Achieving a straighter smile requires patience and dedication, even when you’re at school. While it sounds like a lot of hard work to look after your teeth on top of studying, there are ways to make it a bit easier. At Booth Orthodontics, we help our younger patients navigate school life without cutting corners on oral care.

If you’ve ever wondered how to take care of your braces at school, you’re in luck. We’ll share some of our effective yet easy tips to make both your orthodontic treatment and school life more enjoyable.

Prepare Your Braces Survival Kit

Every day at school is a different challenge, and even more so for kids wearing braces. It’s important to keep some essential braces care tools within reach so that when the unexpected happens, you can react quickly.

Stay ready with the following items in your bag:

• Orthodontic wax: This is the first thing you need for taking care of braces. It prevents the brackets and archwires from irritating the insides of your mouth, saving you from those pesky, annoying pokes while at school.
• Compact mirror: Great for checking to see if any leftover food is stuck between your teeth and your braces.
• Pocket tissues: Wearing braces can cause you to salivate more than usual, especially during your first days of wearing them and after adjustments. Opt for tissues that are small, absorbent, and easy to dispose of.
• Floss and threaders: Floss threaders make flossing much more convenient, letting you slide through those hard-to-reach places.
• Tongue scraper: Taking care of your braces requires caring for your entire mouth. This includes removing food particles from your tongue, which also helps rid bad breath.
• Mouthwash: Gargling with an orthodontist-approved mouthwash cleans your entire mouth without damaging your braces.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste: A handy pair makes it easy to clean your teeth and braces after every meal.
• Lip balm: Wearing braces can get you chapped lips, which not only feel uncomfortable but can also look awkward. Lip balms and chapsticks can help keep your lips moisturized.

The most important part of preparing a braces survival kit is accessibility. Keep them where you can easily get and use them, especially since a snapped wire or a broken bracket can come when you least expect it.

Stick to Brace-Friendly Foods

It’s easy to eat the right foods at home, but school is a different environment. Classmates can share their food with you, or the school vending machine can be filled with tempting treats. To prevent issues with your braces, Dr. Ryan E. Booth and Dr. Evan Booth recommend staying away from the following:

• Hard foods: Biting into nuts and hard candies can break your brackets or bend your archwires, not to mention having hard stuff stuck between your teeth can be difficult to dislodge.
• Sticky foods: Sticky foods like caramel or chewing gum are easily caught in your braces but quite hard to remove.
• Crunchy foods: Similar to hard foods, crunchy and brittle foods can damage your brackets and wires. Popcorn kernels or chips can leave small, hard bits that can break your braces or get stuck in between.
• Chewy foods: Foods that require too much chewing, like beef jerky or bagels, not only tire your jaw out but will also wear out your braces and result to bent wires or cracked brackets.
• Sugary snacks and drinks: Soda or desserts with high sugar content speed up plaque buildup, not to mention their risks of staining your brackets.

Opting to go for braces-friendly meals minimizes the risks of things going wrong. Plus, this dietary effort keeps your teeth safe and your braces working as they should.

Have the Right Mindset

Standing out can be a cause for excessive self-consciousness. Wearing traditional metal braces can attract more attention, while ceramic braces offer a degree of discreteness thanks to their tooth-colored brackets. Here are a few tips to help you become more comfortable going to school with braces:

• Wearing braces is normal: Realizing that orthodontic treatment is a necessary step to achieve oral well-being will give you a sense of purpose, making it easier to get over too much self-consciousness.
• You are not alone: Remember that there are responsible adults and qualified professionals to help you, including your teacher and the school nurse. Knowing that help is available makes you feel safe and comfortable. Of course, you can always schedule an appointment with our Homer Glen team if you need an adjustment or repair to your braces.

Get That Straight Smile in the Bag

Wearing braces to school doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. With the right preparation, you can achieve the smile you’ve always dreamed of. At Booth Orthodontics, our team is always ready to help you make the most out of your treatment. If you’re ready to get braces and get your dream smile, schedule your free consultation, and we’ll get to work right away.