French kissing with braces

Dear Reader,

If kissing wasn’t awkward enough, it can be even more intimidating when you’re trying to do so with the addition of tongues and braces. Because French kissing involves the tongue in addition to the lips, it’s possible for your braces to cut the soft tissue in the mouth. Rest assured, Reader, that having braces doesn’t mean an end to kissing — bracket technology has allowed for smaller and smoother brackets that are less likely to get caught, whether it be on a sweater, another bracket, or soft tissue. Read on for some tips on how to safely smooch with braces.

Kissing adds another level of intimacy to relationships. French kissing, which is really just the introduction of the tongue, can be a beautiful, passionate display of your feelings. There's no right or wrong way to French kiss because everyone has their own personal style. Of course, how much or how little tongue you want to taste, feel, probe, suck, and meet is completely up to you.

This demonstration of affection is sometimes complicated by braces. Although not everyone will notice your braces right away, a kissing partner will see them closer than most. To make moves in a less accident-prone way, try going slowly and softening the kiss, perhaps even using just the lips themselves rather than the entire mouth. It’s also good to not put too much pressure on the lips, as they might get smashed up against the brackets. If you try these tips and they aren’t quite satisfying, consider using wax on the bumpier parts of your braces to minimize the chance of the brackets causing any cuts.

When you like someone, it might feel awkward to bring up topics such as this for fear of offending or embarrassing your partner or feeling embarrassed yourself. However, if you've gotten to the kissing stage, it’s likely that you feel comfortable with this person. You might try to frame the conversation as an opportunity to strengthen your relationship or as a way to build your assertiveness and better communicate your needs to your partner. Either way, taking this first step could make a world of difference for you and your kissing future. It’s also worth noting that learning and honing your kissing style takes lots of practice, so feel free to try different techniques and styles, as long as your partner is also a willing participant!

If you find that you're getting really torn-up inside and out about how to handle the kissing-with braces dilemma, remember that you won't be wearing braces for the rest of your life. Plus, many braces-wearing folks have been able to have happy and successful kissing relations.