You’re taking a photo and the photographer says, “cheese!” You flash your mouth to the people around you, and in doing this practically blind them from the metal on your teeth. This is one of the many potential uncomfortable situations involved in the world of having braces.  I know from past personal experience that unless you’re ten and get to show off your colored rubber bands to your friends, braces are no fun.

However, even if braces are awkward, you don’t have to be. There are ways to rock your look or at least not let it bring you down.

For instance, the trick for photos is to keep your lips together. A closed mouth smile is simple and elegant. It might be odd going from a wide white smile to a more shy one, but believe me when I say it’s worth it. Looking back at the old photos of me and my awkward silver smile makes me cringe.

Secondly, an orthodontist’s warning about not eating popcorn, apples, caramel, and sticky, chewy candies can be more frightening than any Halloween horror house. A big aspect of this holiday that just passed  are the bags of candy a kid can collect. What is the point of trick or treating if you can’t eat candy due to a potential broken wire? The answer is: Do it anyway. Halloween or not, having some chewy candy won’t affect you. Sure you might have one or two incidents that involve a trip to the orthodontist, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying a caramel apple if you want one.

Another “sticky” situation that involves braces and food is the typical lettuce in your teeth. If you constantly worry and wonder if you have a particle of food stuck in your wires there are a few solutions to your problem. First off, carry around a little travel toothbrush in your backpack. After lunch go into the bathroom (try to go to an unpopular one) and quickly brush your teeth. If you don’t want to do this, a less extreme idea is to keep a brushpick in your pocket. A brushpick is a tool that has bristles on one side and a toothpick on the other. Any local pharmacy will likely have them. A much simpler approach would be to ask a friend you are comfortable with to say yay or nay when you inquire of them a b.c. (braces check). If they say yes, you’re good to go, but if they say no, then just swish some water in your mouth vigorously and spit it out in the bathroom.   

Most importantly remember that what feels like a never ending awkward stage, is just temporary and is all worth it in the end. Your big beautiful smile will last a lifetime… that is, if you remember to wear your retainer every single night for the rest of your life.