Newbie!

Discussions relating to Lingual Braces (behind-the-teeth) only, such as iBraces and LingualCare.

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Juliet584
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:37 pm

Newbie!

#1 Post by Juliet584 »

I've just had my impressions taken and am due to have my lingual braces fitted over the next couple of weeks. I'm getting top and bottom, and in order to fix my bite I will have to have elastics at some point down the line too.

My orthodontist has assured me that the little glue dots used to attach the elastics will be very discreet. Is this generally the case? Obviously I want to do this properly, but I'm an actress so I would like to at least be able to prepare myself if it's going to look weird!

Also, the general consensus is that the awkward lisp goes within 2-3 weeks of the braces being fitted - I assume it's longer if it's both sets of teeth... would that be right? I'll need to let me agent know how long I'll be out of action. I'm planning to give myself a month.

Are there any other actors on the board? How was your experience?

Any advice for a newbie about to get linguals??

I have to say I'm very nervous!

iob
Posts: 97
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:58 am

Re: Newbie!

#2 Post by iob »

Hi - The "attachment" for elastics is pretty darn discreet. It would take a HD close up camera/head shot - while smiling - to pick it up. From stage distance - no way. From mid shot angle std def, I'd be shocked if it were discernible. Full/long shot, no way.

You could also ask your ortho if your elastics can be configured for the lingual side only. It's more intrusive and "tongue-crowding" while wearing them, but would give you the ability to have nothing on the labial side when you're on.

Lastly, during the few weeks when you're on the shelf, experiment with different amounts and applications of a bit of wax on the top of your front/top brackets to smooth over the gap between the roof of your mouth and the lingual brackets and see what helps your speech the most. I found that it made a BIG difference in kicking the lisp/slur early on when I needed to sound normal...even though it felt really annoying. It might get you back to work sooner than you expect if you find the right combination.

Good luck!

iob
Posts: 97
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:58 am

Re: Newbie!

#3 Post by iob »

...also, thinking ahead, ask your ortho if he/she would agree to remove the attachments for a day or two if you wanted to retake your headshots a few months down the road when a lot of the aligning results have already taken place and you're getting amped up about your smile. Just a thought. Or, you could just give your agent the awesome photos from your ortho consults! That should get you dozens of auditions!

Juliet584
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:37 pm

Re: Newbie!

#4 Post by Juliet584 »

@iob Thank you! That's really helpful and just what I needed to hear! I'm getting the top set put in on Tuesday and I'm really nervous about it, but fingers crossed I'll get used to it soon :)

andrea83
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 1:39 am

Re: Newbie!

#5 Post by andrea83 »

Checking in I really hope all went well with your appointment yesterday :-D

Best of luck to you

Bwallis
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:01 pm

Re: Newbie!

#6 Post by Bwallis »

Just another actor with new lower linguals checking in, once you had both sets in, how long did it take your speech to be passable?
Getting my tips put in 2 weeks from now and wanting to see how it worked for you!

Thanks!

SinkFullOfDinner
Posts: 273
Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 2:25 pm

Re: Newbie!

#7 Post by SinkFullOfDinner »

Bwallis wrote:Just another actor with new lower linguals checking in, once you had both sets in, how long did it take your speech to be passable? Getting my tips put in 2 weeks from now and wanting to see how it worked for you!
It seems that most people say they got rid of 90% of their speech issues within a few weeks. It took me a couple months before I thought it was mostly a non-issue, but it improved a lot during that first month. That's not typical, so don't worry, but I guess it does happen in some cases (lucky me). I also had both top and bottom done at the same time, so maybe you'll be ahead because your tongue has already gone through getting roughed up by the lower ones. Other posts have commented on using a little bit of wax on top of the front brackets, and I completely agree that it helps a lot! Also, stay hydrated because it's worse when your mouth gets dry.

Good luck next week, and don't panic the first few days or if you have a bad relapse day. You'll sound much better soon enough.

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