How do I explain braces to my children?

[sara2280]

Hi all! I am getting my braces put on this coming Thursday. I have 3 kids ages 6,4, and 2. I attempted to tell them about it tonight but this was an epic fail. They didn't get it and my 6 year old said braces are only for teenagers. I told him that adults get them too. Then they went onto playing.
I am getting ceramic uppers and lowers on Thursday and will probably be starting elastics at my first adjustment. I didn't know if there was a good way to explain this whole thing to little ones??
My husband doesn't really comment on the whole thing and just said whatever I want to do, if I feel like I really need it. So not much help there.
I am excited for Thursday. This week is going soo slow! I even called to office to see if they could squeeze me in sooner. They bumped up my appointment by 15 minutes, not so helpful.
Any advice anyone has would be great and enormously appreciated!

Thank ou!

[chichi]

It sounds like you already explained it. Other than taking pictures regularly and showing them how your teeth have changed, I don't know what else you can do. If you want them involved, you could see if you could bring the older ones to appointments and let them watch. My ortho doesn't let anyone but the patient in the patient area, but I assume some orthos may allow it.

And even though your 6 year old says braces are for teenagers, he's not at the age where something like this would embarrass him or anything like that (you know how embarrassing parents can be when kids hit a certain age). It's not going to be a huge deal.

[SkizzyD]

Kids adapt really easily, especially at younger ages.

My niece is 7 and after I got them on, she was a little intrigued but after a couple of days, she really didn't care lol

[28monthjourney]

I can't vouch for how they react when you get the actual brackets on, but I have a 4 year old sister who I went to visit a few days ago, and when she saw my spacers she did the whole "Whoa, that's kind of weird, what's in your mouth?" thing for a little bit, but she quickly got used to it and when I explained braces to her, she asked if she could get them too
Kids tend to only think something is new and confusing for a short amount of time, they adapt easily. They may question it, and I can almost guarantee the two youngest will try to play with your braces, but after you explain what they do and that they are very fragile, they should understand (especially once there's something there for them to see!)

[agrace90]

I work as a Nanny and the kids weren't phased. They're 8, 6, and 18months x2. The babies actually noticed. They were just barely a year old and to this day still try to take them off my teeth and laugh when I show them. The 8 year old talked about having to get braces for herself and I never heard a word from the 6 year old. I don't think they seem to care and got used to them very quickly.

[altesse7]

Not much help...my kids are 3 and 9. I came home with my braces on,lol. They were shocked looking at my teeth. They wanted an explanation...I told them," Mommy used to put her fingers in her mouth, when she was a baby. Putting my fingers in in my mouth all the time made my teeth spread out. Mommy doesn't like how her teeth look. She also is having teeth problems, if she doesn't get these braces. So, she needs them. Braces are to make Mommy's teeth straight. They will hurt me,sometimes. Do you have any questions?" And, they asked me a bunch. I was honest. That's how I am with my kiddos.

[Haagi]

Haha what kind of things a parents can be worried by...

No but children will be like wtf, then get used to it like everything they adapt to it