I'm going to get braces this year!

[metalliKa]

Tick tock tick tock!

Make sure to post post braces photos!

[NeilH]

Tick tock tick tock!

Make sure to post post braces photos!

Thank you. Only 8 hours to go! I barely slept at all last night, far too many thoughts and emotions going through my head. I'm not sure how I'm going to get anything done today!

[NeilH]

OMG, so many emotions right now, happy, elated, anxious, nervous, uncertain, excited... Leaving for the surgery soon so next update will be after I come out. Here's to a new smile!

[oldfart]

Surgery? For what? Thought you were just getting braces off.

[kip]

Enjoy! Can't wait to see some post appointment pictures.

My memory from the first time round debracing is the weird feeling of how slimy and smooth my teeth were with no braces on!

[NeilH]

Enjoy! Can't wait to see some post appointment pictures.

My memory from the first time round debracing is the weird feeling of how slimy and smooth my teeth were with no braces on!

Thanks Kip. Keep watching, photos and an account of what happened to follow shortly!

[NeilH]

And that's me finished!

I turned up nice and early and they took me through soon after I arrived which was great as I just wanted to get started. The first thing the therapist did was to prep the teeth for the bonded retainers, then my ortho came across and fitted them both. Each tooth was carefully bonded one at a time so I now have the fixed retainer on the top and bottom six front teeth. It still feels a little strange with little blobs of glue and a slightly rough feeling wire but to be honest, I can barely notice it as the wire is so thin and will probably get used to it in just a few days.

Removing the brackets was incredibly fast, each popped off really easily and there was no discomfort at all. The worst bit was the removing of the glue, this took a while and whilst not painful, was a little uncomfortable and I was glad when this part was over.

Photos and impressions came next. I ended up having three sets of impressions, one for each retainer but this went really well, the therapist was so kind, caring and gentle.

And I then finally got the chance to have a look. Wow, what a super result, I'm really pleased. My bite feels great, it looks great and everything I wanted to achieve has been done.

I had a lesson on how to use super floss around the fixed retainers and got to keep my brackets and wires and have an idea about incorporating them into something art related.

I left a gift bag with chocolates and biscuits for the staff along with a thank you card but also two letters, one to my ortho and one to the staff. In the letters I expressed my gratitude for what they have done and the kindness they have shown to me throughout my braces experience. I tried to address everyone personally describing the impact they have had on me and the way they have all uniquely made the experience so amazing.

I go back next week for my retainers which I'm looking forward to and will update you with how I'm getting on.

I have a couple of photos taken with my phone as I know a few of you are keen to see the result. So here goes!

[metalliKa]

Incredible result, Neil! It really shows in your smile!

You are so kind to make a goodies bag and write personalized letters for your ortho and his staff. I will probably do something similar when I get to that point...hopefully in the next few months.

Now go celebrate with the Mrs. and your family! And have a super fun vacation!

[TheProfessor]

Awesome result! Congratulations!!!

[glitterbabe]

Hi I'm new to this so sorry if I've done this message completely wrong. I just wanted to ask if your fixed retainer affected your speech and eating and how do they actually take the brackets and glue of your teeth?

[NeilH]

Incredible result, Neil! It really shows in your smile!

You are so kind to make a goodies bag and write personalized letters for your ortho and his staff. I will probably do something similar when I get to that point...hopefully in the next few months.

Now go celebrate with the Mrs. and your family! And have a super fun vacation!

Thank you. I'm still getting used to the new me but very happy with the result. It's actually a work trip to Denmark but I hope to get some time to explore whilst there. The thank you gifts and letters were the very least I could do considering the incredible care I have received and so well deserved by all at the practice.

[NeilH]

Awesome result! Congratulations!!!

Thank you, not long for you too!

[NeilH]

Back in work today and not a single person noticed or commented on me getting my braces off! Just what is the world coming to?

[NeilH]

Hi I'm new to this so sorry if I've done this message completely wrong. I just wanted to ask if your fixed retainer affected your speech and eating and how do they actually take the brackets and glue of your teeth?

Hi, welcome to the forum and thank you for raising such a good question. It's great when people comment on our posts and for those of us who have been through the process, we are more than happy to offer explanations where we can.

No, my fixed retainers do not affect my speech or eating at all. I thought it might but there is no discernible difference to speech at all. In terms of food, I'm still a little cautious and with anything glued in place, there is probably a need to be careful about sticky or chewy foods but my ortho hasn't stated anything is off limits. The fixed retainers consist of an incredibly thin twisted wire which is simply held in place with a small blob of glue behind each tooth. It feels a little odd, not rough, not smooth, just slightly different. Not uncomfortable just something new to experience.

The process for removing metal and ceramic brackets is slightly different. The metal brackets are actually quite soft so the ortho takes a pliar type tool and grips the bracket between the bracket part that the wire fits into and the metal part glued to the tooth. As pressure is applied, the bracket distorts very slightly and the glue is sheared. There is no feeling at all. No pulling, no twisting, no anything, just a quiet pop and the bracket is off. It took around ten seconds per arch and absolutely no discomfort at all. Ceramic brackets are very hard and do not distort when pressure is applied so either tend to shatter of there is a feeling of pressure as the ortho tries to get the glue to shear. I didn't have ceramic brackets so you may get a better explanation from those who did but this is how I understand it.

There will be some glue on your teeth after the brackets are removed and this needs to be removed. The ortho uses a hand piece with a burr that does not damage the enamel and simply grinds the glue off. This is not painful but can be uncomfortable as your teeth might be a little sensitive and any high speed tool grinding away on your tooth surface sends a vibration that can be a little disconcerting. I should also mention that it does smell a little of burning and I found this a little off-putting. The whole process only took a few minutes so was quite bearable but was definately the least comfortable part of the process. The therapist who undertook this was really kind and gentle and was reassuring throughout so I can't complain. After this, she polished the teeth in the same way your dentist would.

The whole braces removal process was really quick and I knew what to expect so nothing was a surprise. The staff at my practice are absolutely wonderful and we chatted throughout which was lovely although I'm sure this slowed them down and created a waiting room full of patients!

At what stage are you at? If you haven't started, just go for it. It's a decision you won't regret.

[NeilH]

And here is a photo of the lower fixed retainer. It is really, really thin and incredibly hard to photograph.