5 Ways to Help Your Kids Wear Braces With Pride
Getting braces can be an exciting time, however, it can often be associated with pain and restrictions. We want everyone to be excited about starting their braces journey and to be excited about wearing their braces! Check out the 5 ways to help your kids wear braces with pride below.
Keep a Countdown
Months can feel like years and treatment can seem to have no end in sight for kids. If your child is struggling with how long they will have their new additions, it can be helpful to keep a countdown to show how much time has passed and how little time they have left! Celebrating different milestone appointments can also help keep the journey in perspective.
Celebrate the Technology
Orthodontic technology has come a long way since you were a kid, and while you may remember the days of goop impressions, your kids won’t! In our modern orthodontic offices, we are using advanced technology to help straighten smiles and retain them for life. We use our iTero Scanners to create a 3D version of your smile, goop-free to help create Vivera Retainers. This is exciting and can be a major incentive for your kid to remain positive during their treatment.
Encourage Creativity With Rubber Bands
One of the best parts of traditional braces is getting to choose the colors of rubber bands. The colored bands go on the brackets and allow kids to express themselves. During visits, kids are encouraged to choose a new color celebrating upcoming holidays, school colors, or even significant events in their lives. This gives kids a sense of control and something to look forward to during their appointments.
Along with choosing the colors of their rubber bands with traditional braces, we also offer WildSmiles braces! WildSmiles creates healthy smiles parents want with the style kids love. Children are able to choose from four different shapes: stars, hearts, flowers, and diamonds.
Show Them The Progress
During the day-to-day of treatment, it can be hard to see the big changes. This is why we encourage celebrating the small milestones! If your child starts to notice progress, make it a big deal! If they are struggling, show them some “before” pictures and recognize how far they’ve come and how soon they’ll have a perfect smile!
Remind Them They Aren’t Alone And It Will End
Children can become nervous about braces as they fear they will be alone or different. Show your kids that they aren’t alone by bringing out pictures of you in braces, kids their age in braces, or other family members that wore them. This can go a long way in helping them wear their braces with pride. The average length of treatment is between 18-22 months, it’s important to remind them it’s not forever. It might seem like a long time to a kid, but it will be over before they know it!
We strive to make everyone comfortable in our office and during their orthodontic treatment. During your time with Bubon Orthodontics, we are always here to answer questions and lend support! We love watching our family grow and are excited to join this journey with you.