1. Do I need braces?
Need is a strong word. Very few people need orthodontic braces. A person who has a severely protrusive jaw, who cannot chew because of his underbite needs braces (in addition to jaw surgery procedures). For most people, getting braces or orthodontic treatment is an elective treatment to straighten teeth and correct mild to moderate bite problems.

2. Do braces hurt?
For the most part, braces do not hurt. The braces simply glue to your teeth. The day after you get braces, your teeth may start feeling sore and may stay sore for a few days. The soreness usually peaks during days 2-3, but should start getting better by days 4-5. Future adjustments may or may not cause you discomfort depending on what is being done to your teeth. To alleviate the discomfort, you can take whatever pain medications you would normally use for a headache.
Because your lips, cheeks and tongue are not accustomed to rubbing against the braces, you may experience sores. The sores may last for one to two weeks until your lips, cheeks, and tongue get used contacting your braces. If there is part of the braces that is irritating your mouth, you can place orthodontic wax to help smooth the rough area of the braces. After your lips, cheeks and tongue get used to the braces, you may even forget you have them on.

3. What is an orthodontist?
An orthodontist is a dentist who has completed an additional two to three years of full-time training at an accredited residency program after graduating from dental school. During their residency program, orthodontists learn to diagnose and treat dental, facial, and jaw problems. Orthodontists typically limit their practices to the field of orthodontics to focus on correcting misaligned teeth and jaw problems.
When choosing an orthodontist, you are not only getting someone who has undergone significant additional training, but someone who deals with orthodontic problems every day.
How many years of schooling does an orthodontist have to go through? If we start calculating at first grade, orthodontists must graduate high school (12 years), college (4 years), dental school (4 years), and orthodontic residency (2-3 years). So by the time they finish their orthodontic training, most orthodontists have been in school for 22-23 years!

4. Are there clear or less noticeable braces?
Yes. Compared to 30 years ago, braces have gotten smaller and can be directly bonded (glued) to teeth. The bands or metal rings that used to be placed on every tooth now only need to be placed on the back teeth, if they are placed at all.
Besides smaller braces, there are also clear braces or even lingual braces that are bonded on the tongue-side of the teeth. Another option to straighten teeth is not to use braces at all, but a series of clear aligners such as Invisalign. Your orthodontist can determine which option would be best for you.

5. Will I need to have teeth extracted?
Your orthodontist may decide to extract teeth for a variety of reasons. Common reasons for extracting teeth are to provide space to align crowded teeth and improve facial balance. If your orthodontist wants to extract teeth, he or she will usually plan to close the spaces by the end of treatment. When teeth are extracted for orthodontic treatment, the recovery period is typically about 2-3 days.

6. Can I get braces just on my top or bottom teeth?
That depends. Besides straightening your teeth, orthodontists are also concerned about correcting your bite if needed. Many times, if only one arch is treated, the bite will still be uncorrected. Over time, a malocclusion (bad bite) could cause damage to your teeth, tissues, and jaw joints.

7. What are elastics and what do they do?
Elastics are removable small rubber bands that are worn to move your teeth in ways braces alone cannot. Elastics are used most often to correct bite problems. If you need to wear elastics, your orthodontist will tell you how to put them on, and whether you have to wear them all the time or only at night. Make sure you wear the elastics as directed by your orthodontist or your treatment may not progress.

8. When is the best time to schedule a consultation with the orthodontist?
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children see an orthodontist for an evaluation no later than age seven. There are a few orthodontic problems that should be corrected at that age. If your orthodontist determines that no treatment is necessary at that time, he or she will be able to offer you guidance on when to start treatment or when to bring your child back for re-evaluation.
For adults, treatment can be started at almost any age as long as the gums and bone surrounding the teeth are healthy.

9. Can wisdom teeth (third molars) cause crooked teeth?
Research has shown that wisdom teeth or third molars do not necessarily crowd teeth. In fact, some people who have had their wisdom teeth removed still get crowding, while others that still have their third molars erupted or impacted do not have crooked teeth.

10. Are there foods I cannot eat while I have braces?
Yes. There are definitely foods to avoid eating with braces. Stay away from Hard foods (nuts, chips, hard candy, pizza crust), Sticky foods (caramel, taffy, gum), Popcorn (due to the kernels), and Whole fruits (such as biting into a whole apple). Avoid biting on ice. In addition, do not bite into meats with bones such as chicken or ribs. All of these precautions are to minimize risk of breaking your braces.