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What is it like to have Braces?

This content was written for klortho.com

The first thing many patients ask their dentist once the dentist tells them they need braces is,” who is a nearby Tulsa orthodontist?”.   The next question the patient typically asks is,” what is it like to have braces?”.   I’m good answer both of those questions in this article. Both of these questions are great questions and need to be answered in the best way possible to ensure that a patient feels comfortable and satisfied with the answers. Getting a good dentist and a nearby dentist is critical in ensuring that the experience of having braces is not terrible.

The first question is the easiest one to answer and I question again is, ” who is a nearby Tulsa orthodontist?”.   The orthodontists of Kirkpatrick and Lai our closest orthodontists for tolls the residents seeking an expert orthodontist for braces, tooth misalignments, or proper bite mechanics. Kirkpatrick and Lai also have orthodontic clinics in Tahlequah, Miami, Okmulgee, and Pryor.   They have five clinics and growing to ensure that they can service the widest amount of people as possible. They want to ensure that they bring healthy smiles and healthy mouths as many people as they can in their lifetime.

The next question, ” what is it like to have braces?”  can be answered in further detail at www.klortho.com/orthodonitics-101.   However, I’m going to give you a brief overview in this article. First and foremost likely most everything that you’ve heard about braces is actually true in some way or another. Braces are painful. The reason for their painful is because we are moving your teeth which are firmly rooted in your dumps. And whenever we move something that is firmly rooted in the human body it is going to cause some amount of discomfort and pain. The good thing is that there are several ways to deal with this and mitigate this pain. One of those ways is to mix one teaspoon of salt with about 8 ounces of lukewarm water and rinse it around in the mouth. Another way to mitigate pain is quite simply to take an over-the-counter pain relief medication. The positive about all of this is that the braces are most painful for the few days following putting them on or adjusting them in as your teeth adjust to the new alignment the pain starts to decrease.

This food gets stuck in your braces? Of course it does, even without braces, food gets stuck in your teeth. Braces simply add a whole another level of areas where food can get stuck. However, rest assured they are easily cleaned and easily maintained so you won’t constantly be walking around with food stuck in your braces. We simply have to pay attention to your dental hygiene and clean your braces on a regular basis. Since her on the topic of eating with braces let’s talk briefly about the foods that you can eat the foods that you want to avoid. The foods that you want to avoid mainly need to be avoided, so they don’t damage your braces and these foods include crunchy foods like popcorn or chips, chewy foods like bagels or taffy, sticky foods like chewing gum or caramels, hard foods like hard candies or nuts and foods that require biting into them like whole apples or corn on the cop.

Braces in Tulsa

This content was written for klortho.com

Often dentists get asked the question, ” who is a nearby Tulsa orthodontist?”.   They get asked this question shortly after they have informed their patient that they need orthodontic services.  Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that treats crooked teeth an improper bite mechanics. Anybody that you have seen with braces, retainer, or any other contraption of the mouth has likely been to an orthodontist. Orthodontists can get a bad rap, but they are really providing an extremely good service for the people that they’re treating even though it may not look that fun to be one of their patients. On the bright side, you will have great looking teeth and a perfect bite after they are done with you.

So to answer the question “Who is a nearby Tulsa orthodontist?” Many of the top dentists in Tulsa will answer with the name of the family business that has been successful for the past 50 years. The name of that orthodontic practice is Kirkpatrick and Lai.  Kirkpatrick and Lai have offices in Tulsa, Tahlequah,  Miami, Okmulgee, and Pryor.   So as you can see with five orthodontic clinics, these guys are extremely well-versed in orthodontic procedures. They will give you the absolute best treatment and best orthodontic experience you can have to straighten your teeth and correct your bit mechanics.

Many people when they find out they have to have braces firs think “Oh no!” the second question they think is, “Who is a nearby Tulsa orthodontist? that will make my experience as painless as possible”.  You have nothing to worry about the orthodontists at Kirkpatrick and Lai  one sure you have the least amount of pain possible as they correct the issues of your oral cavity. When you first get on your braces you may notice a little bit of tenderness or pain around your gums, but that will soon dissipate as the teeth become aligned in their proper position by the use of the braces. One way to reduce the pain and the swelling is simply by dissolving about a teaspoon of salt and 8 ounces of lukewarm water and then swishing around in your mouth to make sure to get all areas. Another way to deal with a little bit of the pain that you may experience right after you get braces if the salt water trick doesn’t help you can opt for taking some form of pain reliever medication.

People often feel like they can’t eat the foods they love once they get braces. And unfortunately this could be true depending on the types of foods that you really enjoy. The foods that you want to avoid so that you don’t damage your braces and have to go through the whole process again are chewy foods, crunchy foods, sticky foods, hard foods, and foods that require biting into light corn, apples, carrots. However, there are a whole bunch of other foods that you will have no issues eating with braces including dairy, grains, breads, meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and of course your sugary soft treats.