I have braces and want to go travelling

[zjacoob]

I've had braces for about 3-4 months and want to go travelling during my gap year. I'll be out of my country for more then a month at a time so will miss some of my dentist appointments where the brace is tightened. Is there anyway around this or will I simply need to take the brace off for a while?

[drrick]

Talk with your doc about timing of the appts.

I do this rather routinely -- see pts who cannot come back at typical intervals.

[KatieGee]

I don't think you'll have to take your braces off. I told my ortho a few weeks ago that I was thinking of relocating to another country but would like to retain him as my ortho. I was prepared to fly back for appointments every few months. He said that was ok. It may lengthen your treatment time (or maybe even not) but it is definitely doable. The only thing I would be concerned about is if a bracket falls off or a wire starts poking your cheek during your holiday.

Have fun in your gap year!

[tsmurfenator]

My most recent adjustment was in the Philippines, I currently live in Israel, and I started braces at a clinic in Mexico when I was living in US and have had ligatures changed in several different countries (in South America, Caribbean, and Asia) on top of that. Such is life. You can go to any dental clinic anywhere on the planet and get ligatures changed for about $10.00-$20.00 dollars or so, but adjustments (or more complicated things such as reattaching a bracket) are harder - most dentists are sympathetic and willing to help if you tell them your regular dentist is 8,000 miles away and you won't be able to go back for the next 12 months. All of the equipment (such as wiring numbering and types) are all international standards and interchangeable anywhere. Whether it's effective treatment is another story but I feel like I'm making progress.