cancelled brace day

Message

#1 Post by **julieo** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 6:58 am

so yea, i have obviously been thinking of this whole teeth thing for a long time. ten yrs ago, when my kids were getting their braces put on, the ortho, a neighborhood friend, suggested that "mom" could use braces as well. i was pretty embarrassed and just let the comment hang in the air. he then offered to treat me for free. seemed hard to refuse. yes, i then set an appointment to have the braces put on during one of my children's appointments. the day i got there, i said that i changed my mind. the orthodontist seemed a little shocked by this. i guess grown-ups are not supposed to be afraid of such things. why can't i get past this?

#2 Post by **Steph in Sac** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:35 am

Think long and hard about this because....IT'S FREE. What a nice gesture on his part. Gain strength through your children. They are doing it--you can too. It will be a temporary part of your life and you will love the results.

#3 Post by **UGHBRACES** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:06 am

Steph in Sac wrote:Think long and hard about this because....IT'S FREE. What a nice gesture on his part. Gain strength through your children. They are doing it--you can too. It will be a temporary part of your life and you will love the results.

I don't think the free offer is still on the table, it was 10 years ago

.

If you are contemplating getting braces and you still can't get over not doing it 10 years ago, then just take the plunge. If you don't, you'll again look back in regret in a year or two from now and think "if i went through with it then i would be all done now!".

#4 Post by **Snowglobe32** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:40 am

I can understand your hesitation but if this has bothered you for many years, it won't go away. It will be more of a "I wish I had..."

Braces are really not that big of a deal. I have had mine for almost a year. I had terrible headaches, neck and shoulder pain before I got braced, within the first month of getting braces, those issues were gone.

Do you have bite issues? TMJ? Headaches/Migraines? Or is it more of a asthetic issue?

I am not a mother (hopefully one day) but most mom's always put themselves last, after the kids, the husband, the pets, the household chores...isn't it time for you to do something nice for yourself? You would be amazed and I am sure others here would agree, that braces truly transform you. You have had children, "pain" from braces is nothing compared to that, or so I am told.

The last year has flown by, the pain isn't that bad, I will be done before I know it. This is the best thing I have ever done and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Let me mention, I have lost 20lbs since getting braces also!

Please reconsider getting braces!

#5 Post by **hal2me** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:14 am

Hi julieo,

What do you think is stopping you? The pain, or do you feel that everyone will stare after you get them put on? It is very scary to walk in and have braces put on. During the first week I had braces, I kept thinking, "What on earth did I do?". After a while you will get used to them. So many adults have braces now, so it is nothing to be ashamed of. When you are truly ready, you will make that call and go to the appointment. Best of luck to you!

#6 Post by **julieo** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:22 am

thx snowglobe. my smile is fading the older i get. my lower teeth are pretty crowded and one tooth is sort of behind/in between the other two. when i smile, there is a shadow there. i have intermittent jaw pain and popping. apparently, i am quite a grinder. i have had mouth guards made but when i wake up in the morning, the mouth guard has been tossed off of the bed! i guess i take it out in he middle of the night unconsciously. my boys just went away to college. i am divorced now and, although i know it's "me" time, i am struggling with this decision. a spa week sounds so much more fun right about now! i did spend some time today researching orthodontists for adults so, i guess i am one step closer. so nice to have someone to talk to this about. i would be too embarrassed to talk to my friends about this. silly, but true.

#7 Post by **julieo** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:28 am

hal2me, not at all afraid of the pain. more worried about how i will look and talk. i don't know why we think nothing of putting our kids in braces, in fact, i would have felt badly if i was unable to provide them with proper ortho care. funny, i would have been ashamed if i didn't get braces for my kids but, i am ashamed to wear braces myself. this makes no sense at all!

