Today is the day!!! So nervous!!

[Toxgirl]

I'm getting braced today at 9:30am and I am terribly nervous. I'm 45 getting braces for the first time ever and am afraid that after I get them I will want to get them taken off immediately and won't be able to. It's all happening so fast as well. I chipped a front tooth 2 weeks ago and had my dentist repair it. It was a tiny chip on a tooth i had previously chipped. I thought it was the bonding that had just come off but it turned out to be the other side of the tooth. He told me my teeth were shifting and crowding on the bottom and he could make me a retainer to keep them in place. I asked about the ones that had already been pushed to the side and he said that would require getting them fixed by an orthodontist. I went in the next week for a consultation thinking Invisalign, no problem. Turns out i'm not a good candidate, have one tooth rotated 90 degrees, a brodie bite, mild crowding on the bottom and then I guess that i was shocked and don't remember what else the ortho said. That was last week and now here I am with butterflies in my stomach. I have all my supplies ready at home and here at work. Now I just have to get myself ready!!!

[djspeece]

Let me be the first to congratulate you, as by now you are most likely done! Welcome to the club. We all somehow survived the first day. It's all downhill from here

[sull88]

Hope all went well. I just got braced on top on the 10th and am getting used to life with braces. I am 44 and everyone has been very supportive of my new brace face life. The big question that people want to know is why? And how long? They all want to know why I chose all metal and I tell them that the all metal was the best treatment plan. Take it easy for the first couple of days and it begins to feel more normal each day. Best of luck in your journey, Sull

[Lorianne]

Congrats and how'd it go today? You must feel like you have a mouthful! That feeling will soon go away. There will be times when you can't even feel them at all! It sounds like I had a similar experience. Mild tooth chipping, crowded teeth, me unhappy, dentist recommending, I just decided it was time to finally do it and I'm sooooo glad I did. You will NOT regret it.

[Nana51]

Congrats on the start of your journey. Be generous with wax, rinse with salt water if you have any sores spots. I'm 53 now and this whole thing has been kind of like childbirth in that the pains have faded into my memory after being almost halfway thru my three year treatment plan. It will likely be the same for you. Jello, yogurt, hash brown casserole are my favorite soft foods. You will find your own. Stay connected here. This is wonderful support group.

[Bracesat57]

Congrats on your decision to get braces. They are definitely worth all the time and trouble.

Teeth will continue to shift as you get older. You are doing the right thing.

I was very self-conscious the first two months but after that I forget they are even there.

Good luck.

[Woobster]

Congrats... And welcome to the club!! I hope everything went well for you.

I am a little over a week away from getting mine off, and while I am SO ready for them to go, it has been well worth it for me. I hope your treatment goes well!

[Toxgirl]

Thanks Everyone!!! I love this board. Everyone here is so supportive and has great advice. Putting on the brackets was a piece of cake but i was unprepared for the wiring. I opened up my eyes to see what was going on and saw the assistant just twisting and twisting away!! I almost had a panic attack but then remembered she had told me she worked there for 10 years and realized she knew what she was doing.

I do feel like I have a mouthful. My teeth are really sensitive but I don't feel real pain until I start to eat. i'm sitting here at work trying to eat oatmeal and I'm having a hard time. I'm having trouble finding a place in my mouth to chew. I feel like my molars aren't touching when I bite down. Is it just the sensitivity or is my bite all of sudden wonky??

The other thing is my electric toothbrush. If feels way too hard on my teeth. Also, i have a crown with a root canal and that tooth is suuuuuper sensitive!!! I can barely brush it with a regular toothbrush. I'm wondering if I should call my regular dentist to try to desensitize it which is what he did when he originally put the crown on I was having extreme sensitivity.

All in all it wasn't too bad. I just wish I could eat!! :(

[ljms]

Sometimes one or two teeth will feel extremely sensitive after getting brackets on or moved. It feels like shooting nerve pain when you brush. The pain will subside gradually.

The last time it happened to me was when I got a couple of brackets moved. One tooth hurt like crazy when I put my power brush to it. It took about a week for the pain to completely disappear.

Give it a few days before you call your dentist.

Also, try running your brush head under hot water to soften it a bit. I find that helps at bit.