braces and headgear -- help needed for hair

[WritingMum]

I have a long haired child who is about to get braces, complete with headgear. (I didn't realize anyone ever used headgear anymore!) We realized this morning that headgear rubs the back of the head! Do we need to be concerned about hair matting? Are there ways to protect and prevent tangles and damage while working with cloth headband rubbing, etc. for a large number of hours every day (and night)? Our puppy tends to matt on the side she likes to lie on if we're not diligent with keeping her snarl-free, (die-hard long-hairs, complete with long haired dog!) so we realize this could really become an issue. Any veterans out there? Any mamas? Any suggestions?

Thank you,
WritingMum

P.S. If you have thoughtful encouragement (for the one getting braces) you would like to include in your reply, it would be welcomed and appreciated by the long haired child in question. :)

P. P.S. Hooray! This is my 100th post!

[HairColoredHair]

Could you maybe make a silk/satin 'sleeve' for the part that will rub against her hair? It could make tangles/damage less likely.

As for the child in question... This too shall pass... promise. ;)

[WavyGirl]

That sleeve idea is a good one. It might be worth experimenting to see if it's possible to wear the hair in different styles beneath it so it's not always rubbing the same spot.

To the child I'd say remember the positive:
You'll have a beautiful smile
You will be able to bite and chew neatly
You will be able to pronounce sounds better
You are going to be wearing them at an age when a lot of people do so it won't be as traumatic as it will if you decide that you really need to do it 10 years from now.
Your parents are paying for it, not you!
Make sure you brush your teeth! :twisted:

ETA: WritingMum congratulations on 100 posts. :cheer:

[SimplyLonghair]

Yes find something to cover the headgear where it might rub! I work with kids that have rubbed bald spots on their heads due to helmets and other issues. They simply have "epilated":rolleyes: their hair off. Use something as slippery as possible to prevent rubbing and catching hair. Good luck!:)

[suicides_eve]

i had braces for 4 years and the bigest thing was tylenol and bruch and floss. It is very painful to have them tighten or added on always take a pain reliver about and hour before and so on to help the pain. stick to soft foods for that day.

brush and floss. it can leave those little white marks on your teeth that can't be lighten. not to mention cavities are easiyer to get b/c the food can get trapped.


not trying to bring the negitive up.. but these are facts i dealt with.
now i have a lovely smile and i'm not scared to wear it:D

[WritingPrincess]

WritingMum, my recommendation is to give your daughter the butterfinger in the candy jar before she gets the braces. :twisted:


Yes find something to cover the headgear where it might rub! I work with kids that have rubbed bald spots on their heads due to helmets and other issues. They simply have "epilated":rolleyes: their hair off. Use something as slippery as possible to prevent rubbing and catching hair. Good luck!:)

Would silk be slippery enough? I have a lot of silk scarves.

Yes, I'm the one getting the headgear. Don't know why Mommy didn't come out and say so.

[Elphie]

I wonder if this product would be helpful. It's the first thing that came to my mind.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=18235

[Anje]

If it's smooth silk (not "raw silk"), it might be slippery enough.

Good luck, WritingPrincess. I haven't had to deal with headgear, but hopefully it won't be too bad, nor last too long. Take care of the teeth, and be careful around crunchy foods like apples and Butterfingers -- it is certainly possible to pop those glued-on brackets off your teeth. I did it several times. Gum will probably get caught in them too much for you to bother chewing it.

In addition to brushing your teeth, you of course should floss. You'll want to get some "threaders" (http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalhealth/ss/flossbraces.htm) for that, and some little brush thingies (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10849640) to get things that are stuck under the wires out.

Good luck! It'll be over before you know it, especially when you look back on it.

[AnneAdeline]

WritingPrincess - Good luck with your braces! I had them for about 2.5 years and they were worth it. Remember to be careful with really sticky/chewy foods--I also popped off brackets or popped wires off that way. At first they will feel really weird, but you get used to the metal in your mouth in no time.

I agree that silk would be a good idea for cutting down on the rubbing.

Good luck again!

[sillyca]

Oh my- I remember those! SIlk would be a good idea. You have gotten great advice. I only had to wear something at night that pulled back my teeth or bite during my sleep.

