A common concern among teens and adults undergoing orthodontic treatment is how to naviagte dating with braces. To help, here are some tips and ideas for not letting your braces get in the way of your romantic endeavors!
Own your braces!
Feeling confident with braces isn't always easy, and especially not when they’re still new and you’re just getting used to them. Ultimately though, to date successfully with braces your best bet is to embrace them instead of trying to hide them. After all, confidence is pretty attractive!
Try:
- Smiling and laughing without holding back. There's no use trying to hide your braces behind your lips, it will just be awkward.
- Coloured braces! When you're getting your elastics changed, choose a colour that you like, or that suits your skin tone or eye colour.
- Bold lipstick (if that’s your thing) that frames your braces, and makes them pop. In a way, you can almost think of your braces as an accessory!
Check for debris.
Nothing will spoil a romantic meal faster than your date uncomfortably pointing out that most of your dinner is stuck in your brackets.
If you’re going out for a meal, eat braces-friendly food, and check our brackets discreetly throughout the evening to make sure you’re in the clear. Keeping a small mirror in your purse or pocket is always a good idea. If you think this sounds a bit distracting, it may be better not to go on dates involving food until you and your date get to know each other better.
Remember: Your date cares less about your braces than you do.
You may be feeling self-conscious, but chances are your date isn’t even thinking about your braces.
Your date likely knows a couple of things about braces already, namely that they aren’t forever, and that even if they were, they don’t change anything about who you are as a person. If you two are compatible, it shouldn't matter that you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment. And if he or she does… is that really someone you want to date, anyway?
And you never know... maybe your date will think your braces are cute!
Go for a more inconspicuous treatment option.
There are a several inconspicuous orthodontic treatment options available for teens and adults that eliminate or at least lessen some of the social issues associated with traditional braces:
Invisalign: these clear plastic aligners are almost invisible when worn.
Translucent braces: the brackets are made of a tooth-coloured ceramic material that blends in with the colour of your teeth.
In-Ovation System: features smaller brackets and no elastics or ties, for a more streamlined look.