Hello everyone,
I'm 43, mother of three and getting braces for the first time Monday, June
9th. I'm a little nervous, but hey, surely it can't be as bad as childbirth, can it? haha
My teeth look pretty good right now. The bottom ones are a little crowded and will continue to get more crowded as I grow older, according to my ortho. The real reason I'm getting braced is because my bite is off and both my dentist and ortho say braces will help.
My problem right now is my husband. He is totally dragging his feet on this brace thing, reminding every chance he gets that it's $5,000 I'm basically throwing away because in his eyes I don't need braces, and I'm getting (for lack of a better term) scammed by my dentist and ortho. I am about at the end of my rope here. As the big day approaches he is making comments more and more. Has anyone had any experience like this? Or any advice?
Theresa
Hello everyone - question re: spouse's support or lack of?
Moderator: bbsadmin
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theresawall
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:16 pm
- Location: Sacramento, CA
My husband hasn't exactly been supportive, but he hasn't - suprisingly - been as vocal about it as it sounds like yours has been. My husband usually is the one who wants to voice the pessimistic point of view, so I absolutely feel your pain. However, I have had ortho work done twice in the past, so this is my third go round, and most people with little to no dental knowledge outside of "general" dental knowledge think I'm crazy. If you don't understand the physics of the way your mouth, jaw, and bite all function together, then you can't understand why braces are necessary. Tell him to sit on a tack. It's your mouth, you've got to live with it, and unless the $5,000 is truly putting your family in a hard place, I'd still go for it. He'll get over it! Another tactic I've used is to compare the amount of money he spends golfing versus the amount of money I'm using to get braces. And braces are a permanent solution to a problem, golf is a game. Ha!
~ Luella ~
Oral surgery assistant, Registered Dental Assistant, OMAAP Certified
Oral surgery assistant, Registered Dental Assistant, OMAAP Certified
Well said Luella! I'm sorry to hear about your lack of support Theresa 
I agree with Luella that you should still go ahead with it - do what makes you happy! I imagine that he'll steadily get used to the idea and if you seem happy with your choice then hopefully he'll come around. Good luck on Monday!
I agree with Luella that you should still go ahead with it - do what makes you happy! I imagine that he'll steadily get used to the idea and if you seem happy with your choice then hopefully he'll come around. Good luck on Monday!~Nikki~
23 year old brace face and proud of it!
My story is well under way! Follow along in my thread.
23 year old brace face and proud of it!
My story is well under way! Follow along in my thread.
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babeinchrist
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:40 pm
- Location: Atizapan, Mexico
Well, I don't have a husband, but I do have a boyfriend. LOL
My boyfriend told me that it's a lot of money, and that I should check around at different places. I kindly told him that in the U.S. to have braces is between 4 and 6 thousand dollars, and here (in Mexico) the entire treatment will cost me $2,223 dollars. For me...that's a HUGE savings.
Besides that...I can tell you that a bite is nothing to play around with. I had the same problem, and dealing with it for such a long time (and doing nothing about it) caused me to have SEVERE migraines.
I'm sorry to say this, but unless spending that amount will put your family in jeopardy...you need to do it.
My boyfriend told me that it's a lot of money, and that I should check around at different places. I kindly told him that in the U.S. to have braces is between 4 and 6 thousand dollars, and here (in Mexico) the entire treatment will cost me $2,223 dollars. For me...that's a HUGE savings.
Besides that...I can tell you that a bite is nothing to play around with. I had the same problem, and dealing with it for such a long time (and doing nothing about it) caused me to have SEVERE migraines.
I'm sorry to say this, but unless spending that amount will put your family in jeopardy...you need to do it.
That's terrible 
The lump sum always looks frightening but I don't think many people plonk it all down at once, specially should something happen, like moving or stopping or whatever - how to claw it back. In that case surely you are paying over the course of 24 months? Break it down for him because the actual numbers should embarrass enough to keep his mouth shut
$5000 total
say $1000 down
$4000 over 24 months
$166/month
$41/week
$8/day in a work week
$1/hour in an 8 hour shift.
1 x packet of cigarettes a day
2 x pint of beer a day
http://www.pintprice.com/region.php?/Un ... es/USD.htm
etc etc
The lump sum always looks frightening but I don't think many people plonk it all down at once, specially should something happen, like moving or stopping or whatever - how to claw it back. In that case surely you are paying over the course of 24 months? Break it down for him because the actual numbers should embarrass enough to keep his mouth shut
$5000 total
say $1000 down
$4000 over 24 months
$166/month
$41/week
$8/day in a work week
$1/hour in an 8 hour shift.
1 x packet of cigarettes a day
2 x pint of beer a day
http://www.pintprice.com/region.php?/Un ... es/USD.htm
etc etc
I had to pop back in because I just realized how creative your username is, even if you don't realize it. Theresa, who is having problems with support from her hubby. Theresawall... there's a wall... lol maybe I'm just being silly 
~Nikki~
23 year old brace face and proud of it!
My story is well under way! Follow along in my thread.
23 year old brace face and proud of it!
My story is well under way! Follow along in my thread.
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theresawall
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:16 pm
- Location: Sacramento, CA
