Brace face, tin grin, metal mouth...

No advice other then stock up on a lot of aspirin or pain killers. Not sure how different braces are now but the experience was not pleasant.

Getting my braces tightened every several weeks was a nightmare.

I wish Mo good luck with this challenge and hope that braces have evolved to a higher and less sore inducing endeavor.

I never had braces so I'm completely clueless. I know they seem very streamlined from when I was a kid and I'm hoping that not so cumbersome will equal a bit more comfortable.

They did warn us that the first bits would be bothersome.

Mo's kind of excited about it but I'm all URGH.

How old were you when you got them? It really seems that they're applying them at much younger ages now. They say he'll probably have to wear them for a year and a half and then wear a retainer until he reaches adulthood. That seems like a long, long time.

The braces themselves weren't the source of the pain as it was the weekly adjustment which added pressure to the teeth and jaws.

If I remember it correctly I was 13 or 14. I really can't remember how long I had them on but I feel it was longer then 2 years. Which is why maybe they're getting younger kids to get braces. I too had a retainer for a long time afterwards. I believe I stopped using it after I graduated from high school.

The thinking now seems to be to get the braces on before all of the permanent teeth come in... it gives them some more room to work.

Mo's last two baby teeth are ready to fall out so the dentist said it was time to get in for braces.

I never realized that kids wore retainers for so long!

Nope but will be/soon category - my daughter is slated this summer for them.

Funny but my daughter is excited too - and not (no gummies) - the cool thing you can get colored stuff to decorate the braces with - much more coolness around braces now.

Really??? That is what my daughter's orthodontic (sp) is waiting for - her baby teeth to fall out -

Yeah-- they're waiting for Mo's to come out too. They are really, really loose and should be out any day now but they want to have the braces on before the permanent teeth are fully in.

Maybe that's it - just the baby teeth to come out - my daughter though has an adult tooth pushing her baby tooth out - she has a real problem losing teeth - she must have really strong roots as her wiggling teeth are wiggly for a long time.

From what I understand it really depends on the kid and what kind of problems they have. Genetics also play a role, I found out.

They were asking me all kinds of questions about me and Mr. B and I was answering and getting more and more confused so I asked what this line of questioning was all about and she replied genetics blahblahblah.

Adoption makes everything more interesting!

I got my braces when I was 12 and wore them for 18 months. I truly had a mouth of steel. Braces look so much difference. My only advice is don't make the boy's favourite meal on the nights he gets them tightened. He'll have a lifetime of scarred memories because of it...

Oh! Good to know about favorite foods! He loves tacos. Will he still be able to eat them at all or should I start working on enchiladas?

I'm guessing spaghetti would be okay on tightening days. Agree?

I'd say so.

I got mine when I was 16 but I was late to that by all accounts.

Tightening was, I think, every 6 weeks? 8? I'm sure that depends. Sticky, gummy food is not great. Also - make sure he is brushing and flossing now, and that he learns from the dentist how to do both in accomodation to braces as they will make it harder for him to clean his teeth.

Hard tacos might be hard to chew. Go with soft food.. No steak or corn on the cob.

He's good about brushing and flossing and we can up the number of dental cleanings if we have to. Since we don't have fluoride in our water we're pretty fanatical about getting him in to the dentist.

I hope the orthodontist will give him a lesson on how to care for his braces. I did hear her mention something about the brush angle being important.

Oy, brace yourself (no pun intended)
Jane had retainers and a palette to widen the jaw bone from age 8 to 12
and then she got braces until she was 15. In between she had short periods
of no braces and by then she cherished those short weeks.

Shop around for orthodontists, boomer - the prices for braces and service
are anywhere from $5k to $ 10k, so it pays to shop around. Make sure that
all follow-ups are included in your initial cost. Most orthodontists also
offer payment plans without interest.

After Mo is fitted for his braces and they're on: buy numbing gel and Ibuprofen as it will be quite painful for him for the first couple of days.
He won't be able to eat hard bread crusts, and anything chewy for a while.
Jane didn't want to eat any meat, it was too painful for her, and no corn on the cob and other things that get stuck in between the braces.

No steak! No tacos! He'll die!

I don't think he's given this aspect of wearing braces much consideration.

I'd better stock up on salmon, another of his favorite foods. That could put the braces of the orthodontist to shame with how much that stuff costs.

I feel good about the doctor our dentist recommended. I found out today that she lives just a few blocks from us and that her office manager has a kid in Mo's class. The price was at the lower end of your estimate so I feel good about that too.

Numbing gel.... check....

Ibuprofen.... check....

Chapstick?

Definitely chapstick too!
Also, the day Mo goes to get his braces fit, give him an Ibuprofen 30 min
beforehand, it will help ease the pain.

Yeah, we had a good orthodontist too - also recommended by our dentist.
He even gave us some invisalign (the clear aligners) for free after the braces came off.