Brace Day Question

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#1 Post by **fluffybottom** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:52 pm

This is probably a bit premature as I don't even have a brace day set yet but I'm asking anyway: the day I get my braces put on, should I take that day off from work? Or would I be okay to go in to work afterwards?

I'm a web designer so I basically just sit at a desk all day; nothing strenuous to worry about!

#2 Post by **Lisa65** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:14 pm

Hi Fluffy

We've had this question before but opinions seem to differ. I had mine placed on a Friday after work, and I'm glad I didn't have to go back to work that day. I wasn't in pain but I just felt a bit overwhelmed and was glad of the weekend to get used to all the new hardware in my mouth and get my dribbling under control.

#3 Post by **fluffybottom** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:19 pm

Yeah, I suspected that it might have been asked before as it seems to be a standard 'What can I expect?' question but, alas, my search turned up nothing!

Being braced on a Friday seems to be a good idea. I don't know if my orthodontist has after 6p hours so maybe I will just take a half day and have the braces put on during the afternoon.

And... DRIBBLING?! Eeeeek...

#4 Post by ***melissa*** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:39 pm

I totally would take the day off. When I had mine put on, I took Thurs & Fri off...and I also had the weekend as well to get adjusted to the braces.

#5 Post by **fluffybottom** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:43 pm

HA! I should take a few days off and spend part of that time treating myself to a spa day .. err ... recovering. Yeah, recovering.

*whistles*

#6 Post by **purpleteeth** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:53 pm

I personally DID NOT take off work the day I had it done. I actually started my day at work, left for 2hrs, then came back and finished my day as usual. I am a telephone operator for the deaf and I talk on the phone all day, so this was *quite* an experience --- but it helped in the long run, at least in my opinion.

It helped me in the following ways:
- was forced to get back to NORMAL as quickly as possible, no time to just and make a big deal of anything (trust me, the braces will make themselves known in your life rather immediately... but going right back to work will give them a little "less power")
- it made me TALK, as talking was and is something I am constantly having to adjust as my teeth and jaws move
- put me right back out in public, as I had only told maybe 2-3 people at work that I was getting them... so I got to see first hand how noticeable they were and how people would respond (most people did a double take and asked me if I had them on when they FIRST saw me in the morning!)

I will admit though, I was preoccupied a lot with having them on in the beginning. I was spitting and drooling everywhere -- talking was difficult -- but I learned the importance and usefullness of wax IMMEDIATELY! My braces made it difficult to close my mouth and it was hard to understand me, but being forced to work through those difficulities from the beginning have helped me in the long run. Braces weren't necessarily painful the first day, just very uncomfortable. The pain-pain didn't hit for a few days, so going back to work the same day was reasonable for me (as they were more annoying than anything else).

Now when I get adjustments, I just work a little bit the day they are done -- then go home. I have the work done, go into work while the pain is still tolerable, then schedule myself off for the rest of the day. Then I go back to work the next day as usual. I have a damaged nervous system and my body responds to pain rather adversely, so I have learned my tolerance RATHER QUICKLY!! I have to sleep the pain off initally, then I just medicate for a few days...

#7 Post by **fluffybottom** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:11 pm

I don't think I have any aesthetic insecurities about braces that would make me reluctant to return to work the same day. I've already told the people on my team that I'm getting them and, actually, my boss is considering getting braces as well (she had been thinking about it for a while but once she heard that I'm going down this road, she's kind of stepped things up). However, maybe I will feel differently once they are on and want to crawl into a very remote, dark cave!

I am mostly just concerned from a pain standpoint so if it doesn't hurt to the point of distraction, I probably would just go ahead back into work. I do suffer from migraines -- I get them at least once a month, sometimes more -- and am somewhat worried that tooth/jaw pain might trigger a headache since my bad migraine I can feel all the way down into my teeth.

But! I suppose I won't know how I will feel until I get them. Maybe I'll tell my boss to pencil that day off for me but that I will just come in if I'm feeling good.

Gosh, how long does it take to get used to the braces? Just thinking about accidentally spitting on someone during a meeting...

It is at once both mortifying and hilarious!

#8 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:56 pm

I had the day off from being braced, it was a Friday and good thing because I couldn't eat a darned thing that day. I was starving, had a headache and was super cranky. I had only had the top arch braced too. Just as I was getting used to the tops, two weeks had gone by and it was time for the lowers to be braced. Then the cycle started again.

#9 Post by **martinboyce** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:25 am

Hey fluffybottom,

Ive only just got my braces, and the actual procedure of having your braces on is painless.

Though the evening and following days after can leave your teeth ultra sensitive to bite pressure, to the point where eating is painful, slow and arkward.

