Metal Mouth Message Board

OK, now I get it!!!!

I am slowly figuring out this whole site, so I changed the title away from 1st day, since this is my 10th day (wooohoooo....).

Nothing really to report, my teeth have moved like crazy! I have no pain, and am more or less used to it (I have to get up in the middle of the night and brush because my mouth feels awful and gunky, even after the half hour I spend getting them ready for bed!!

I'm trying not to think about the comment the ortho said about crowded teeth and maybe having to take (another) one of these suckers out...I keep looking in my mouth and saying "please have enough space, please have enough space..."...I don't go back for 5 weeks...I kinda want to go in just to have them looked at and make sure it is all ok....

Thank gawd for this forum...my hubby is getting a little tired of my obsession with my braces...

I'm realizing at this point, waiting for the next appointment is the worse part!! i wish I could go in, like, every other day with all kinds of questions and to make sure everything is going the way it should be!!

Geez, do I need to chill about this...hopefully with time I will be less obsessed...I mean, could I look at my teeth more???

I know what you mean about being obsessed with your teeth now that you have braces. I feel the same way, and....I often wonder, why those around me...don't feel the same!! I mean, come on....really. lololol. It's like when I was pregnant, especially for the 1st time...you feel like your the only woman to ever do this and why...WHY doesn't everyone want to talk about it all the time. Same feeling with my braces. I want to talk about it all the time......everyone else...just wishes I would just shut....up.

Haha...I'm lucky, I teach middle-schoolers, and that is all they want to talk about!!!

A funny thing, though, they are not as obsessed about time, like, "when are they coming off?"...most of them have no idea when, they just have braces. Isn't that interesting? Their concept of time is so different!!

I just got braces at 53! I guess I'm not that crazy huh? Anyhow, I find it funny that you are obsessed with your braces and you are a middle school teacher. It's like the best job to have when you have braces at our age!! I remember being so excited when I saw a co-worker with braces. Funny I hadn't noticed them before! So, I guess the obession goes away after awhile. I was also glad to find this site because it helped me "talk" about my braces - I too was driving my family crazy!

Do you have ceramic or metal? I have ceramic and I'm so glad I do. It helps to blend in at my age. As far as the time - I see your point about younger people don't seem to mind because they will have them off before they "grow up". Here we are grown ups and we think about things like that. My full treatment is supposed to go 31 months and I'm into my 4th month! It seems so long!! My main concern is having braces when my daughters get married. It is a valid fear - so I've learned to accept it and cross that bridge when I come to it. I'm hoping to be able to have them taken off temporarily - we'll see...no wedding plans yet....so it's a wait and see situation.

Hey 50+...

I have porcelain on top, metal on bottom Two weeks in and I still have adjusting to do, but mostly I am used to it. I have this dang long archwire with a coil on it that goes around where my canine used to be, and it feels like a chainsaw...not to mention the big space there is pretty embarrassing, but oh well...it'll be gone eventually, and is the whole reason for the braces in the first place.

Geez, I would not get my braces off for a wedding,no matter who's it is...in pictures you can't even see the porcelain ones...and it could be photoshopped out, but this is where we are, and so what if you have braces when your kids get married!

Oh, I have a 16 yr old son who has the most perfect teeth..he looks like he had braces! Thank gawd, I could not afford both of us to be braced!

Feeling a little sick of my braces today...only 2 weeks in!!!!

I'll be so glad when they get rid of the big arch with the coily thing on it that goes around where my canine should be...it keeps getting caught on my lip!

Yesterday a few of my 8th graders realized for the first time that I had braces, even though I had talked about it in class and everything...man, they can really tune me out I guess...the other students were like, "where have you been??!!, she's only had them, like, 4evr...." Funny little people....

Hi

Congrats on getting your braces! Just thought you might like to hear from another member whose in your age group. I'm 53, and once I got over my initial apprehensions, realized there's almost no age limitation to this ortho journey. There are moments of discomfort, but it will all be worth it in the end. The braces may even make you look younger...

Good luck with your treatment & keep posting!



Second Time In Braces - Estimate 12-14 Months

Yes indeed, a great journey ahead that's for sure! I'm sorry about your little chainsaw, I hope it settles down quickly, mine has been wax-free for an entire 24 hours and holding strong and comfortable (although I will be waxing for bed just to make doubly sure I can get a decent night out of it).

How are things looking for you?

Welp, had my first "back to the ortho" day...first appt. was for spacers--THAT was weird...not painfull, but rubbed my tongue and made me gag.

Next appt, spacers out, but I guess the assistant forgot to put them in both sides...really? Forgot? Put 2 in one side instead of one on each side. It didn't seem like a big deal, they will put the other one in at the next appt. in 7 weeks, then back for more banding.

Anyway, I was so excited that something different was going to happen! Until they started tugging and pulling and sticking and spreading and messing all up in my mouth...Whoa!!! Impressive. I am excited that they lassoed that tooth in the middle of my upper mouth and are starting to pull that thing where it belongs! They said they have to move it very slowly (thus, the 2 year sentence) so it stays attached to my bone, or some such nonsense....now I have these stringy things for all my food to get stuck in---I swear I am going on a liquid diet, because the food thing is such a pain!

Funny thing, the very night after that appointment I had an "Absynthe" party to go to...uh oh, absynthe on an empty stomach = trouble, let me tell ya!

I wish I had a false tooth for the huge space made in the front of my smile...it is pretty embarrassing .

OK, I will figure out how to put pics up later.

I finally got some floss around my bands...it seems like my teeth just needed a few days to relax.

Ugh, sometimes I just hate having braces. Today it just feels like I have a mouth full of braces, and it is all I can do to not talk with a lisp.

My teeth hurt today, I am hungry and nothing seems worth it to eat, I am kranky as heck.

I am only 2.5 months into this, and I still am getting more stuff put in my mouth at the next visit. I don't think I can handle it (but I know I obviously will)

I am having a bad brace day.

Hi Theresa,

Hang in there lady! I just joined archwired, started poking around and stumbled onto your postings. I look forward to reading more.

I'm in Vancouver, BC and have been interviewing ortho's because my 47 year old teeth aren't going to fix themselves. I have age related crowding.

I've seen 5 people already and my head is spinning. Some of the experts are contradicting each others opinions. Simply put I'm a nervous kitten!

I'm going to see a few more people. If I was going to go for Invisalign I believe I've found the Dr, I would pick but I'm really leaning towards braces, I don't know call me old school, but so be it. The one quote I got so far for braces included a tooth extraction which I'd rather not do.

Who knows what I'll wind up doing, but in the meanwhile I'll try to hang around Archwired and gather advice. I hope to get braces before the Fall season.

BTW, I have a bruxism problem, made worse this past year w/thinking about my teeth. One person told me bruxing should stop w/braces as the teeth will be loose and it'll hurt and wake me if I brux. Hope that's true. Anyhow maybe that'll be something I'll post elsewhere.

regards, Jude

Oh wow, I don't want to scare anybody away from braces...but I do like to get real...it is no party! That said, most days it isn't so bad, just annoying as heck.

Today is a better day, but still....

Boy, I sure am not on here as much as at first, which shows I am just getting used to these things!

Anyhoo, all is well...things are a movin' and a groovin'...I wish my eye tooth was moving in faster, but slow is good on this one..it was in the middle of my palate...so that is what is making this journey sooooo long...otherwise, all my other teeth are really straight!

Those first days were really rough...I have a friend who is supposed to be getting braces this week, and I really want to be there for him...I have a feeling he will chicken out, which is totally understandable. I have a lot of respect now for older people who take the plunge!