For teeneagers, getting metal braces is a normal experience. When you’re young, it’s easy to adapt your lifestyle to the necessary changes that braces bring.
But if you’re an adult who wants straight teeth, the thought of getting metal braces can raise a host of questions. You may wonder how regular braces will change your normal routine.
You may question whether you are too old in the first place.
The key to resolving your uncertainty is to work through your questions. Here are 4 questions you may have about metal braces with answers to help guide your decision.
1. Will my braces put me in constant pain?
Whenever you correct a malocclusion, there will be some discomfort involved. Shifting your teeth can be a painful process, no matter what option you choose. However, there are some options that may cause more problems than others.
With metal braces, pain doesn’t only come from shifting teeth. The metal braces themselves can hurt the inside of your mouth. Your mouth is not accustomed to metal brackets and wiring.
As Braces Guide explains, your mouth eventually develops calluses to cope with the repeated damage.
If you want to correct your smile without enduring a painful process, try Invisalign. The clear, plastic aligners contrast with the uncomfortable option of metal braces.
2. Am I too old for braces?
While you’re never too old for braces, sometimes you may feel like it. This can be especially true when you consider that many people straightened their teeth as a teen. You may think you’re too late to the party.
But if you get right down to it, it’s more than just being a little older. The real problem is most people don’t associate the sight of metal braces with adults.
To avoid attention, some individuals choose braces with clear or porcelain brackets.
These brackets help the braces to blend into the surrounding teeth. But there’s still a metal wire that goes across the teeth.
The good thing is that there’s a better, inconspicuous option.
Many adults have found Invisalign to be a great way to straighten their teeth without the world knowing. To see how Invisalign can work for you, watch business owner John Comerford’s testimony of how MiSmile gave him a straighter smile with Invisalign.
3. Will braces restrict what I eat?
Yes, metal braces mean that there are certain foods to avoid. They will force you to alter what you eat and how you eat. Here are some guidelines for you.
According to Dental Associates, you’ll need to take the following foods out of your diet. Metal braces don’t get along with…
- Popcorn.
- Nuts.
- Hard taco shells.
- Sticky and hard sweets.
- Gum.
- Ice.
- Corn chips and crisps.
- Pretzels.
- Hard cookies or crackers.
- Sticky or hard chocolate.
And if that wasn’t enough, metal braces can also restrict how you eat certain foods. Once again, Dental Associates also recommends you cut up these foods before eating:
- Raw vegetables
- Croutons
- French/Italian bread
- Fruit
- Hard rolls
- Thin crust pizza
- Meat
- Burgers
- Sub sandwiches
- Corn on the cob
With Invisalign, you get a straight smile without making changes to your diet at all. You’ll be able to eat the foods you’ve always loved as you’ve always eaten them. You won’t have to mentally filter what you can and can’t eat.
4. Will braces will look weird?
Well, it’s all about perspective. If you feel that metal braces make you look weird, it doesn’t matter if no one else thinks so. You do, and that’s what matters.
If you have a job involving a very public role, you want to eliminate people being distracted by your braces. You’d rather people look at your eyes instead of your mouth.
With Invisalign, you can correct your smile without making a public announcement. You’ll help people focus on your conversation, not a new conversation piece.
Perhaps working through these questions has revealed that you’d rather straighten your teeth with clear aligners than with metal braces. You can schedule a consultation to see if Invisalign is right for you.
Discover how you can straighten your teeth without significant changes to your diet or appearance. Find your nearest MiSmile Invisalign provider today.