I myself had the following 3 days off after, not because i needed it, but because i wanted it, mainly so i could get used to them in my own home, experiment with food, practise cleaning, talking etc. I wanted to take control of the whole process rather than it control me, i wanted to introduce people to the new braced me in the order i chose. Prob just me being a control freak, who knows

Plus your mind is not on much else right after being braced, your constantly thinking about them, thus distracting from work, now if your a crane operator or a pilot then it could get messy, but if your like me and have your head in a computer all day you realise that your getting very little done.

Meryaten makes many good points

Theres lots of little factors, but you dont need a day off, but my recommendation would be to have some time off anyway!

I have photos of my brace being fitted on my story:
viewtopic.php?t=24233&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=90

Plus have a video log of the first few days in my new braces (covers loads of stuff), plus loads of pics and stuff, poke your nose into my story and i think theres lots in there that will help you answer many of the insecurity questions we all have before getting braced up.

BTW im on day 8 and can barely feel my braces.

Hope this helps

big hug \o/

#10 Post by **skintz** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:10 am

I booked the rest of the afternoon off and went back the next day, but the next day was probably a good day to take off. I had a really bad headache from the tension, and my job doesn't allow mistakes and i just could not concentrate because of my head. So i was being extra careful, taking longer to do 'normal' things and didn't want to talk to anyone so i think i'd have been better off at home. It was fine after a couple days though so don't let it put you off getting braces-now its hard to remember that time as things have been fine since. Just take the next day off and maybe provisionally book the next day after off, then if you feel you don't need it and want to go into work, you've got that option

Good luck

#11 Post by **LanShark** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:01 am

I scheduled my appointment for the middle of the day. I went in to work early, had a good breakfast since it was the last time I was going to eat certain foods, and a few hours later went to the orthodontist to get the braces. Afterwards, I went back to work. I resigned myself to eating soup for the rest of the day, but otherwise was ok.

Oh yes, I pre-medicated with ibuprofen (Advil) prior to the braces appointment, and took it throughout the day to minimize the effect of having the braces put on.

- Bill

#12 Post by **Spidey** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:44 am

Hey Purpleteeth...

As a Deaf adult I thank you for all of your hard work!!! I am glad you didn't take the day off.. we need you !!! haha

I took the day off just to spend time with my new metal... Learning how to eat and deal with soreness and drink without drooling. I am sure that I could have gone to work for the day, but in the end I was glad to just have the time to take it easy and experience it. I must admit, I was fascinated and spent most of the day taking pictures of my teeth, studying all the parts and reading Archwired!!! It was a (believe it or not) fun and exciting day for me. It really is a personal thing, any adjustment after that I just worked as normal. THe pain really didn't set in until about 8 hours or so later... weird but true

Hope that helps

#13 Post by **SnowSara** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:47 pm

My experience: I left work and came back with braces on a couple hours later and worked for the rest of the day. Really, the first day was surprisingly easy for me, the ache of teeth starting to move didn't kick in until the next day.

I agree that it's different for everyone but it's hard to know what your brace day will be like until it's here! Maybe plan on a half-day off after you're braced just in case, or schedule it on a Friday to have the weekend to adjust, but I also agree that it's good to try and get right back into day-to-day normalcy.

#14 Post by **ellebee** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:34 pm

I am a big weenie. I got mine on on a Wednesday afternoon late and didn't go back to work until Monday. And I am glad I did it that way.

What I did do was hop on a plane Thursday morning to visit my parents.

I remember going home the first night and feeling like I had a whole bus in my mouth.

Then a front bracket popped off! I called the Ortho's emergency number and he called me back and I said, I have a flight out of town tomorrow, what do I do?

He could tell how upset I was and he agreed to meet me at his office before hours to reglue it (on my way to the airport).

It does take a few days to re-learn to eat, break in your mouth, learn to use wax, re-learn how to floss.

The first night at home I had spaghettios out of a can. I thought, I am going to lose a bunch of weight. Hah.

The next night, in Florida, I went out with my parents and carefully ordered:

Soup
Crab cakes
Mashed sweet potatoes

And ... ice cream! (So much for weight loss.)

I am just so thankful that I didn't have to go back to work until I had a few days to adjust.

But everyone is different, your mileage may vary. Do what feels right - for you.

Good luck!

Elle

#15 Post by **fluffybottom** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:09 pm

I'm a big weenie too although, apparently, I have a pretty high threshold for pain. If I think something should be hurting, I am the biggest baby on the planet but I can't tell you how many times I've been to the doctor for something random and they'll be like 'But what about this other thing!? HOW CAN YOU STAND TO LIVE WITH THE PAIN? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN IN SOONER?' to which I reply: 'Muh-pain? What? Huh?'

So, judging from what everyone has said, I'm thinking I probably could go back to work the same day. But then again, a day off is always a nice thing. Maybe I'll burn a sick day on this just to treat myself nicely. Go shoe shopping. Have my hair done....

HRM!