BURIEN
WEST SEATTLE
January 26, 2017
The 5 Stages of Getting & Wearing Braces
If you’re thinking of visiting an orthodontist in West Seattle or Burien to improve your smile with braces, you may be wondering what the whole orthodontic process is all about. Here is a run-down of the five basic steps of getting braces and wearing them so you have a good idea of what to expect.
During your first visit with our Seattle orthodontist, we will examine your teeth and bite to determine whether or not you could benefit from wearing braces. During this visit, we get the opportunity to get to know you and your orthodontic goals better while you become familiar with Dr. Peralta and our incredible team! We will show you before and after photos of patients that we treated with similar orthodontic needs so you can see how your treatment can transform your smile.
The second stage of the orthodontic process involves putting the braces on your teeth. It doesn’t hurt to have braces placed on your teeth but it does take time as we have to prep your teeth for the brackets, carefully position a bracket on each individual tooth and then run the archwire through the brackets and tighten things up!
Once we’ve placed the braces on your teeth, we will give you some braces care instructions which include a list of braces-busting foods you should not eat like hard, sticky and gooey foods. We’ll also show you how to brush and floss while wearing braces, which can seem a bit overwhelming at first. However, with a little practice, soon you’ll become a pro at cleaning your teeth when they’re covered with brackets and wires! You will have to visit us every month to have your braces tightened but these adjustment appointments are generally quick and easy!
You will probably be full of anticipation for your “debanding appointment” when we will remove the braces from your teeth so you can finally see how amazing your new smile looks without all that hardware blocking your view! It takes us about an hour to remove your braces before you can leave our office and show the world your incredible smile!
We will make a retainer for you which you will need to wear in order to keep your teeth in their new position. Your retainer is to be worn 24/7 except when you’re eating or drinking anything other than water. To avoid having to undergo the orthodontic process all over again, it’s imperative that you wear your retainer as directed so you shouldn’t just toss your retainer in a drawer and forget all about it!
That’s the entire orthodontic process in a nutshell! If at any time during your treatment you have any questions or concerns, just contact us as we’re always more than happy to talk with you!
