Can't get up the courage....HELP!

[CincyBraces]

Hey gang -- I need some help. I'm scheduled to make the financial commitment for braces on 6/12 & I'm really having second thoughts about it. I had braces as a teen for 4yrs & 2months. IT WAS HORRIBLE! I hated every moment & every step. I never wore my retainer & here I am 20 years later faced with the consequences. The Dentist(s) told me I *should* get braces again to avoid problems later in life. What these are can't precisely be defined. But because my bite is pretty bad & my teeth don't occlude it would be *smart* to get in front of things & prevent them.

While I respect the dental community's position I'm not convinced I agree. I wish I could predict the severity of problems later in life! No one is able to do this. They only tell me I could end up breaking teeth. When I consider the misery of fixing a broken tooth versus my previous experience with braces....I'll take the broken tooth!

As you can tell....my heart is against this & my head is inconsistent. I was an AWFUL patient as a kid, and frankly have doubts about whether I'll be much better now. On one hand, I am an adult with better perspective & pain tolerance. On the other hand, if the pain is worse as an adult I may get fed up & stop caring about the results. There is no guarantee of a happy experience.

Lastly, I scoped out treatment from 3 orthodontists & selected the easiest plan: 18-months, no surgery, & a permanently bonded retainer in addition to an Essex. I am ADAMANTLY against the permanent retainer but he won't budge. Why would I take the chance on creating health issues in my mouth with a permanent retainer if that's why I'm embarking on this path in the first place? It's just silly.

For all who are in the throes of braces....what does my situation make you think?

[EWUgal15]

I feel like you already know that you're not going to be a stellar patient and that you truly don't want to go through braces again. If that's the case, don't do it. There's a lot that goes into braces, more than just caring for them...and if you aren't on board for any of it, especially the retention period, don't do it. Save yourself the time, money, and frustration of having braces. There's nothing wrong with that. The decision should be based on what you want and how you feel, even if that goes against the dentist.

[CincyBraces]

Thanks EWU. I know this is a place that generally encourages those who do take the plunge. Sorry to be a negative Nancy! I'm convinced my experience won't be the same for many on here.

I find it interesting that you mentioned "especially the retention period". I've really been focusing on that too.

[Prometheus]

For what its worth, I am older and have ended up constantly breaking teeth, which get repaired over and over until they tell me I need to have a crown done because they cannot repair it any more. I am now going through getting my 4th permanent molar crown, and it isn't much fun. Also I regularly shatter fillings due to my bad bite. Couple that with TMJD that only got worse and worse, and I finally decided to get braces at the young age of 58. Obviously I now realize that I would have been better off getting braces at a younger age. I think its a case of "pay now or pay later", personally the braces are much less of a bother than I thought they would be, and a whole lot less annoying that constantly breaking teeth and fillings.

[CincyBraces]

Thanks Prometheus! That definitely makes me think! This is where things get grey for me. I have my Mom's mouth - it's obvious to anyone. She's in her 60's and has only broken one tooth. They fixed it & nothing more came of it. Also, if I were a candidate for TMJ I would undoubtedly get braces now to avoid it. However, my Dentist told me my chances of TMJ are less than 2% based on the type of bite I have. So for me it's "pay now.....or maybe, just maybe.....pay later". One option the Dentist mentioned was simply to monitor my situation to see what happens. I don't think that's her primary recommendation though....just an option.

Are you getting crowns on the same molar over & over? Or is the 4th crown on different molars?

[Prometheus]

It is the fourth crown on a different molar, two on the top and two on the bottom, left and right, so I now have crowns in each quadrant. It's interesting you mention your mom, as I also inherited this problem from my mother. I guess you cannot hide from genetics!

[newbite]

I encourage everyone to get braces **IF** they will medically and/or aesthetically benefit from it. If you have just a small chance of TMJ/serious tooth destruction/gum loss and are happy with how your teeth look and reaaaaally don't want braces (and may not be compliant with retention) then definitely don't get them!

