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Braces
When you
were first told you had to get braces, you probably weren't too thrilled
about it. After all, having tons of wire and rubber bands in your mouth
isn't fun. But all this construction going on in your mouth has a great
purpose: to make your smile even wider! When the braces come off, you'll
look great in all those family pictures with your new, straight smile!
Sometimes
teeth just don't grow in evenly. Your teeth might be crooked, or your
upper and lower jaws might not be the same size. If your upper jaw is
bigger than your lower jaw, that's called an overbite. If your lower jaw
is bigger than your upper jaw, you have an under bite. Whatever is going
on in your mouth, it's all called malocclusion , a word that comes from
Latin and means "bad bite." Malocclusion is just a word that dentists
use to describe the shape of your mouth.
 Types
of Braces
There's good news for you on the braces scene. Braces are much less
noticeable than when your mom or dad were kids. Metal braces are still
used, but you might be able to get clear braces or braces that are the
same color as your teeth. There are even braces that are behind your teeth
where no one can see them. The wires that are used in braces today are
also smaller and better than they used to be, and they're made of a space-age
material that straightens your teeth faster and easier
How Braces
Work
 Braces
straighten teeth by putting steady pressure on your teeth and by staying in
place for a certain amount of time. Most kids just need regular braces with
wires and rubber bands doing their jobs to keep pressure on the teeth. The
wires on your braces help to move your teeth, and the rubber bands help to
correct the alignment , the way your teeth line up.
Everyone has
to wear braces for different lengths of time, but most people usually wear
braces for about 2 years. That may seem like forever, but remember, you can
still do all the fun things you do now - even with braces. After the braces
have moved your teeth into place, you can look forward to the day you get
them off. After all your years of patience, you'll want to keep your perfectly
straight teeth in shape.
After you
get your braces off, you may need to wear a retainer. A retainer is a
small, hard piece of plastic with metal wires, or a thin piece of plastic
shaped like a mouth guard, that makes sure your teeth don't go wandering
back to their original places. Your retainer will be specially molded
to fit your newly straightened teeth. After you get your retainer, your
orthodontist will tell you when you have to wear it and how long - you
might have to wear your retainer all day and all night for 2 years, you
might have to wear it at night for 6 months, or you might have to wear
it every other night for many years. It just depends on your teeth!
Benefits of Braces:
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