Have you ever seen that Growing up with braces article about the nostalgia of having braces as a little tyke? Well, I don’t remember, because I have them now at the age of 21. I got them last summer in July and have been flashing my grills ever since. Except, not in my health column photo because who wants to take advice from a girl who looks like she’s twelve?
As if being a young person with the responsibility of teeth maintenance is hard enough, try sneakily throwing your bands out at a public reception, just to snack on hors d’oeuvre. Allow me to reflect on the struggles.
Going out, with braces
Over spring break, my housemates and I traveled to Myrtle Beach. Even though I’ve had braces since July, I just got elastic bands this year to help my bite alignment. I used to have to wear them all the time, but now it’s down to 14 hours…big whoop. So, down at the beach, there’s an area with a bunch of clubs. In general, I hate talking to new people because they stare at my mouth and think my bands is spit, so it makes me self conscious. Let’s just say I avoided wearing the bands when going out to the clubs. The same goes for bars. The bouncer checks my ID, I smile and say thank you, and hope he doesn’t notice.
It’s a darn good thing I’m taken because it probably wouldn’t be easy to date. 
Food restrictions, with braces
Whether you’re an adult with them or not, the doc gives you a list of foods to avoid so brackets don’t break. I tried eating an apple for the first time last week and constantly wanted to pick the food out. Spinach? Forget it. Luckily a water pic comes in handy. Some other difficult items to eat include beef jerky, (I haven’t tried corn on the cob yet), carrots, large sandwiches, etc. I manage, but it’s knowing the food is stuck in my teeth after.
Maintenance, with braces
I keep a pack of bands in my purse, at work, at home in my room and in my bathroom. It doesn’t help that I eat every three hours, because at work, I have to brush my teeth, then put my bands back in.
Maintenance is crucial without braces anyway. It teaches responsibility and gets you in the habit of attaining pearly whites. Another thing is to swish salt water because random sores occur overnight and don’t get better with food.
The plus side of the colored bands is that I don’t have to be indecisive about choosing, because I’m an adult, and a coffee drinker, silver is the way to go.
Despite these ridiculous complaints, I’m thankful to straighten them out while I still can. I’m also happy to hear anyone’s horror stories so that I can learn what not to do 🙂
Happy flossing!