Many teens, especially those that are on the cusp of getting braces, may believe that there is no best time to get braces. If you are getting this orthodontic treatment, summertime may actually be the very best time to get them on. Why? Here are a few reasons:
1. Time to adjust
There is going to be an adjustment period when you get braces. Your mouth has to adjust to having something new in it. They can make talking and eating difficult. You have to essentially relearn how to do some of the most basic tasks your mouth does. Trying to learn these things during the school year can make getting braces even more stressful than the process already is for most teens. During the summer, however, you have the ability to hide out for a few days as you adjust to your new braces. If you’re experiencing a little bit of discomfort or are still trying to get the hang of eating without dribbling, the summer ensures that you can handle both these things without also having to worry about school and extra curricular activities.
2. Time to break in the braces
If, for example, you play an instrument in the marching band, getting braces on in the middle of marching season can completely disrupt your season. The same goes for teens who play any kind of sport or participate in any kind of extra curricular activity. Braces disrupt those activities. When you get braces in the summer, however, you are usually not participating in any of those activities at the time. This means that you will have not just to adjust to the idea of braces, but also that you have time to make the mistakes that might have disrupted your season, when there are very few pressures.
3. Fewer responsibilities
Unless you have a job that you are working during the summer, you probably will have far fewer responsibilities than you would during the school year. There is no homework to be done, no projects to worry about. Getting braces on is stressful and it can be uncomfortable, especially during the first few days after they have been put on. Having them put on during the summer means that you can deal with that discomfort at home, enjoying the cold, approved foods your orthodontist recommends, without also having to worry about your responsibilities. You can get the first few months of your treatment over with before your serious responsibilities start up again.
4. Better for appointments
As you setting up your routine and getting into the practice of visiting your orthodontist in Northeast Philadelphia, summer may be the best time to get braces. Why? Because as you have a few big appointments close together to get your braces put on, you will not have to miss any school. While most schools are very accommodating when it comes to appointments with your orthodontist, it is can become a serious problem when you are missing the same class repeatedly or when you can only get an appointment with your orthodontist during a certain class or even during lunch. Being able to start your appointments when you do not have to worry about missing anything is usually a much better plan. By the time school starts again, you will have to see the orthodontist less frequently and can find a time to make your appointments that does not disrupt your schedule.
5. Easier to get in
During the school year, many orthodontists may be overwhelmed with appointments, making it difficult to start your treatment, especially if you are trying to get an appointment in the limited amount of time in between when school is out and when the office closes. During the summer, however, many offices have more availabilities, especially because many of their patients may be traveling or on vacation. Summertime is the best time to get braces if the orthodontist you are trying to work with is often fully booked.
6. Makes transitioning back into school easier
Another reason summertime may be the best time to get braces – by the time school starts again, not only will you be completely adjusted to your braces, your friends and peers will be, too. Most people will not even realize that you have gotten braces. When you arrive at school one day without them and then the next day with them, the change is very noticeable. However, if you get them over the summer, your friends will already have seen you with them and will have gotten used to them, and everyone else probably will not even remember that you did not have them before the summer. If you are concerned about being teased for your braces at all, summertime could be a better time to get them on.
7. More time to pay attention to your cleaning routine
Braces require you to completely change how your brush your teeth. When you are tired after a day of school and extra curricular activities and homework, you might not have the motivation to actually take the care that is required to properly clean your braces and your teeth. However, during the summer, you have more time in the morning and evening to get into the routine of thoroughly brushing your teeth. You’ll also have more freedom to brush and clean your teeth and braces throughout the day, something you might not be able to do while you are in school.
If you are looking for the best time to get braces, summertime may be the perfect fit for you!
