If your teenager is going to be getting braces, then they have probably talked to people about it. Friends that they discuss their upcoming braces with may be full of information about braces and what to expect. The problem is that there are many myths regarding braces and, when your teen hears these myths, it may have them worried about getting braces. Learn about some of the more common myths about orthodontics, so you can put your teen's mind at ease. 

• Braces will always hurt because they must be tight – Although you do need to go in every so often to have the braces tightened, they won't be so tight that they are going to cause you to hurt the entire time you have them. In fact, your teeth may be sensitive for a couple of days after a tightening, but after that you should feel fine.  
• Braces will pick up radio stations – Even though braces may remind you of an antenna due to the wires, they will not pick up radio stations. This myth may go around so much due to movies of the past depicting characters picking up radio frequencies through their braces and their fillings.
• Braces will cause metal detectors to go off – metal detectors are looking for a specific type of metal, such as the metals that certain weapons are made of. Therefore, you will be fine going through a metal detector.
• Braces will leave permanent white spots on your teeth – Braces won't leave permanent white spots, but they can leave temporary ones. However, if you are properly caring for your teeth while you have the braces on then this shouldn't be an issue. If you do get while spots, a good cleaning should correct the issue.
• You can't wear a mouth guard for contact sports with braces – Many people believe that they can't wear a mouth guard because they won't fit over the braces correctly. However, mouth guards are formed to fit over the shape of your teeth, and this means they will be formed to accommodate braces.
• People can get stuck when they kiss – A longstanding myth is that two people wearing braces can get locked together by their braces when they kiss. Although this was never a real concern, the braces nowadays are even smaller than the ones of the past, making this even less likely.

Now that you can educate your teenager properly and help them feel more at ease, you should have less trouble getting them into the orthodontist's chair.