Dedication: This article is dedicated to Dr. Sree Suma N from Medics Healthcare, Nanakramguda, Hyderabad (near Gachibowli). She was the one who got my braces done, and I largely appreciate her patience and calmness dealing with a super nervous, questioning patient like me. She’s done an excellent job and kept me assured throughout the process. She made getting braces look a whole lot easier, and I’d urge you to go to her if you ever need braces done. Thank you so much Dr. Suma!

I’ve seen a lot of people afraid of getting braces (me being one of them, of course!). Social media and exaggerating friends may make it seem a bit painful, but take it from me, it’s not.

I’ve had braces for around a year and three months now and they’ve only pained me one time so far. And that was my fault actually, which I’ll get into later.

Please note that this article is for the normal treatment of braces, so if your dentist has recommended a different treatment or an addition, it may be unlike what you’re about to read. This is also for metal braces and it may not be the same for ceramic braces or Invisalign braces. Keep in mind, the steps may not be in order as it’s been a while since I’ve got my braces 🙂

So we start with the process of cleaning your teeth. It’s recommended to get your teeth cleaned once in every six months to keep your smile ship-shape, and to remove the unnecessary bacteria from your mouth. Cleaning involves a powerful spray of water zipping out of a small metal tube that your dentist uses to wash every inch of your teeth. It’s not particularly painful unless the metal pinches your gums near the bottom of your teeth. As this is required in cleaning, it slightly pinches your gums, however it will get over in two minutes. Then it’s over and the real procedure begins.

Before I get to the process, let me tell you about two things. One, so that the dentist can see all of your teeth, an 8-shaped plastic tool is placed inside your mouth. It stretches your lips and gives your dentist a better view than if you’d just kept your mouth open. And I’m not lying when I say it’s pretty comfortable!

Two, your dentist is going to be using something called a “suction tube“, a hollow tube that sucks the extra saliva from your mouth as it may hinder the process. It’s put inside your mouth occasionally during the treatment and it’s fun to feel something sucking the water out of your mouth 🙂

Now, let’s get to the real thing. Since braces take around 12-16 months to leave an effect, your dentist needs to keep a record of your teeth so that they can monitor the progress over time. For that, they need an impression of your teeth both before you get braces and after.

The dentist makes a kind of paste that’s orange in colour and sticks it to your upper row of teeth. You have to keep your mouth wide open for a minute till it hardens and the dentist removes it. It may be uncomfortable, and you’ll have to rinse your mouth multiple times after. This step is repeated for your lower teeth as well.

When that is done, and you’ve finished attempting to remove the bits of paste still stuck, there comes the pleasant part. It seems unrelated, but now your dentist will ask you to stand up and give them the biggest smile you can muster.

Why? To take pictures if how your teeth looks now. Your dentist will take many shots from different angles, asking you to show all your teeth. [At least, that’s what my dentist did. You may have a varied procedure, as I mentioned.]

Next, you’ll be seated on the chair again and the 8-shaped tool will be placed inside your mouth. Your teeth will be coated with a few chemicals to prepare it for the process. Then your dentist will put one tiny drop of glue on each tooth and stick the metal pieces to your teeth.

Once the pieces are set, here comes the wire. The wire is made of a metal that will always come back to the same shape despite how much you bend or twist it. The dentist places the wire in the metal pieces and cuts off the edges if they are poking you in the end. She/he makes sure you are comfortable with your new accessory.

Lastly, the best part! Choosing the colour of the bands that hold the wire in place. You can choose alternate colours, a single colour or even colour changing bands. After the bands are attached, your dentist will tell you what to do and what not to do, and then you’re free to go.

There are two warnings from my side, though. The day after you get your braces, brace yourself for some epic teeth ache. Yes, I mean all the teeth. I promised zero pain while getting braces (and it is painless), however the next day it will ache a lot. Don’t worry, you’ll manage. Just make sure not to chew food as that will be nearly impossible on the first day. Eat semi-solid food like oats; something that will not involve biting or chewing.

And second, if you accidentally break your wire, it’s gonna hurt. Recently, I was eating a bunch of larger cereal than usual and one piece got jammed between my tooth and the wire. The wire bulged outwards and my tooth started throbbing with pain. It’s advised to go to the dentist as soon as possible if this occurs.

I hope this article helped you guys to calm your nerves, and good luck with your braces!