If you wore braces as a child, your children may need to wear braces as well. Crooked teeth and tooth alignment problems can be genetic. Due to advancements in the field of orthodontics, today's self-ligating braces don't use the rubber bands that you had on your braces. 

Self-ligating braces have spring-loaded doors on brackets to hold the wire in place instead of the rubber ties. Your children will still need to get accustomed to the braces just as you did. Here are several products to have on hand when your children get self-ligating braces.

Wax

The braces can cause sores in the mouth. You likely remember placing small balls of wax on your brackets to protect the soft tissue. The orthodontist can provide a supply of wax for your child's self-ligating braces and show them how to use the wax and how to remove it. 

Numbing Gel

Sores from the brackets are inevitable. Purchase a supply of numbing gel that can be conveniently applied by your child whenever they have a sore from the braces. Consider purchasing numbing gel that has disposable single-use applicators so your child can avoid accidentally getting the numbing gel in their eyes if they are not able to immediately wash their hands. 

Chapstick

Dry lips can get caught in the brackets and wires. Then, the lips can end up bleeding and become painful. Give your child several tubes of chapstick or similar products to apply to their lips when their lips are dry. 

Electric Toothbrush 

Purchase an electric toothbrush that is specifically designed for orthodontic devices and compatible for use with self-ligating braces. The orthodontist can recommend an electric toothbrush for your child to use. They will teach your child how to effectively clean their teeth and their braces with the electric toothbrush. 

Mouth Guard

If your child participates in a contact sport such as football, they will need to have a mouth guard that is specifically made for self-ligating brace-wearers. It's important to only use the correct type of mouth guard with self-ligating braces because the teeth will move ever so slightly from day to day, so the mouth guard needs to accommodate for those slight changes while still being able to provide the necessary protection that your child needs to have while participating in the sport. Your child's orthodontist can recommend a mouth guard for your child. 

For more information on self-ligating braces, contact a professional near you.

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