#8 Post by **footpounds** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:50 am

I think you need to evaluate what you fear most....having braces or having teeth so crooked that you are finding yourself smiling less and less. If you fear braces more, then don't get them. If you fear what your teeth look like when you smile, get them. As for me, nothing, and I mean nothing, could be worse than having overlapping front teeth due to overcrowding. Like you, that was affecting my smile. I am 5 months into treatment and without a doubt it was a good decision for me. I already feel better about myself as my teeth are falling into their new STRAIGHT positions!

#9 Post by **catgyrl** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:22 am

Hi julieo-

I completely understand your apprehension. But the points everyone has brought up here are spot-on, especially the question: "Would you rather be self-conscious about your crooked teeth - that is forcing you to not smile - or a little shy about having braces?" Would you rather have people stare at you and think, "Oh, she's got braces," or "Oh... she really NEEDS braces."

As for appearance: I've had mine just shy of 5 months, and admittedly, I was worried about how they looked in the beginning. I even had the top brackets changed from metal to ceramic a month ago because I wanted a more inconspicuous look. Yes... you can still tell I have braces, but they are less noticeable in photos. But even when I had all metal, it didn't stop me from enjoying life and smiling more than I ever have in my life.

As for the speech problems, many of us do experience a bit of a lisp, which feels a bit worse when you're not well hydrated, so drinking a lot of water helps. After a while (at least in my case), the lisp becomes kinda funny. My friends at work tease me when I say something funny, and I laugh right along with them. But it comes and goes.

Like footpounds said, nothing (even braces) was worse than my overlapping, "bucked" front teeth. They started separating a couple days ago, and I'm ecstatic! They look better now than they did 5 months ago, and I can't even imagine what they'll look like when I'm done.

Sorry this was so long, but I wanted to give you some moral support and let you know that you're not alone. I hope we can help you through this tough decision.

-Cathy

#10 Post by **almost50** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:07 pm

I put it off for 10 years.

I finally did it a couple years ago. Best thing I ever did. I thought I would be self conscious about it but it hasn't been that bad. A close friend told me I actually smile more now--I think it's because I'm doing something good for myself rather than hiding the shame of crooked teeth.

Most people don't notice or don't care. And after a while I found that I really didn't care either.

I'll be really glad to have them off though. Only 4 more weeks! (fingers crossed)

#11 Post by **bbsadmin** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 8:23 pm

Have you read my blog? It might help put your mind at ease:

http://www.archwired.com/Journal_Leadin.htm

#12 Post by **midlifesmile** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:40 pm

I was a little worried about what people might say. I have had 99.99999999% POSITIVE feedback and one woman who decided to call her daughter's orthodontist and get her braces started. The most common comment I get is, "Good for you!"

I talk a little funny and am not enjoying the turbos too much but have decided to turn that into a positive. It's a good time to drop a few pounds as well as work on my smile.

I wish I was able to do this about 10 years ago but couldn't afford to do it.

Wishing you well!

#13 Post by **pasr16** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:46 pm

when i got braces it wasn't really a hard decision for me... the way i looked at it was: my teeth are already messed up so people are looking at them anyway, i might as well get braces. besides, everyone goes through a phase in their lives in which they have something they really dislike about themselves whether it's a bad haircut, glasses, becoming bald, etc. remember... braces are temporary so get them on, try not to think about them and next thing you know it's time to take them off! good luck!!

#14 Post by **alimommy1** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:29 pm

Oh my gosh, if I had it offered FREE I would do it, no matter what lol. I lot of the reasons I see adults put it off or not do it is for financial reasons - kids in braces, spouse going back to school or starting a new job, kids going to college, things like that.

As far as having trouble doing stuff for YOU, that seems to be a bigger struggle the older people get too. As far as your friends, I have some I can talk to about things like this, others I don't discuss it with at all lol. I've had to take my 6 year old to the ortho too so it's not as big of a deal as it would be if it were just me.

Like others have said, this is temporary, you won't have braces for the rest of your life, but when you get them off, you will have something you have never had before

It's worth it!