How to Love Your Braces

Sometimes I forget that I am an expert on this subject, because I've lived my entire Jr. high school career being known as "the girl WITHOUT braces". But when the fateful day came, and I had to surrender my teeth, I actually did find ways to love braces. They can be sort of fun.

1. Get your braces Damon Clear. These things are the best invention since the beginning of time, I swear to you. Clear brackets for braces. Now, instead of making up some baloney about how fun it is to pick between Christmas and Halloween colors for my very loud and obvious braces, I can tell you that most people don't even notice my braces. Nothing cheers me up more than someone coming up to me and saying, "Your teeth are so straight. Have you ever had braces?" I do have braces. But the totally awesome kind, in my opinion. For exhibit A, see the picture up above. For exhibit B, click on my profile picture. Can you see them? Not all orthodontists offer Damon Clear, but luckily for us, I followed "how to" rule number two-

2. Settle for the best. Ask anyone in my family, they'll tell you- we did settle for the best: Feller Orthodontics. Anna calls this guy's office "Disneyworld". He has a pirate ship. Cookies. A Wii. A Wii. There are murals on the walls, there are drawings and raffles and t-shirts and movie premieres. And it's not hiding any lazy work. Feller Orthodontics has the best, most up-to-date technology, quickest procedures, (is that the right word for braces?), and options ranging from Damon Clear to your traditional braces to Invisalign. It's just about the only place in the state they could whisk me through braces before high school and still make my teeth look good. Plus, a cookie at the end of your appointment makes everything better.

3. Respect your brace-face. First, braces can be just plain gross when they're not cleaned. Just plain gross. Remember those little gift bags they give you on your way home from the ortho? Those aren't for your garbage can to enjoy. Use all the little nifty tools and brushes inside- that way, your brace-face glitters. It doesn't hurt to take your "equipment" to school either. Second, wear your elastics. Wear your elastics. Wear your elastics. Please. This is for your own good. Ignoring them, (because, let's face it, we all want to ignore them,) means extra months to years of keeping your braces on. And as much as you may learn to love your braces, knowing you get them off sooner makes everything a lot more bearable.

4. Stay away from the crunch. No one wants to hear it, but it's true- munching on nuts, popcorn kernels, or ice is something to be avoided. I know it's hard. But as appetizing as it may look, the pain of a broken wire is not worth it. And keeping your braces as comfortable as possible is just one more way to love them.

5. Smile! Yeah, I wasn't so excited about this one in the beginning either, but flashing your sparkly smile makes everything better. I feel more confident when I smile- in fact, I forget about the braces all together. And believe it or not, other people do too. I don't want my brace-faced years to go by in tightly closed-mouth school pictures. Braces are a part of growing up, and the beautiful smile you'll earn at the end will be well worth the wait!