are straightening their teeth without anyone realizing it! In fact, we have a few patients in their 90s! There’s no better time than the present to correct your teeth and bite!
7. Myth: Braces are purely for cosmetic reasons?
Though braces will resolve many cosmetic concerns (spacing, crooked teeth, crowded teeth), braces do much more work below the surface. Many of the same conditions that serve as cosmetic concerns are also functional concerns. Crowded teeth will look unhealthy, but they can also decrease a person’s quality of life. People with crowded teeth often struggle to breathe, eat, and sleep, as too many teeth are crammed into such a small space. Braces are extremely effective at correcting a variety of conditions, both cosmetic and functional.
8. Myth: I will get struck by lightning with braces!?
This is not true. If, by an off chance, you get struck by lightning, it won’t have anything to do with your braces! Any given person has a 1 in 700,000 chance of being struck by lightning, and this number doesn’t change when braces are in the picture. Braces do not contain enough metal to behave like a lightning rod. (No special lightning-induced powers included with your braces treatment.)
9. Myth: My braces might set off a metal detector!
Your braces will not set off a metal detector. You’re free to hop on a flight or enter the White House with your braces on. Metal detectors aren’t primed to pick up the lightweight metals used in your braces.
10. Myth: When my braces treatment is over, my teeth will never go back to how they were before!
This is the most dangerous myth yet. If you don’t wear your retainer as instructed, your teeth will shift immediately after your braces treatment is finished. Once your braces are removed, your teeth are vulnerable. They want to shift back into the alignment they began with before braces. When your treatment is over, we will give you a removable retainer and instruct you to wear it “Nighttime for a Lifetime.” Be sure to wear your retainer if you plan on keeping the beautiful smile your braces removal just unveiled!
(Here’s how to keep your retainer clean.)
Feel better now?
If you used to believe any of these 10 myths, we hope we’ve set the record straight. You shouldn’t be scared of getting braces; you should be excited! Your new, healthy smile is only a treatment away.
Are you seeking an orthodontist in Melbourne, Merritt Island, or Viera? We would love to help you! We are proud to offer affordable orthodontics to our Brevard County community. Request your free orthodontic exam or your next appointment at Caudill & McNeight Orthodontics today.