Brush and floss. I did not use that extra brushing gel- and my teeth did not stain. If you have an auto or buzzing brush- use it- because during my time with braces I did not have one and I think the automatic ones would be more effective around braces.
Tightened braces call for milkshakes.
Pre cut your corn off of your cob first. In 4? years it will all be over.
Oh and I actually still have my retainer from post braces madness... it is actually on my desk now... I don't wear it anymore but I had found it from a move, and a re move..and a re re move...

If you can- when you get your braces tightened and your head hurts... lay down with a cold wet cloth on your forehead. hmm... or maybe some gel packs covered in washcloths would be good outside of your cheeks. But milkshakes do the same thing but taste better.
=)

[NebraskaChick84]

I wish I'd have gotten braces when I was young!

post pics of your beautiful smile when they are taken off WP!!! :D

[liquidfrisket]

I just wanted to say that I had headgear along with my braces and I didn't think that it tangled my hair too badly, but my hair was not very long at the time. I slept on a silk pillow though and that in combination with a silk sleeve over the band part would probably work wonderfully. Headgear wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be and it makes all the difference in the world. :)

[Darkhorse1]

I feel very, very bad for your daughter.

I had headgear that I barely wore, simply because sleeping with it was a pain in the butt. Even back in the early 80s, the headgear thingy is more satiny--it doesn't cause too many knots. I never had a problem, but I have to admit, I barely wore it ;) This was at the peak of my hair growth, and I know braces have improved since then. I would figure there is more padding/softeness you can add to prevent any knots.

[WavyGirl]

WritingMum, my recommendation is to give your daughter the butterfinger in the candy jar before she gets the braces. :twisted:



Would silk be slippery enough? I have a lot of silk scarves.

Yes, I'm the one getting the headgear. Don't know why Mommy didn't come out and say so.

LOL, I thought maybe it wasn't you and that your mum said it that way because we don't know any of your siblings. :silly:

I like your suggestion for a free run at the candy jar. LOL

I hope it all goes well and that you've got some good before shots to compare with the after photos which I'm sure will be awesome. :cheese:

[rags]

I also agree with silk sleeve for the headgear and silk pillowcase.

Writing Princess, I had braces for four and a half years.
Take a pain reliever the days they tighten them (and the day they put them on).
A Waterpik probably saved me from getting a single cavity - they are fantastic for getting into the crevices. My ortho highly recommended it, and I loved it (much better than the floss).
You will have a lovely smile, and you will get used to them in no time!
Oh, get some of the wax - it's great for putting on irritating spots until you can see your dentist (like if you pop a wire).

[Redheaded Raven]

Yes find something to cover the headgear where it might rub! I work with kids that have rubbed bald spots on their heads due to helmets and other issues. They simply have "epilated":rolleyes: their hair off. Use something as slippery as possible to prevent rubbing and catching hair. Good luck!:)


ok do you have to wear it only at night ? I Agree with the silk scarf
and I would find A silk pillowcase the wax is A good Idea A friend of my had them and used the wax she put it on her braces to prevent cutting the inside of her mouth best of luck

[eyesofsummer]

The orthodontist should go over the list of what food is allowed and what should be avoided. It's silly, though, what can break them...the one time I popped a wire, it was biting into a carrot stick. Oops! It was, of course, on the banned list.

I had headgear for about a year, and it really isn't that bad, it's just getting used to sleeping with something protruding from your mouth. If your daughter doesn't already have one, I would consider getting a feather pillow, as they're more fluffy and the headgear wires will be able to burrow into it instead of sitting on top of it. If she sleeps on her side, especially, it's much more comfortable. I don't remember any matting because of the strap, but covering it with a silk scarf, as others suggested, sounds like a good idea. Make sure to clean the strap once in a while, mine did get gross sometimes!

[SimplyLonghair]

Yes silk would work perfectly. Wrap your head and the headgear if possible. The rubbing is the problem. It breaks the hair off at the head since that is what is being rubbed.:rolleyes: Just do what works to prevent rubbing.


WritingMum, my recommendation is to give your daughter the butterfinger in the candy jar before she gets the braces. :twisted:



Would silk be slippery enough? I have a lot of silk scarves.

