General Discomforts with Braces

Everyone has the license to look good and feel good about themselves, and braces in Singapore is one of the many solutions to this aim. Not everyone is born with perfect teeth, but it does not mean that one has to endure years of crooked teeth and a poor smile. Today, orthodontic treatments such as braces are making waves, and in the process producing more confident individuals who really feel good about themselves. However, when one has to wear braces, it is not an easy, smooth slope to deal with. There are different levels of discomfort one has to go through. There really is no gain without pain.

The greatest discomfort one feels when wearing braces is when the metals and the brackets are first put on the teeth. Especially for patients who have to wear braces on their upper and lower teeth, the pain and the general discomfort is doubled. The reason why this happens is that all the teeth are made to be weak so that it can move to its rightful places. Usually, the first few days of wearing braces will render you unable to munch on chips, a fat juicy burger or a turkey leg all because your teeth are sensitive to hard solids. Eating soft food such as soup, gelatin, porridge and soft bread can help you get through your hunger during the first few days of wearing braces. You might also want to limit your intake of acidic drinks such as carbonated and caffeinated drinks as these are bound to make your teeth even more sensitive. Sugary substances should also be avoided.

If the discomfort tends to be unbearable, you may opt to take in a few analgesics or pain relievers to cut the pain momentarily. You may want to get a prescription from your dentist for more powerful medication, but generally, analgesics and pain relievers are over-the-counter drugs. If you experience sores around your mouth because of the nature of metal and ceramic braces, you may want to gargle with warm water and salt or gargle with a mouthwash made specifically for sores caused by braces. At the end of the day, wearing braces in Singapore is not an easy road to take, but the pain and the sacrifices are definitely worth it.

Do You Have to Wear Braces Forever?

Braces in Singapore are the “in” things these days. It’s not just a kind of dental procedure or a rite of passage, but to some kids and teenagers, it is a fashion statement. Gone are the days when kids and teens who wear braces are bullied in school. Words like “metal mouth” are so yesterday, and today, braces can be worn as fashionable as possible with the right set of elastic colors. However, you might want to ask, do I have to wear braces forever? Of course, the answer is no, and braces is not designed for everyone.

Not all of us are born the same. We have different hair colors, different nose bridges, and different teeth formations. Some of us are born with perfect teeth, while there is also a huge chunk of the world’s population that is not as blessed in that area. Thanks to modern technology and dental ingenuity, orthodontics was born to grant everyone a perfect set of teeth. Ideally, the wearing of braces is prescribed for patients who already have all their permanent teeth grown, and wearing it is not forever. On the average, a patient has to wear his or her braces for a good 18 months to 3 years. Anything beyond that is purely out of the dentist’s judgment.

Essentially, the length of the time one has to wear braces is under the orthodontist’s prerogative, and frankly, the patient does not have much say in the matter. If the orthodontist finds that the patient has to wear his or her braces beyond 2 and half years, then that is what will be followed. Some patients can wear their braces at a significantly shorter period of time, but they also have to wear retainers soon after the wires and the brackets have been taken off just to ensure that the teeth will not move.

What greatly determines the length of time one has to wear braces is the kind of material the orthodontist will use. For some patients who wear metal braces, they duration when they have to wear their braces is significantly less than those patients who wear braces made of ceramic material. Metal, given its stellar strength, has the capacity to move and adjust teeth more quickly than ceramic. Ceramic braces are not as strong as metal braces, and so patients who wear ceramic braces can wear theirs for a longer period of time.

When one is wearing braces, regardless if it is metal or ceramic, there has to be a strict adherence to a different set of oral hygiene. Of course, no one wants to have bracket stains on their teeth once the braces are taken off. Orthodontists would prescribe an additional toothbrush that allows the patient to brush his or her teeth in between the metals and the brackets. At the end of the day, wearing braces is not only a specific form of dental procedure but also one that requires a specific form of care and handling. Braces Singapore may be on the costly side of the dental medicine area, but then again, there is no baseline price in the name of good teeth.