Getting braces on can be a scary time for all patients but especially for children. Most people have fears about orthodontic treatment but many of them simply stem from a lack of good information. We discuss one of the most stressful parts of orthodontic treatment, getting braces on. This article describes the steps involved for the placement of traditional braces and lingual braces for the most part; clear braces (like Invisalign braces) will be discussed elsewhere.
Preparing yourself
Relax. Getting braces on is not a big deal. In fact, there are several ways to make the process of getting braces even less stressful. On the day that you are getting braces put on, do the following things before you leave the house:
- Put on plenty of lip balm – Your lips will dry out because your mouth will be open for a very long time. Lip balm will help retain moisture.
- Drink water – Again, your mouth will dry out rather quickly, but hydrating your body will help you to continue to produce saliva during orthodontic treatment.
- Brush your teeth and floss – You want the orthodontist to have a clean surface on which to work. Unclean teeth may slow down or interrupt the process.
Getting braces on
Your treatment will begin with an acid etch. This prepares the enamel so that the dental cement will stick to it. The acid etch makes little (microscopic) holes in the enamel for the adhesive to grab. Once the teeth are etched and prepared, the dental cement will be placed on each tooth. The bracket is then placed in the dental cement in a process called bonding. The dental cement hardens when it is exposed to a special light called a curing light. This makes the bracket hold very firmly. For lingual brackets, the brackets are custom fit to the back (tongue side) of each tooth.
Once the brackets are placed, a wire called the archwire is placed into each bracket and around the teeth. The archwire will be trimmed at the ends so that it does not irritate the back of the mouth. Depending on which type of bracket is used, ligatures may be necessary to hold the archwire to the brackets. For self-ligating brackets the archwire snaps into place.
Once the archwire is in place and secure, the process of getting braces put on is finished. Expect that each row of teeth that will be getting braces will require about an hour of chair time. Therefore full orthodontic treatment takes about two hours.