A note to friends of those of us who have braces.

It’s ok to mention how great our teeth are looking, we need some encouragement every now and then.

It’s ok to talk about our treatment, we want to share what we have experienced.

Elastics freak us out too!

We generally avoid hard or crunchy food right after an adjustment.

After eating we often nip to the bathroom to clean our teeth. We feel ok and enjoyed the meal.

When we first post a photo on Facebook with a smile showing our braces, give us a like, it’s taken a lot of courage to do that.

Our lisp sounds 100 times worse to us.

Red wine and curry will stain our elastics so we may avoid curry nights, it’s nothing personal.

We often have braces for reasons other than vanity.

Yes it’s costing us a lot of money and we can think of 1001 other ways to have spent the money too.

We generally have no idea when we will be finished, please don’t keep asking us.

Saying there was nothing wrong with our teeth isn’t helpful and makes us feel defensive.

No, we don’t have to wear headgear at night!

 

Do you have anything to add to the list?