Living with braces requires you to deal with a couple of adjustments in your lifestyle as soon as you leave the dentist’s office. And let’s be honest: braces are probably going to bring a little unease to your kissing game. But is there actually a risk of getting your braces get locked together when kissing someone else with braces?
It’s a popular myth, but braces don’t get locked together when kissing. Modern braces use very thin wires and small brackets that won’t easily get stuck together. And by following braces-friendly kissing techniques, you can keep your experience comfortable and fun.
While learning to kiss with braces can be daunting, you don’t have to give up on romance. If you take things slow and stick to a couple of braces-friendly techniques, you’ll enjoy yourself and likely forget you have braces at all. Let’s discuss how to keep your kissing experience smooth and safe.
Can You Feel Braces When Kissing?
Once you’ve started feeling better and are comfortable with kissing, it’s possible for your partner to come into contact with your braces when their lips or tongue brushes against them once in a while. However, you should wait at least two weeks after getting braces to try something adventurous like kissing.
Braces don’t have to be barrier to keep you from expressing affection with a memorable, romantic kiss. You just have to relax and take it slow for the safety of you and your partner.
If you’re gentle enough, you won’t have to worry about getting any sort of tiny bruises from your partner’s braces. It just takes some time and practice to become good at kissing with braces, the same way it does without them.
Can Braces Lock Together When Kissing?
Movies and TV might have made you afraid of your braces locking together when kissing, but such an incident is very unlikely to happen.
The idea that braces lock together when kissing is only a scary myth that’s been busted countless times.
Seasoned orthodontists can confirm that the wires and brackets used in modern braces are so small that you don’t have to worry about them getting locked together. Plus, braces aren’t that magnetic after all. So while it’s creepy to imagine your mouth getting stuck to your partner’s in an embrace, it’s not gonna happen.
How to Kiss Someone With Braces
You’ve probably heard of people who believe they won’t be able to kiss their partner well until their braces are removed, fearing it will be unpleasant otherwise.
However, kissing with braces is not only perfectly possible, but can be just as enjoyable as without them. What’s more, your partner loves you, and having braces shouldn’t change any of that. Some extra care and a dash and common sense doesn’t hurt, though.
Here’s a few tips to keep you and your partner safe and comfortable while kissing with braces.
Wait Until You Feel Comfortable
Sadly, you can’t just start making out the second you walk out of the dentist’s office. Orthodontists recommend waiting at least two weeks before you start kissing anybody.
Remember, braces usually hurt at first, and you need some time to feel comfortable with them in your mouth. Therefore, you’ll have to begin the process of learning how to manage your braces when completing any task that they make a bit challenging, like brushing, eating, and yes, kissing.
Start Kissing With Your Mouths Closed
Close-lipped kisses are your best bet to start with once you’ve started feeling better with the braces. While you may be longing for those classic French kisses, bumping teeth into metal is probably not your idea of romance.
So kiss slowly with your lips at first, working your way up to sizzling techniques only as you get more comfortable. Softening your lips with gloss or balm beforehand is never a bad idea either, with or without braces.
Relax and Take Things Slow
If it’s your first time kissing with braces, start off gently, so you get a good feel of the unusual terrain. While it’s very unlikely that the braces will lock together, you could easily snag your partner’s tongue or bump into their lips with the brackets if you’re not careful.
It will take practice to learn where and when to apply gentle pressure at first. As you explore your partner’s lips and gain more experience, you’ll also figure out when to avoid the pressure, and when to take a step back completely.
Maintain Just a Tiny Lip Pressure
Press your lips lightly against your partner’s, as being too hasty can hurt them. Moreover, pressing hard against their lips will force the wires and brackets against your lips, causing you pain and discomfort as well.
Therefore, watch your lip pressure, kissing your partner more passionately only once you feel comfortable. At this stage, you should still do it only with your lips.
Keep Your Tongues Away From the Braces
Whether you’re the only one of the duo with braces or your partner has them as well, you should always keep your tongues away from the braces. Part your lips widely enough and open your mouth appreciably to allow your tongue to move freely between your partner’s teeth.
You risk cutting your lips or gums if you run up against the braces, and your partner can hurt theirs as well against your braces.
But if you kiss slowly and correctly at the beginning, you’ll have built enough anticipation, making it even more exciting.
Provided your tongue is positioned away from the braces, feel free to explore your partner’s mouth. You can move your tongue in circles or gently move it up and down and enjoy the sizzling moment.
Use Dental Wax
Using dental wax is a sure way to make your braces more comfortable, and it can also guarantee you a more enjoyable kiss. And if you use them properly, your partner may not even notice you have braces in the first place.
They cover the rugged spots that may snag or cut your partner, protecting them and making the kiss fun and desirable.
Tackle Bad Breath
Your primary concern should be your breath when it comes to kissing, which isn’t necessarily limited to people with braces. However, your oral care routine may be a bit more challenging if you have braces since there are many spots where food can get stuck, leading to bad breath.
It’s well worth your time and money to upgrade the brush and floss you use after getting braces. This means investing in an electric toothbrush and water flosser, which are the best aids to combat bad breath.
Braces can be very difficult to clean and can easily produce an odor if plaque is continually being left behind using an old-fashioned toothbrush and string floss.
To keep bad breath at bay on the go, you can take disposable toothbrushes and floss to your dates, thoroughly cleaning your teeth after eating to maintain that fresh breath for unforgettable kisses.
Don’t Mock Braces
If your partner has recently gotten braces, be sensitive to their situation. Even if you find your new kissing experience strange at first, refrain from making “metal mouth” jokes.
Chances are, your partner is already self-conscious about their situation and are worried you may find them unattractive with braces, and you should make them feel better. But if you also have braces and you know your partner won’t impose a kissing embargo because of your jokes, you can always laugh about it together.
