Orthodontics for Teens

Braces, retainers, and everything else that you want to know about orthodontics!

You've just heard the three words that every teen dreads: “YOU NEED BRACES!”

Braces! What now?

Don't worry! Braces aren't nearly as scary as you may think. In fact, braces today come in a variety of styles, materials, and colors, making life with braces much easier, more comfortable, and even more stylish than in the past.

How long will I have to wear braces?

The amount of time it takes to treat your smile with braces depends on three key factors:

• Early treatment — Early treatment allows orthodontists to monitor the growth of the jaw and recommend further orthodontic treatment if it becomes necessary. Not everybody receives early orthodontic treatment, and in some cases it may be recommended that a patient wait until they are older to receive treatment.
• What needs correction — The amount of treatment needed to correct a problem will determine how long the process takes. Different patients react to treatments differently, so while it may take one patient only 12 months to complete their treatment, it may take another patient 24 months. Treatment times can vary depending on how quickly your body responds and how much work is needed to give you the show-stopping smile you expect.
• YOU! — Your willingness to use the appliances your orthodontist gives you plays a major role in the length of time it takes to complete your treatment. Always remember to take care of your braces and appliances; this truly will help make your treatment shorter!

Braces Your Way!

Our practice offers a variety of braces, types and styles, to choose from. Some common options include:

• Ceramic braces
• Invisalign ( for limited cases)
• Lingual braces
• Traditional metal braces

All the fixed appliances offered can utilize SureSmile technology with robot bent wires for more efficient, shorter treatments.

What can I eat while wearing braces?

You've probably heard from your parents, friends, and even your orthodontist, the long list of foods and beverages that you should avoid while wearing braces. While it may seem like you're giving up a lot, it is important to avoid eating certain foods. We also want you to enjoy your braces experience, so here's a quick list of foods to avoid and foods to embrace while wearing braces.

Foods to Avoid

This list of foods is only a guide. There are other foods that you may find in your diet which you must avoid eating whilst in orthodontic treatment!

Avoid eating these foods the whole time you are wearing braces...

• Muesli bars and ALL other hard, sticky snack bars like LCM's and Rollups
• Nuts (all nuts)
• Lollies (all lollies)
• Muesli and crunchy cereal (e.g. NutriGrain). To make sure it's not crunchy, soak it longer than usual in milk.
• Crust on hard bread (e.g. italian bread), toast and pizza. Just eat the soft part of the bread, toast and pizza.
• Biscuits (e.g. Tim Tams, Gingernuts, ANZAC and Vita Wheats, etc.). Only eat biscuits if you are dipping them into a hot drink, otherwise they are too hard for the braces!
• Corn chips and tacos. These bigger chips can break the braces.
• Pork crackling
• Hard chocolate. Chocolate must be soft! Simply zap the chocolate in the microwave or leave it out in the sun until it softens.

Avoid biting into these foods the whole time you are wearing braces...

• Fruit & raw vegetables (e.g. apple and raw carrot). These are both hard and crunchy, so all you have to do is cut these foods up into small pieces or grate them so that you are not biting into them, but are just chewing.
• Stone fruits (e.g. Peaches). The flesh of these fruits is usually soft, but the stone isn't. Cut these fruits up into small pieces to avoid biting into the stone. (Bonus – you won't get the flesh of the peach stuck between your front teeth.)
• Fruit with seeds or pips (e.g. mandarin, watermelon and olives). Take care when eating these sorts of fruits as you can't always find all of the pips or seeds!
• Meat on the bone (e.g. chicken wings and T-bone steaks). You could accidentally contact the bone with your braces if you gnaw on the bones, so simply cut the meat off the bone to avoid this.
• Corn on the cob. Cut the corn kernels off the cob to avoid biting into the cob.
• Ice blocks, ice creams and ice cubes. Just suck on these!

Orthodontic braces are a big part of life for many people your age. While braces may have had a bad reputation in the past, today's braces make it easy to look good and feel good! Please contact our practice to schedule your next orthodontic checkup.

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