When your kids are little and they don’t have teeth, they are so cute aren’t they? I just love the little toothless smile. In some ways I really wish it would remain this way forever, because in my experience, once those teeth start coming in all the trouble begins. If you have been blessed to have a child with perfect teeth, this is amazing and you are truly living a beautiful life. However, if you are about to have an experience that requires many trips to the orthodontist, I’ve got your back with tips to make the ride more comfortable!
What to Expect With Braces
Both my kids have had top braces only. They haven’t had bottom braces (yet!). Getting used to the extra gear in their mouth is really challenging and they both had trouble talking for a bit after and swallowing. Just expect it to be weird for a few days. When the brackets rub against their cheeks you may find your child getting a lot of canker sores. My son especially did because he had extra hooks for his headgear.
If your child struggles getting canker sores I highly recommend the “Kank-A Soft Brush.” This thing was the easiest way to apply some medicine and help them out. I tried recently to find them at QFC, Fred Meyer, Bartell and Walgreens without luck. Amazon does carry them at the moment.
If you can figure out a way to get your kid to actually use the wax they are given to prevent all this, let me know. For some reason my kids always want to tough it out.
For general pain, we found Tylenol and Ibuprofen to be fine, depending on which you prefer. Ibuprofen was better for my kids.
What to Expect With An Expander
With the braces, both my kids also had to have an expander. This thing feels weird and your child will not like it right away, but I promise they will get used to it. The biggest trouble my kids had with the expander is food getting stuck underneath and the constant noise they make when they suck it out.
Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
You will need to do the turn for your child with a special tool. Doing the turn part is not very difficult. I always suggest doing it before bed so they aren’t sore and don’t think about it.
What to Expect with Headgear
My son had headgear he had to wear every single night. It’s not super fun, but I can tell you it really works! There is no pain associated with this, but your child may struggle falling asleep at first with it. It’s a thing on top of your face so it is going to take some time to get used to it.
My son would drool a lot more when he would wear his headgear so we found he would get a rash because of it. We found a couple ways to help that.
- Put some lavender drops on the chin pad. It makes it smell better too. You can change it occasionally, but it just gets a little iffy from time to time.
- Vaseline or Aquaphor around the mouth helps protect it and avoid the rash.
A Few Tips For The Initial Appointment
With my son I scheduled his initial appointment, when he got the actual braces on, on a day when he didn’t have school the next day. I highly recommend doing this. With my daughter I did not do this and she had a really tough transition. I’m sure some kids are fine, but mine could not handle school immediately after the appointment. Plan for that. Also helpful to let the teacher know!
I would recommend planning a little something fun after the appointment. Maybe it is watching a favorite movie together and having an ice cream shake. This just helps them transition and take their mind off it.
Have Easy to Eat Foods On Hand
Our favorite foods to have for the first 3-4 days when their mouths are sore.
- Smoothies – ice cream, protein, fruit, whatever your child likes the best.
- Pudding
- Jello
- Mandarin Oranges
- Soup
- Mac & Cheese Cups (we found these to be soft enough to eat fairly quickly)
I recommend stocking up on these ahead of time so you are ready to roll. It’s a bit hard to swallow after getting everything on and it’ll take your child a bit to get used to everything.
If You Miss Popcorn
We don’t eat a ton of popcorn in our house, but when you can’t have something it seems that is all you want. We found these amazing baked puffs that taste so delicious and provided a nice alternative.
Extra Patience & Grace
There is a lot going on when they get all that gear in their mouths so give your child a lot more grace. You may find extra whining happening, sadness (because there are some foods they simply can’t eat), they are more self-conscious with friends, and it’s a transition. Make sure you keep open communication with your child so they can talk to you about what they are feeling. My daughter was super worried about wearing it to school and then someone said she looked cute and it made her day! Simple things can keep them confident. When they are confident they’ll do a better job caring for their new appliances and getting through the season with the least drama possible.
As you deal with the extra work it takes to keep braces clean, the many appointments you’ll have driving back and forth to the orthodontist, and the added expense, remember that it is truly worth it. Seeing my kids teeth change has been amazing. It makes a huge difference for them. Hang in there Momma, you’ve got this!
