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Do you have a questions about your braces? Now you can ask John, Dr. Hobday's brother. He's had braces at Accorde Orthodontists and can answer all of your questions. Submit your own question, or read through previously submitted questions below. If you submit a question, check back to see if it has been added to our list!
- How can I reduce my treatment time?
- Did you ever get colored rubber bands?
- Don't braces cause cavities?
- Did you really avoid eating all of the foods they tell you not to?
- Why am I so embarrassed about my braces?
- What do you think about the clear braces?
- I feel like hiding my teeth all the time. Is there anything I can do?
- Did Dr. Paul always want to become an Orthodontist?
- How do you become an Orthodontist?
1. How can I reduce my treatment time?
When I first got my braces on, I asked Dr. Paul what I could do to get my braces off as soon as possible. He told me a story that made such a difference in getting my braces off early that I have told it to complete strangers in restaurants and stores. Here is the story:
Dr. Paul told me about a brother and a sister who both had braces. One had them for a year and a half, and the other had them for three years. I asked Dr. Paul what the difference between their cases was. He said that they were identical cases. I asked him why there was a two-year difference in their treatments. He told me that one of them wore their rubber bands all of the time and the other wouldn't wear them at all.
"If you want to get your braces off as soon as possible, when I tell you in a few months to wear your rubber bands, wear them all the time. If you don't, your treatment will take longer."
Well, that's all I needed to hear. My treatment was supposed to take between 18 and 24 months, but I got them off in about 16 months because I wore my rubber bands night and day no matter where I went. I figured the more I wore them, the sooner I'd get my braces off, and it worked!
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2. Did you ever get colored rubber bands?
Well, I had my braces as an adult, so I actually had clear braces and silver rubber bands for most of my treatment. But towards the end, I figured I'd get a little crazy (even for an adult!) and try the colored rubber bands. So I did get green one month and blue one month. I actually thought they were a lot of fun. And I just figured, why not do it!
If you are a student, though, you know that most of your friends mix and match colors as much as they can. Whether it's Valentines Day, 4th of July or Christmas, colors can be changed to help celebrate the event. School colors are also always popular. (see the Plan Your Smile section of the website)
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3. Don't braces cause cavities?
That is a common belief, but there is actually nothing about braces that cause cavities. What cause cavities is if you go through treatment without flossing or brushing well.
I had a three step plan: Brush, Floss, Rinse.
Brushing: Brushing is important when you have braces to get the food out of your teeth. That food is what starts to decay and will cause cavities. I would start by brushing with no toothpaste just to get any big pieces of food out of my teeth. Then I would brush just like I always do. I would try to brush at least three times a day.
Flossing: I sort of like to floss, so I would try to do it every day. I wouldn't always do it that often, but that's what I would try for. I got these floss threaders at the drug store called Glide Threader Floss by a company called Gore Creative Technologies Worldwide. They were a little expensive ($6 per box of 30 pieces of floss), but they are SOOO much easier to use than regular floss that it was really worth it. Each one comes individually wrapped and is basically a piece of floss except one end is hard so you can easily thread through your braces. I'd recommend them to anyone.
Rinsing: When I had my braces, I started rinsing with Act fluoride rinse. It comes in about three flavors and really helps to fight cavities as well. Since you can't eat for a half-hour after you rinse, make sure you eat or drink something before you rinse.
After doing these three things (all of which only take about 5-10 minutes), my mouth always feels GREAT. In fact, I still do it now that I have my braces off.
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4. Did you really avoid eating all of the foods they tell you not to?
I was pretty lucky because I have never really liked caramel or popcorn, two of the foods that damage your braces the most. But there were many other foods like corn on the cob, apples, and candy that I really do like. I tried to avoid eating all of the foods I wasn't supposed to, but sometimes I just had to have some. So I would cut things up in very small pieces and just try to eat them on my very back teeth. Even then I did break a brace once during treatment.
So try your hardest to stay away from sticky foods and hard foods, but if you feel like you just can't go without, be very careful or it could easily damage your braces.
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5. Why am I so embarrassed about my braces?
Being embarrassed about your braces is very common for some kids as well as adults. I usually wasn't embarrassed about them, but know that many people are. There are many ways to change your thinking about braces so you don't feel as embarrassed. Here are some of the things I always thought about when I had my braces:
- I'm so lucky to have braces because many people in the world have awful teeth and will never have the opportunity to get braces.
- My teeth are going to look so great when my braces are off.
- So many people have braces today (especially if you are a student in school, but even if you are an adult) that it's almost seen as cool.
Remember these, and they will help you not be as embarrassed.
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6. What do you think about the clear braces?
I actually had the clear braces, and for an adult, I think they are a great option. You can tell that they are on, but they were not too bad. I would bring them up in conversation with different people and they hadn't even realized that I had braces.
I'd highly recommend them if you are a little self-conscious about silver braces or colored braces.
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7. I feel like hiding my teeth all the time. Is there anything I can do? ?
When I had only had my braces on for about a week, I was in a store buying something and the woman in front of me had clear braces on (just like mine!) and she was smiling from ear to ear. You could just tell that she had decided not to hide her teeth, but instead to smile as big as she always had.
So I decided that I was going to do that too. Up until that point, I was hiding my teeth by trying not to smile, covering my mouth, or smiling in a way that was not natural to me. After seeing her, I just started smiling as big as I ever did.
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8. Did Dr. Paul always want to become an Orthodontist?
This is a funny question because when Dr. Paul and I were kids, I always wanted to be an Orthodontist and he always wanted to be a teacher. Ironically, he became an Orthodontist and I became a teacher. I don't think my brother decided to become an Orthodontist, though, until he was in college.
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9. How do you become an Orthodontist?
From watching my brother go through school, becoming an Orthodontist takes some time and good grades, but if you're good in science and math, it's something within your reach. Here is what you would have to do:
- Four-year college degree (your degree can be in anything you want it to be as long as you take the basic science courses required for Dental School. Many colleges, in fact, have a Pre-Dental program.)
- Four years of Dental School
- Two or three years of Orthodontic School
That's about ten years all together, which may seem like a long time. But if you like science and don't mind school, it can also be a lot of fun. What I remember most about Dr. Paul going to Dental and Ortho school is that he always seemed to be having so much fun in the program. He would invite me into his lab sometimes and show me all of the teeth molds he was working on, a cool filling he had just done, or something special he had to do for class.
I'd say if you have any interest at all, talk to Dr. Paul or any of the orthodontists about it. You never know what your future will hold, right?
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