American Association Of Orthodontists Article
Helping Teens be Comfortable with Braces
Rarely do find a child who is excited about going to the dentist. Other sure, it is fun when they first start going and they get balloons or stickers for sitting in a chair and opening their mouth wide, but just wait till there has to be some real work done. When it is time for your child to have dental work done, sometimes it can be a real uphill battle to convince them it is for their own benefit. This is especially true when it comes to a young teen that needs to have braces put on their teeth.
Never in recorded history has a young team ever been excited about getting braces. As a matter of fact, it is considered a very solemn affair. You can't really blame the teen, as usually braces are recommended at the exact time that they are beginning to have natural changes to their bodies and are trying to sort out their place among their peers. This is a very significant time in a young teen’s life and the last thing they want is to have it further complicated by a mouth full of wire.
If you can think back to your adolescent teen years you can probably recall someone, maybe even yourself, who was the target of plenty of jokes and ridicule because they had braces on their teeth. The parents who can recall those memories should be more understanding about the predicament that the young teens see themselves facing when they are brought to the stark realization that they must wear braces.
One of things that you can do to help you attain come to grips with the reality that they are indeed going to be wearing braces is to reassure them that the results are worth the effort which will be put into wearing the braces. Let them know that the braces will certainly make them more attractive by ensuring that they have a beautiful smile which they will be proud to show.
You can reinforce the notion of the benefits of braces by collecting photos of individuals who have worn braces to enhance their smile. Before and after photos of young teens will be much more effective than showing them pictures of adults who have used braces to straighten their teeth. No matter who you are, you will better realize the impact made on someone near your own age than you would someone who is much older. That is why it is important to show them pictures of someone whom they would consider a peer.
Another thing you can do which will help you are young attain become more receptive to a site that they are indeed want to have to wear braces on their teeth is to show them that they do not have to wear the same boring braces that everyone else has worn. Let them know that braces now come in different colors and that they can consider their braces a fashion accessory rather than a fashion faux pas.
