Disadvantages of Braces

I’ve had braces for 10 months now. Although they are good for straightening my teeth, they are also distressing in many ways. Here are the disadvantages that I’ve noticed thus far:

Tightness

Every time you go to get your braces adjusted, you have to deal with the tightness of the brackets. It’s not that they tighten the brackets, but rather that the combination of the wires and brackets are pushing your teeth in a new direction. The result is pain. Sometimes it’s tolerable, and sometimes you want to pop a Tylenol. But either way, it sucks.

Metal in Your Mouth Feels Uncomfortable

Especially the first time that you have braces, you’re going to notice mild to severe discomfort of braces. The metal is dry and harsh. The bands can help ease a bit of the discomfort, but it still feels pretty weird to have metal in your mouth on your teeth pressing against the insides of your lips and mouth.

Metal Scraping the Sides of your Mouth

I find this to be more annoying than the tightness of the braces. Sometimes, the metal parts sticking out on the sides of your braces or potential hooks that you have installed on your braces scrape along the sides of your mouth or your gums. This is no fun at all and sometimes leaves unwanted and open cuts. It also depends on the quality of your braces. Unfortunately for me, I went with a cheaper option, and now suffer for it on a regular basis. Talking more with your braces can also lead to more scraping. So, you have to be more careful about talking, and sometimes, about chewing your food.

The Appearance Looks Weird

Braces can look endearing, but the first time you get braces, it’s going to take some time to get used to the look. The braces can look heavy and can sometimes enhance the flaws of your teeth. For example, it can enhance the size, misalignment, or yellow coloring of your teeth.

But the good thing is that if you choose your band color wisely, it can disguise the flaws of your teeth as well. So my advice is just to rock it as best as you can. Experiment with different colors. Dark blue tends to work for most people.

Teeth Grinding

Sometimes, you feel like grinding your teeth more due to the new adjustments. That’s because your teeth are aligning and adjusting to a new position. And for you, it can feel just plain weird. So the result is that you might grind your teeth more.

Food Stuck in Your Bands or Between Your Teeth

Food can be stubborn and get lost in between the bands of your teeth or in between your teeth. If you get the singular bands that are on individual teeth, it might not be so much of a problem. But if you get the bands that are connected across multiple teeth, food can get stuck more easily. This makes brushing your teeth and flossing more difficult.

The worst part about this is when you’re out in public. It’s not so bad if you’re at home and can deal with it on your own. But it’s not so great when you flash a smile and there’s spinach hanging down from the bands of your front teeth.

Brushing Your Teeth and Flossing Take Longer

Not everyone with braces take extra time to brush their teeth, but braces require a higher level of hygiene. Brushing your teeth takes longer because food particles get stuck more easily in the braces and around your teeth. Also, flossing takes longer as it requires a special device that is shaped like a needle to pull the floss in between the brackets of the teeth. Toothpicks are also handy.

The longer that you wear braces, the less time you eventually find in brushing your teeth. But when you first start wearing braces, you will find that it takes longer to keep them clean.

Dry or Chapped Lips

For some reason, having braces can cause you to have more dry or chapped lips. I find that I have to apply vaseline or chapstick on my lips more frequently in order to combat with the dryness. It works, but you’ll find that your lips need more maintenance as opposed to not having braces at all.

Talking Funny

Your enunciation of words is going to sound off. It can be helped with practice and awareness of the positioning of your mouth. But like all the disadvantages with braces, it takes some effort and time to getting used to.

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There are many disadvantages of braces. But in the end, it is a way to straighten your teeth. And once the treatment is fully over, you get to enjoy your straightened teeth. You most likely have to stick to wearing a retainer, which may feel tight in the beginning. But it is a good way to maintain your smile. This is the price you have to pay for straightened teeth. However if you put in a little effort to maintain and get used to your braces, it can be well worth it.