How to Kiss With Braces

Co-authored by Eddy Baller

Learning how to kiss can be daunting enough, but having braces while you do it can add a whole new curve ball to your kissing game. But don't worry -- if you take it slow and follow a few braces-friendly techniques, your kisses will be so good that you won't even remember that you or your partner have braces. If you want to know how to kiss with braces, just follow these steps.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Taking it Slow

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Wait at least two weeks before you begin the serious kissing. When you or the person you want to kiss first get braces, you shouldn't rush to start making out the second you walk out of the dentist's office. Your braces will hurt at first, and you'll need some time to get comfortable to the metal in your mouth, and to learn how to manage your braces when you eat, brush your teeth, and complete any other tasks that are made more difficult by your braces.^{[1]
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- You can still kiss your special someone on the lips in the meantime, but don't take it further than that.
2
Start the close-lipped kisses. Hastily introducing teeth to metal is not a good way to get things started. Though you may be longing for some French kissing, you should take things slow and kiss only using your lips at first -- you can work your way up to French kissing as you get more comfortable. In the meantime, you can even take care to soften your lips with gloss an hour or two before the pecks on the lips begin so you feel more comfortable.^{[2]
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3
Take things slow. This is especially true if this is your first time. Start off very gently so you can get a feel for the terrain. As you get more practice, you'll learn where and when to apply pressure (soft at first), and where to avoid it. As you kiss your partner, explore his or her closed lips and see how comfortable you feel before you make the next move. And if you don't even feel comfortable enough to kiss yet, then take a step back.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Eddy Baller
Dating Coach
Expert Interview. 7 February 2020.}

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Turning Up the Heat

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Press your lips gently against your partner's. If you do this too hard and fast, you may hurt the other person, which will force your teeth and gums against your lips -- you could end up hurting yourself, too. Once you're comfortable with these kisses, start kissing your partner more passionately while still only using your lips. You can still generate plenty of passion without going for the full-on tongue kiss.^{[4]
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- If you're the only one in the duo with braces, you might want to warn your partner about this.
2
Keep your tongues away from the braces. Whether you're wearing braces or your partner is, you should part your lips widely enough and open your mouths enough that your tongue moves between your partner's teeth and doesn't get stuck on the braces. If you run up against the braces, you can end up cutting your lips or gums, and your partner can hurt his tongue if it brushes up against your braces.
3
Don't be afraid to go for it. Sure, you should go slowly at first, but that can build anticipation, and make the kissing even more exciting. So, once your tongue is comfortably between your partner's teeth and both of your tongues are positioned away from your braces, then you should be comfortable with exploring your partner's mouth. Move your tongue in circles, or just gently move it up and down and enjoy the sensation.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Eddy Baller
Dating Coach
Expert Interview. 7 February 2020.}
- Don't worry about your braces getting stuck together, either. That is an absolute myth! Braces are not magnetic.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Keeping it Hot

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Avoid eating cumbersome foods right before you kiss. Though you don't want to be too paranoid about having a perfect situation inside your mouth before you kiss or you'll miss out on the romance of spontaneous kissing, you should be mindful before you make a move. Though you shouldn't fast right before you kiss, you should be aware of which foods are braces-friendly and which should be avoided at all costs. Any foods that melt in your mouth and that are easy to chew and swallow are okay, as a rule; any foods that are crunchy take forever to chew, or just stick around, like mango, should be avoided.
- If you're at the movies and know you'll be kissing, go for the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate instead of the popcorn, which can easily get caught in your teeth -- and therefore, your braces.
2
Do not make fun of a person with braces. If you're on this page because your kissing partner has recently been given the gift of braces, then you should be extremely sensitive to his or her situation. Don't make any "brace face" or "metal mouth" jokes unless you want an embargo on kissing all together. Your partner is likely very sensitive and feels self conscious enough as it is; it's your job to make him or her feel better, not worse.^{[6]
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- If you both have braces, then great! You can laugh about it together.
3
Consider taking additional steps to keep things sexy. If you've been kissing with braces for a while but it's just not working, or there are just too many rough edges in the metal to make room for romance, then you may have to take some additional measures. You can consider covering the rough spots with dental wax or silicone, or even smooth them out at the dentist if they're really rough, but only try this if it makes you comfortable.^{[7]
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Warnings

If braces become damaged or are too abrasive, make sure to have your orthodontist smooth them out.^{[9]
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