Yes, I'm the one getting the headgear. Don't know why Mommy didn't come out and say so.

[iriska]

hey there,
about encouragements:
i wore braces for 5 years, with elastics at the back, headgear during the night...the total thing, i had wisdom teeth pulled out while they were still under my gum...in short, i had all the teeth problems you can imagine

still! now that all that is finished, i ALWAYS get compliments on my smile. i even got compliments from teachers after oral presentations ect.

so, i know it's a bore (and sometimes painful), but it's worth it, and i'm sure your child will be happy to have a nice straight pretty smile later on ;)

[Laululintu]

When I had to wear headgear with my braces, the biggest trouble I had was to keep the rubber bands from tangling in my hair (I wore one with rubber bands that attatched the whisker-y part to my headgear). I can't remember having too many tangles, but I did wear my hair in a ponytail for bed while I had to use the headgear.

Good luck! Braces are a pain, but worth it in the end.

[WritingPrincess]

In addition to brushing your teeth, you of course should floss. You'll want to get some "threaders" (http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalhealth/ss/flossbraces.htm) for that, and some little brush thingies (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10849640) to get things that are stuck under the wires out.

Good luck! It'll be over before you know it, especially when you look back on it. I got the brush thingies, but that threader looks like a great idea.


Oh my- I remember those! SIlk would be a good idea. You have gotten great advice. I only had to wear something at night that pulled back my teeth or bite during my sleep.

Brush and floss. I did not use that extra brushing gel- and my teeth did not stain. If you have an auto or buzzing brush- use it- because during my time with braces I did not have one and I think the automatic ones would be more effective around braces.
Tightened braces call for milkshakes.
Pre cut your corn off of your cob first. In 4? years it will all be over.
Oh and I actually still have my retainer from post braces madness... it is actually on my desk now... I don't wear it anymore but I had found it from a move, and a re move..and a re re move...

If you can- when you get your braces tightened and your head hurts... lay down with a cold wet cloth on your forehead. hmm... or maybe some gel packs covered in washcloths would be good outside of your cheeks. But milkshakes do the same thing but taste better.
=)
Milkshakes. Nice. :)


I also agree with silk sleeve for the headgear and silk pillowcase.

Writing Princess, I had braces for four and a half years.
Take a pain reliever the days they tighten them (and the day they put them on).
A Waterpik probably saved me from getting a single cavity - they are fantastic for getting into the crevices. My ortho highly recommended it, and I loved it (much better than the floss).
You will have a lovely smile, and you will get used to them in no time!
Oh, get some of the wax - it's great for putting on irritating spots until you can see your dentist (like if you pop a wire).
We got a Waterpik! :)


ok do you have to wear it only at night ? I Agree with the silk scarf
and I would find A silk pillowcase the wax is A good Idea A friend of my had them and used the wax she put it on her braces to prevent cutting the inside of her mouth best of luck
The more I wear it, the faster I can be done.


The orthodontist should go over the list of what food is allowed and what should be avoided. It's silly, though, what can break them...the one time I popped a wire, it was biting into a carrot stick. Oops! It was, of course, on the banned list.

I had headgear for about a year, and it really isn't that bad, it's just getting used to sleeping with something protruding from your mouth. If your daughter doesn't already have one, I would consider getting a feather pillow, as they're more fluffy and the headgear wires will be able to burrow into it instead of sitting on top of it. If she sleeps on her side, especially, it's much more comfortable. I don't remember any matting because of the strap, but covering it with a silk scarf, as others suggested, sounds like a good idea. Make sure to clean the strap once in a while, mine did get gross sometimes!
I have a memory foam type pillow, and I sleep on my side.


Okay, I got the braces on today. They want me to wait a week before starting the headgear, until my teeth get adjusted to the braces. The strap goes around the crown on my head, and it's a denim type material, only smoother. I don't think there'll be problems with matting, but I'm still going to see what kind of silk sleeve I can rig up.

[WritingPrincess]

Oh, and I forgot to add that almost all the foods on the verboten list were foods that we eat rarely or never, things like hard candy and sugar gum. I'm only allowed to have sugarless, which is allowed, so I can keep on chewing my daily Trident gum! :happydance: