While many people get braces as a child and go through the entire process at a young age, it's still possible to move your teeth once you're an adult. In fact, in some cases, it may even be preferable or necessary to wait until adulthood. If you're about to get braces, here are a few tips to make the process easier for you. 

3 Tips for Having Braces As an Adult

1. Choose Your Food Carefully

Foods you loved eating before getting braces may be surprisingly difficult to eat afterward. Sticky, crunchy, and overly sugary foods can get stuck in the components or between your teeth, where they become difficult to remove and will be uncomfortable. They can also cause plaque to build up on the edges of your braces, leading to further maintenance work at your office visits. 

2. Stay Confident

Many adults, and even teens, report feeling self-conscious about their braces, and some people even avoid getting them as adults to avoid this feeling. But your oral health is important and will have long-term health benefits that make the process worth it. While you may be self-conscious about such a big change at this point in your life, the people around you probably don't think it's as big a deal as you do. Stay confident, and don't let your new braces keep you from interacting with people as you normally would. 

3. Prepare for Discomfort at First

Especially in the first few weeks after getting your braces, you're likely to experience discomfort as your teeth shift and your mouth adjusts to the presence of the braces. Every couple of months, you will probably get your braces adjusted, which will bring back the discomfort. This is normal, but severe pain is not. Contact your orthodontist if your braces are causing you pain.

If you're planning to get braces soon and need an orthodontist to help you, reach out to Lamont Jacobs DDS Orthodontics in Fairfield, OH. Regardless of how old you are or where you are in life, this experienced orthodontist can help you make your smile something you're proud of. Learn more about their services online, and call (513) 829-7045 to schedule a consultation.