Orthodontics

There’s a scene in the film “Peggy Sue Got Married,” a time-traveling classic from the 1980s, in which the protagonist, Kathleen Turner, tells her grandfather that she has returned from the future and has a chance to change everything about her life. What, she asks him, would he do differently if he could relive his life?

Every so often a dangerous “trend” will circulate online that makes you think “People actually thought that was a good idea?” Take Do It Yourself braces — yes, you read that right. A few years ago, a video surfaced of a young woman instructing viewers to use small rubber bands to coax crooked or gapped teeth into place without the aid of a trained orthodontist or availability of a trained orthodontist’s vital equipment.

Braces have come a long way in the past 30 years, but they’re still braces. They still represent a major change for your child and, frankly, that change can be a little scary and uncomfortable at first. To help your child successfully navigate their new (temporary)  life as a braces-wearer, we here at Miler Orthodontics suggest the following.

If your child is a good candidate for aligner therapy — and not everyone is — then having them enter into the braces phase of their life a little less reluctantly can make a big difference in their overall attitude and compliance during treatment and with retainers.

At Miler Orthodontics, we know that wearing braces can be considered a major blocker to certain social and comfort elements for many people. Both for child and adult braces, some people choose to smile less or feel like they have to separate themselves from social interactions while they’re wearing these products. Not only do we provide modern options like ceramic braces that can often come off sooner than traditional ones, we’re also here to give you or your child some of the right tactics to help ensure that braces remain in the mouth for the shortest possible period. Here are some tips.

There are several areas of child dentistry that can lead to anxiety for children, and braces for kids represents one of the primary areas here. At Miler Orthodontics, our orthodontists are well trained in practices that can help keep your child comfortable and without stress before receiving braces. As a parent, you can also be of great help here. Here are a few simple tips we generally offer to involve your child in the conversation and help prepare them for receiving braces.