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I'm due to have braces fitted in just over a month, but it all starts next week when I'm having two teeth extracted. At risk of sounding dramatic I'm not sure I can go ahead with it, I'm absolutely petrified by the thought of having teeth pulled out Especially when they are healthy teeth. I actually considering pulling out of the whole thing. I'm a very self conscious person at the best of times, how on earth am I going to cope with braces? People who I've mentioned it to can't seem to understand why I need/want it doing, my teeth aren't awful but I have quite a large overjet which causes my top teeth to dig into my bottom lip, the teeth themselves are fairly straight. I don't think it's hugely noticeable to anyone else but is rather uncomfortable for me. The ortho estimated I would need braces for 18 months, I know this isn't long compared to some but I'm sure it'll still feel like forever. Gah, think I'm trying to convince myself I don't really need it doing.
I don't know if I can do this Has anyone got any words of wisdom they would like to share?
Massive apologies for the needy post, I think it's the forthcoming extractions that are freaking me out
You can put it off for now....and wonder if you should have gone ahead and gotten it done. You could wait another 5, 10, 15 years, and still wonder if you should have done it. You could find yourself 20 years past the time when you were going to have it done, but chickened out instead. IF you do decide to get them...you're going to wish you had done it sooner. You're going to wish you could have enjoyed those straight teeth sooner. I listened to other people's opinions too about my teeth not being that bad...but I still hated them.
The time flies by really. It's difficult at first, but once you get used to them it's not so bad.
I'm not gonna lie, these braces are a pain. Re-learning to floss, brush and eat...its crazy. But at the two month mark you completely forget you even have them. You form a new system for brushing and flossing, and you eat anything. Then you start to wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
I put mine off for a year because my ortho (the 2nd i spoke with) said i would need implants instead of just pulling all my teeth together. It freaked me out that i would have to have fake teeth. By the time i restarted the process i would have been over half way done with treatment.
Do it now. You looked into it for a reason, and the things that bothered you before will continue to bug you.
29 years old
2-18-10 baby canine pulled
3-15-10 got braces
12-22-11 Moving-SO EXCITED!!
1-2-12 Meet new Ortho
1-5-12 Begin finishing treatment
3-5-12 Canine Implants...dun dun dunnnnn
4-9-12 Deband!
I had braces for Two Years and TwentyFive Days
I agree- you should go through with it. I felt the same way, no one else really thought my teeth were that bad, but I hated them. And you will wish you had done it sooner, I think we all feel that way here. I know for me, as much as I want these things off, it is very exciting seeing my teeth move and get straighter every day.
I know the extractions seem so scary, & from experience I can say that it is scary BUT it is totally worth it. To be honest, it is going to be hard and you're going to have crappy days...but trust me, the time flies and what matters most is that you are happy and comfortable with your smile. Do it for you
I got 4 pre-molars extracted
extraction of wisdom teeth pending :/
Thank you everyone, I think that's what I needed to hear. You're all right, I will regret it if I don't go for it now. We've sorted the money out to get this done so if it's not used for braces now I doubt we'll be in a position to afford it again.
It's silly, I've had a few operations and given birth to two babies, yet having two teeth out scares me more than any of those things!
Want2smile wrote:T
It's silly, I've had a few operations and given birth to two babies, yet having two teeth out scares me more than any of those things!
No comparision between giving birth and pulling out teeth. During birth the bones of the babies are actually *bent* as the baby is being pushed out because the canal is not big enough. Baby bones are softer for this reason, a bone of an adult would just break.
Thats why babies are wailing when they are born I guess....
You will regret not getting it done, later. So, get it done now. I wanted braces a long time ago, and didn't go ahead, and now i regret THAT.
Also, keep in mind that an unhealthy bite is only going to cause you problems down the road, and possibly get worse as time goes by. So, if you think that vanity isn't important enough to endure the pain or uneasiness of losing two teeth, then consider the health of the rest of your teeth.
Yup, just DO IT...and that is coming from someone who really hates the dentist and nearly passed out from an extraction that in the end was nothing ...no pain , nothing! Of course, I had (have ) a lovely space in the front of my mouth while the tooth is being pulled in...
Anyway, I put this off since I was 16, and I am 48 now! Ugh...shoulda done it earlier...at least you are on this sight and can read real stories that will prepare you a little...I will not lie, it is not very fun for me and I am counting the minutes until they are off and I do not think I will ever get used to them. Yes, it is worth it.
Go for it! I waited until I was 28 to get braces because I was convinced with my underbite, I'd need jaw surgery which may/may not be covered under insurance (they're VERY hard to fix with just braces). Also, I never had the money, dental insurance, etc. to do it. Last year, I went to the dentist and on a whim, asked for a referral for an orthodontist. The dentist didn't even think I was serious! I went in for the consultation and the ortho was really optimistic that my teeth/bite could be corrected w/just braces. I was stunned.
I went for it. Yes, they hurt, yes, it changes the way you eat, brush your teeth, etc. But I look in the mirror every day and see my teeth moving and looking better and better. Also, my with my bite changing, my whole profile has changed and my face looks dramatically better.
Just think, the pain doesn't last forever. Good luck!
I think the MAIN reason why I put off getting braces was because of the extractions. I knew I'd have to have them because I'd consulted with an orthodontist years ago. That stopped me dead in my tracks, because I was so scared about having teeth pulled.
My experience with the extractions was pain-free and I could have kicked myself for not doing it sooner. I'd made a really big deal out of what turned out to be not a big deal after all.
I still have about a year left in braces...been braced about a year and a half now and despite the occasional discomfort and annoyance of braces I KNOW it's worth it!
i tell you what.. 2 years ago i went in for a consult and then got scared and never went back.. 2 years later i finally got them and if i would have just gone through with it the first time they would be off already.. i wish i would have just done it the first time!!.. truth be told its going to be unpleasant at first, ive already forgot that i have mine on most of the time and ive only had them about a month
Especially when they are healthy teeth. I actually considering pulling out of the whole thing. I'm a very self conscious person at the best of times, how on earth am I going to cope with braces? People who I've mentioned it to can't seem to understand why I need/want it doing, my teeth aren't awful but I have quite a large overjet which causes my top teeth to dig into my bottom lip, the teeth themselves are fairly straight. I don't think it's hugely noticeable to anyone else but is rather uncomfortable for me. The ortho estimated I would need braces for 18 months, I know this isn't long compared to some but I'm sure it'll still feel like forever. Gah, think I'm trying to convince myself I don't really need it doing.
Has anyone got any words of wisdom they would like to share?
I really wish I'd done this earlier.
