Metal Mouth Message Board

A few years ago, we did a poll on the main ArchWired site asking our adult readers how old they were when they got their braces. The results were quite enlightening. I think it would be a good idea to do this poll again and see if the results are any different 4 years later.

Please vote in our poll and add a comment to this thread about your age and anything else you'd like to say about how age impacted your treatment (if at all).

-Lynn

I was 17 when I got my braces, but let's assume it was 18

for me my age is a huge factor in the fact that I need surgery as well as braces, rather than just the braces, because I grew up knowing I would need the surgery. Spending your teenage life focussed on your bad jaw doesn't leave you with the best of mentalities (for me, certainly)

I was 16 when I got my braces.

crazybeautiful, I'm the same. I need surgery too. I didn't know my whole life though, I found out when I was 15.
Still at 15, I decided to go for it. It's not going to go away magically.

I am 22 and will be getting braces shortly (have had spacers in for a week). My teeth weren't too bad till I was about 20-21 yrs old then the lower canine and upper incisor started moving and I developed a pretty bad crossbite. Wish it had happened earlier as I'd prefer not to have braces at my age but I look at it as though everything happens when it happens for a reason. Hopefully will have them off when I'm 23 (fingers crossed).

I am 23 now, and got them this year. I decided to do it because I'm not getting any younger! I see a lot of people who regret not doing it earlier, and it was mostly nerves stopping me, so I decided to buck up and go for it. I'm glad I did.

I just turned 53 and will be getting my braces in less than 2 weeks. I also had braces the first time at age 27. It was an easy decision the first time - not as easy the second time around...but still glad I'm doing it

I'm 24 for now, was 23 when I got them, and I'm hoping I'll turn 25 without braces

I've wanted braces since I was 15, but as for Elvinel, my nerves were stopping me. But it's been the best decision I've ever made, and even though I wish I got them earlier, I'm so glad I finally did.

Just got braced a couple months ago at 37, after putting it off for years - for no other reason than I was chicken haha. Best decision I ever made, and I'm hoping to have straight teeth before I turn 40!

I got braces just after turning 19, i decided to do it now before starting at uni with crooked teeth

i got mine at 24

I got them 2 days after my 20th birthday.

I'm 45 and am wearing them for the second time. I wore braces for 18 months when I was in middle school. I was very good about wearing my retainer (I was still sleeping in it when I graduated from college) so my problem wasn't that my teeth had shifted. In my case I've been suffering from myofascial pain caused by a TMJ disorder that I've had since I was 17. I can remember almost to the moment that it started (my jaw would actually lock up and I would have to move it from side to side to unlock it), but I have no idea what caused it to suddenly start. My current ortho keeps asking me if I was in a car accident or something but I have no recollection of any trauma that would have caused it.

Anyway, I've had terrible problems for 10 or 15 years with neck pain that causes tension headaches and I've been through the wringer between visiting orthopedists, physical therapists, accupuncturists, pain specialists, you name it. I also had sinus surgery because at one point the docs thought they were sinus headaches. Additionally, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic told me that I had migraines even though the headaches were nothing like migraines (at least from the way they're described in the literature). I ended up discovering on my own through reading on the internet that my symptoms sounded like a TMJ disorder. Since I don't have any particularly bad pain in the actual jaw at this point and it doesn't lock up anymore, no one put it together.

I found a local ortho who specializes in treating TMJ and I'm so glad I found him. I wore a splint for a year and for the second half of that year wore elastics on my molars to pull them into the correct position for my jaw. I was told just before Christmas that I didn't need the splint any longer and on December 29th I got my braces. I'm so excited about them because for me they are the final (and easiest in my opinion) part of the process. The headaches that had become 24/7 for the past two years have almost gone away completely. I do find that my neck is still very tight and can get sore resulting in my head hurting, but it's not constant. It seems to relate to changes being made in my bite.

Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble, it's just fun finding others who can relate because I haven't actually met anyone else going through what I am. I've had a few people ask me if the braces I had as a kid actually caused the problem, but I have no idea. I didn't start having the TMJ symptoms until a year or two after I had the braces off so it doesn't seem like they're related. I had one wisdom tooth come in about that time but I've never heard that getting wisdom teeth causes TMJD either.

I got mine 3 days before my 35th birthday. I never really thought about braces as a kid. I just wished I had straight teeth. I'm very happy to be able to afford them now as an adult. I'm looking forward to loving my new smile.

I'm 31, and just got my braces today! I'm feeling pretty good (for now), and am excited about the adventure that lies ahead!

I was 32 when I went for the full metal mouth.
At 15 I had a retainer style which didn't do much so took the plunge when I felt more confident as a person. V happy with results so far.