BEFORE
AFTER
Last Wednesday, Austin got braces!!!
Austin has been adjusting to the mouth of metal he now has! There is a long list of foods that he is no longer allowed to eat. (Mothers rejoice) Most of these are sticky, sugary, chewy things like licorice, Laffy Taffy, jawbreakers, caramel, gum, etc. but also includes popcorn, carrots, apples, and some other fruits/veggies unless sliced thinly. I have to remind him that he does not need a blueberry smoothie for every meal! Cereal, yogurt, smoothies, and PB sandwiches in very tiny bites got him through the first few days.
He not only got 4 brackets on his front teeth, but also an "expander" in the roof of his mouth which we tighten every day. This will spread his teeth out and allow for those larger permanent teeth to come in. This treatment will most likely last about 9 months. After that, we'll wait for the rest of his permanent teeth/molars to come in before starting "Phase 2," which will include full braces. Doesn't that sound intimidating? There had better not be a Phase 3!
The good news is, my son is suddenly very concerned with his dental hygiene! He took a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss to school so he can brush after lunch. He also seems to carry around the kit the orthodontist gave him everywhere we go. I couldn't even find it to take a picture, so it must be in his school bag. It has a dental mirror, more floss, and other tools and a guide on how to clean his teeth.
Have you officially reached the Tweens when your kid gets braces!?!?!
7 comments:
Luci has been going to the ortho every 6 months but so far just for monitoring. Ours works in phases too. Austin looks cute with braces!
Braces! Oh my, are we really 'there' yet? He looks so cute with those braces and hooray on the dental hygiene thing. I've been having a hard time to get Harrison to brush!
Oh. My. Goodness. Yowza.
I'm afraid we are heading down the same road very shortly. I hope his teeth are feeling better these days.
Ya gotta love braces! Not :)
Alli had hers in phases too and she had the palate expander too and several other "appliances" I hope Austin doesn't have to have.
He does look good with braces and looks so grown up!
He seems to be enjoying the prestige of having braces at such a young age. He plunked his container of teeth care stuff right on the kitchen counter.
Good luck to Austin! I had braces at a young age. I liked it my teeth were straight and nice before junior high!
who knew, you get braces and simultaneously get rid of the sugary candies and they start brushing their teeth more. I think we need some at our house.
It was funny to see how proud he was of them Saturday. I guess it's a big moment in a kids life.
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