How to Be Happy with Braces

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Speak to your orthodontist about colored bands for your braces.

   Personalize your braces by using colored rubber bands.
   
   These rubber bands are made for braces and come in a variety of colors.
   
   Your orthodontist can provide these rubber bands, allowing you to get creative with your braces and change up your color combinations or create a color pattern that becomes your signature look.
   
   These colored bands can help you become more comfortable with braces and embrace them, rather than try to hide them.
   
   Wearing colored bands can show you are not shy or ashamed about your new braces and are willing to show off the colors on your braces when you laugh, sing, eat, or smile.
   
   Try to consider your braces as a fashion accessory and remember that after you are done wearing them you will have a perfect smile.
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   Step 2: Wait at least one week until you try to kiss someone.

   When you first get braces, your mouth will likely be very sore and irritated.
   
   Use dental wax on your braces to prevent the wires and brackets from scratching the inside of your mouth and practice good dental hygiene to help your mouth recover.
   
   It should take at least one week for your mouth to heal to the point where you might want to kiss someone or get up close and personal.
   
   Kissing someone when you have braces can be tricky, so start with a closed mouth kiss to determine if your mouth is still too sensitive to pressure from someone else's mouth.
   
   Once you feel comfortable with a closed mouth kiss, move on to soft open mouth kisses.
   
   Move slowly and do not put unnecessary pressure on your mouth, as it could still be sore from your new braces. , Get used to your new look by practicing your smile in the mirror, noting how you appear with your new braces.
   
   Exercise your facial muscles by practicing a simple smile: stretching the corners of your mouth and showing off your new braces.
   
   You can then move on to practicing a more natural smile and relaxing the corners of your mouth so you smile as you did before you had braces.Another option you can practice is smiling with your eyes in the mirror.
   
   Narrowing your eyes as you smile shows that you are giving someone a natural and sincere smile.
   
   Research has shown that looking at images of people smiling with their eyes, or doing a "Duchenne smile" can help you mimic and copy this type of smile effectively. , If you are struggling with how to be happy and positive with your new set of braces, try saying at least five to ten positive affirmations out loud to yourself every day.
   
   Positive affirmations center on the phrase "you are what you think" and allow you to vocalize positive thoughts and manifest them throughout your day.
   
   Affirmations are effective methods of self improvement as they raise your level of feel good hormones and encourage positive thinking.Try to always phrase your affirmations with "I can"
   
   "I will"
   
   or "I am." For example: "Today, I am brimming with energy and overflowing with joy." " I am a powerhouse; I am indestructible." "I can smile and be happy with my braces." "I will smile at someone at least five times today and show off my braces."
   
   Though it may be tempting to skip brushing or flossing in favor of whitening products, using these products while you have braces can damage the brackets and wires.
   
   They can also leave variations in color on your teeth that may not look very attractive when you finally get your braces off.Wait until you get your braces removed to use whitening strips or any mouthwashes or toothpastes that contain whitening products.
   
   You can also get your teeth whitened at your dentist’s office if home whitening does not give you the results you want. , Your orthodontist can provide a mouth guard made specifically for your mouth to protect your braces when you play sports or are doing intense activity.If you play a musical instrument that involves your mouth, you may have trouble adapting to playing with braces.
   
   Try using dental wax and rinsing your mouth with warm salt water often to help your mouth heal and to keep it moisturized.
   
   This should make it easier to get used to playing your instrument with braces.
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   Step 3: Practice smiling with braces in the mirror.

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   Step 4: Use positive affirmations.

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   Step 5: Avoid whitening products.

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   Step 6: Use a mouthguard if you play sports or are active.

Detailed Guide

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