I had metal braces and then a retainer at about age 13/14?. They are alot harder to clean than just your usual brushing b/c of the wires etc.... however if you don't then you would end up with fillings and damaged teeth. They do hurt when you go for your checkups b/c the orthodontist usually will tighten them and your gums/mouth are sore for a few days, so I would suggest soups and foods that are more soft than hard to eat for a few days after the visit. I also had to have the elastics joining the top and bottom braces, PITA b/c you have to take them out to eat. With the retainer, you need to rinse your mouth regularly after eating & clean the retainer to remove food bits. I used to just into the loos after recess and lunch and rinse it under the tap. My teeth aren't great but I had alot of issues to fix (missing teeth, false teeth etc...) This was my experience, so things might have changed now.