I got braces when I was 32 after spending most of my life with very crooked and crowded teeth, an underbite and crossbite. The reason I got braces was because my bruxism in combination with my bad bite was wreaking havoc in my mouth. The timing was funny because when I finally broke down and got a custom $500 night guard, 6 months later (after tons of research and agonizing) I got braces (in hopes of fixing the problem instead of a band aid solution) making the expensive night guard useless!

I don't have any crowns yet but that's only because I've been putting off taking care of a bothersome molar (it's lasted about 2 years... Hopefully it can last until the braces are off...). My bite and crowding also has caused severe gum recession which unfortunately is much more apparent now my teeth are straight. I'm having gum grafts on 8 teeth in July to thicken the gum tissue, but it can never be brought up to normal height since gum loss is linked to bone loss (no bone, no gum-- and vice versa).

So, if I didn't have those problems I would not have gotten braces since the aesthetics, while not attractive, weren't important enough to me.

Just remember that as people age our teeth tend to crowd forward, so while your bite may not be too bad now it can change substantially in ten or twenty years.

And as for the permanent retainer, I worry about that too, the health aspects of it. I naturally have a ridiculous amount of buildup behind my bottom front teeth, even with faithful brushing, flossing, and 3x yr dental cleanings. However, I'm going to give the retainer a try at least for a few months to a year to help with retention. Then if I have serious health consequences (which I actually don't think I will) I can always have it taken off. I am going to ask about a zig zag retainer, which is apparently easier to keep clean although it seems like there's just more surface area for calculus to cling to...

Good luck making your decision. While having braces has actually been so much easier than I thought it would be, I would definitely have not chosen them if it weren't for medical reasons. Good luck!

[itsmle]

If the reason is to prevent something that MIGHT happen later, can they give you a retainer to wear now just to keep things from shifting anymore?

Otherwise, I just don't think I'd do it.

Best of luck in whatever you decide. We'll help you through if you take the plunge!

[teeebeee]

Courage, mon brave...it's the best thing I've ever done for myself (at the age of 50!)...I only wish I'd done it aeons before. And, being an adult at a private dentist is a world away from being a child on the NHS! I fair skip to the dentist now! I would never, ever have thought that possible. I've a lot more work still to be done (other than the teeth straightening) but I'll never have the awful fear again.
Good luck

T xx

[CincyBraces]

Newbite -- your story resonates with me. I've decided to defer. I feel really good that this is the right answer too! I don't want to ignore professional advice, but the chances of problems developing are remote as of today. If we monitor the situation & things start to shift or break, I'll have a compelling reason to motivate me through something I don't want to do. Keep me posted (if you remember) on how the permanent retainer works out.

itsmile -- that's a great idea. I'm going to discuss with my Dentist the next time I see her.

[djspeece]

Unless you are 100% (or nearly so) committed to braces, my recommendation is to defer. You seem to have all the necessary facts and have done your due diligence. From reading your post, you really focus on the negatives and seem to be setting yourself up for an unhappy orthodontic experience. As you know braces require a certain amount of sacrifice and discomfort but I'm not sure you are up to the challenge, in all due respect of course. In any event, best of luck to you.

[CincyBraces]

No offense taken djspeece....thanks for reinforcing my view. Unlike most, I had a bad experience with braces as a kid. Consequently, I'm cautious about doing it again....

[jmcorris]

Good morning!

I completely understand. When I was in high school, I had the same horrible experience with braces. Within six months of having my braces removed, I lost my retainer and never looked back. That was until this past year; I found myself becoming more self conscious of my teeth (after all, they had moved quite a bit). After visiting the orthodontist, I learned that I actually needed braces due to the fact that my bite was actually damaging my teeth. Well, this morning...at the age of 40... I got braces again. I was very apprehensive, but had to remember that it's an investment in me. However, all that being said, I also know that I will be a much better patient this time around, especially since I'm paying for it now.

Best of luck to you!

[CincyBraces]

Jmcorris, this morning? Wow - good for you! How are you feeling?

[Tyrantblade]

Personally I would want to get braces if I were you to play it safe and not have to risk consequences down the road

But if you feel the chances are so small that it isnt worth it to you and that you probably would neglect care, obviously it wouldnt make sense to go for braces

You have to do this (or not do this), for yourself