Braces. Almost 4 million people in the US currently have braces. I was able to speak to 7th and 8th grade Citizenship and World History Teacher Myranda Cobb, about her experience with braces.

First I asked her if they helped at all. “Yes, she said. I had very bad teeth, and am glad that I had them, but looking back, I wish that I would have broken my jaw to get rid of my overbite. It hurts sometimes, and you can’t eat certain foods. I couldn’t eat corn on the cob, so I still have the habit of cutting corn off the cob. It also cuts the inside of your mouth sometimes.”

I then asked about the pros of braces. “I knew they were going to fix my teeth, and I really enjoyed the fun colors. Pink was my favorite color.” I asked a fellow 8th grader, Emily Hunter, the same questions. “Yes, they have helped. One of the bad things about having braces is the fact that I have to go get them tightened. I get food stuck in them sometimes, and it’s hard to get it out.”

“Eventually my braces will help. I don’t like having braces, and there aren’t many good things about having them. Over all, they just kind of hurt.”

I asked them both about any advice they had for new people with braces, or people who are going to get braces. “Mainly, you should just follow all of the rules. It’s also really fun to have different colors, so get fun ones. You should wear your retainer afterwards, so that you don’t have to get braces again.”

Emily also had some good advice: “Wear wax, and chapstick, because somehow [braces] dry out your lips. Rubbing ice also helps to stop some of the pain.”

Over all, braces are tough, and no one really likes to have them, but you can get fun colors to make it a little more exciting, and they will help your teeth out a lot!