Finally fixing my hideous teeth...

[occamsblazer]

Hey everyone,

I'm so glad I came across this site, I've been feeling pretty lost on the internet about the whole getting braces thing! So nice to have such a helpful little community

Anway, a bit about me, I'm a 26 year old girl, currently working in an operating theatre. I've had really wonky teeth since an early teen but my mum could never afford braces, so it's only now that Ive been able to consider it! I have a really awful overjet and some crowding on both arches which have made my front teeth overlap a bit and my incisors just hang about in mid air! I tried to include some pics but I think I'm too new here - I just did a blog post about it at https://adultbracesjourney.wordpress.com/ for anyone who wants to see the awful state of my gnashers!

I'm getting my braces next week and have opted for ceramic on the top and metal on the bottom (I'd have had ceramic on both but apparently I have a deep bite). I apparently have to have them on for 24 months, and will have 2 premolars out 6 months into treatment (so not looking forward to that, my dental anxiety is awful even just having a polish so I'm pretty sure my poor dentist will have to tie me down!).

Apart from the pain and discomfort, I'm really self-conscious about getting braces at 26 - I have to meet lots of new people at work and talk quite a lot. I also just got dumped last week and I know it sounds really daft, but I feel like I'm going to end up spending the next 2 years single because of my metal mouth! (I know, it's really unimportant in the grand scheme of things!)

Anyway, sorry for all my rambling, I know I'll be living on this site for the next while once I get my braces on!

Toodleoo!

[diamant]

Welcome!

I just got mine 2 weeks ago, and I was in the exact same place you are before getting them. Like you, I have ceramic on top and metal on bottom. I will say that I am a LOT less self-conscious about them than I thought I would be, so that's nice. I also have a job where I talk to a lot of people, and nobody seems to care. Even my coworkers, from whom I expected lots of teasing and comments, have only either said nice things or commented not at all! So really, I think we ourselves are the only ones who really care, lol.

Best of luck to you!

[occamsblazer]

Thanks for your reply diamant! So nice to hear positive things! Did you find you have/had a lisp or difference in your speech? I'm worried about showing my poor patients in dribble when I speak to them!

[diamant]

I do speak weirdly now with a slight lisp, but I think that's mostly coming from the bite blocks I had to have put on my front two top teeth. I think my speech would have been much less impacted if I didn't have them. That said, I don't notice that I'm spitting at people and nobody has recoiled from me in horror, so I don't think you need to worry about that too much!

[Prometheus]

For what its worth, I know three couples at work who met their future spouses while either the guy or gal had braces. I suspect you will find the guys either don't care or think you are cute in them. Worry not, it really isn't a big deal to most folks.

[braced43]

Welcome! I am also new to braces. I just had my first adjustment today. I have ceramic on top and will be getting ceramic on the bottom in a couple of months. I am 43 years old and was nervous about how I would look and what my co-workers would say, but I have to say that so far no one had really said anything. Most people do not even notice. Good luck in your journey

[occamsblazer]

Thanks guys, so nice to know I'm not alone! Just going to have to spend the countdown eating all the food I'll be banned from I guess!

[metalliKa]

If there is any consolation to you, a couple met through AW here, so perhaps the stars brought you here to meet someone who's on the same journey as you! Still, enjoy being single and take care of yourself first. As for braces, it's just like a relationship. It takes a whole lot of commitment. It'll hurt you, make you cry at times. You'll wonder what you have gotten yourself into. Hehehe But at the end, youll be so happy because you'll have a beautiful smile.

Btw, welcome!

[occamsblazer]

Thank you metalliKa! I hope it'll all be worth it!

[igneous]

Best of luck on your journey and congratulations! As far as the whole boyfriend thing, once you have braces on and you see progress, your confidence will only go up from there and as most people say, confidence is attractive. Once you make the step in the right direction, it's only a one way road towards an awesome end goal that is life changing. Best of luck !! Keep us updated

[NeilH]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I have read your blog and can assure you that getting braces will be one of the best decisions you will make. I've had mine for around two and a half years and my only regret was not starting sooner. The whole process is really straightforward and although it takes a little getting used to, you will soon forget you have them. In so far as interacting with people, I think we all thought before we started that everything would be different and our braces would become the centre of attention but let me assure you this is not the case. No one pays the slightest bit of attention to them. Even when you try to bring them up in conversation, you might get a little bit of interest but then the conversation moves on. The reality is that most people barely notice and those that do are either not interested (that's quite frustrating) or are too polite to say anything (that's also quite frustrating) or have been through the experience and will support what you are doing.

In so far as relationships are concerned, anyone with an ounce of decency and respect will not see you and your braces as anything other than you doing something positive about your long term oral health. And if they do have an issue, move on, they won't be worth the space they occupy.

I'm also UK based and went for metal brackets top and bottom and after doing lots of research found a fantastic orthodontist who has taken time and care to give me what I know will be a fantastic result. I too had some anxiety before starting but through regular appointments, getting to know the staff, chatting about the whole process and seeing my regular dentist every three months to make sure there were no other issues, have found this anxiety has gone and I look forward to appointments.

If you have some time, my story 'I'm going to get braces this year' details my whole process from when I first thought about getting them to where we are today at the detailing stage. This forum also provides a great deal of support and advice and I have found it invaluable.

Good luck and I look forward to reading about your progress. Neil.

[NeilH]

Am I right in thinking the big day is Monday? If it is then good luck for tomorrow! I got my ortho to talk me through the whole process which was great as it meant I knew what to expect and better understood what was going on.

[occamsblazer]

Hey Neil,

Just noticed your previous post, sorry I missed that - excellent advice, thank you! Yep, tomorrow afternoon is when I get them on - I've been excited all week but I'm actually getting pretty nervous now! Eeek!

[teeebeee]

Today's the day...hope it's going well!

T xx

[lilyflower]

Welcome, hope you're adjusting well