BraceFace2o1o's Story

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#1 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:44 am

Hi, I decided to start my 'blog' in this part of the forum.

I am 24 years old and from the UK. Here is a little background info about me:
I was first told I would need a brace when I was about 12 years old. My Dentist told me he would be referring me to an Orthodontist (NHS). I do remember thinking and saying "oh no I don't want a brace!" because I hated the way they looked. By the time I was about 15 years old I still hadn't heard anything about an appointment with an Ortho... it bothered me, because by 15 I had changed my mind a little bit and did want a brace to fix my crooked teeth. I went to a routine check up appointment and decided to ask my Dentist why might be the reason for still not hearing anything after 3 years, he said that they may have sent my appointment to my old address (I recently had moved at the time) and that he would refer me again, this meant another waiting list and I basically never heard anything, because by 18 you have to pay, unless you're in education. I kinda forgot about the whole thing, right up until I was about 22 (I'll update from here later on...)

I now have my first consultation booked for next week (12th August) and I am soooo excited! I will update with how my consultation went next week...

In the mean time, here are some not very good pictures of my teeth to show you the crookedness. If I go ahead with treatment I will upload better pictures then

Upper teeth (fillings in my 2nd Molars):

Lower teeth:

Another of my upper teeth:

A side picture (left side):

Front view (me trying to move my lips out the way and not succeeding lol):

Trying to smile with my teeth showing (which is something I NEVER do so looks weird and unnatural - also, excuse the dry lips):

#2 Post by **Noodle1** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 12:39 pm

Hey,

I'm 24 with braces, it's a tough age. I wondered what everyone would say but actually made no difference and a lot of people came up to me saying they wish they had them!
I'm starting to come towards the end of it now and although it seems like a long road, it's totally worth it just to see the results now.

Think of being able to smile with your teeth showing!!

#3 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:51 am

againbrace wrote:Hi Chrystal,

Welcome to AW. Congrats on my the big decision to get braced as an adult.

It is sometimes best to get more then one consult to find a good ortho that you feel comfortable with. Some may have different plans of treatment too. You'll be seeing them a lot, so try to find one that you like their treatment plan and communicate well with.

Hi Ken,

I also have another Ortho in mind for a 2nd Consultation after this one. My Dentist did mention another Ortho he knows of in the next town, but it's not one he refers to, he just knows of them... so that could be number 3.

againbrace wrote:Best of Luck on your journey. It is worth it. Ken

Thank you. I do regret not having done it sooner though.

Noodle1 wrote:Hey,

I'm 24 with braces, it's a tough age. I wondered what everyone would say but actually made no difference and a lot of people came up to me saying they wish they had them!
I'm starting to come towards the end of it now and although it seems like a long road, it's totally worth it just to see the results now.

Hi Noodle1,

I am very keen to get braces to have straight teeth, but there is a part of me that wonders if I'll still be so keen once they are on! Like you did, I am starting to wonder how others will respond... hopefully I will get the same response you did!

Noodle1 wrote:Think of being able to smile with your teeth showing!!

I'll have to start practicing! (sp)

Thank you both for stopping by my journal/braces story

#4 Post by **dredgos** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:39 am

Hi Chrystal,

My situation was very similar to yours, as a youngster i was told i would need them and i remember being there like "aah no i dont want that in my mouth" and i never had them. Now im 24 and i think to myself that i was an idiot back then to not have them for free, so i took the plunge in May.

Although it does undoubtedly take some getting used to at first, generally the idea of it all in your head is worse than the reality of it all! Infact i still have some friends who have seen me many times since i had my braces fitted and they have only just realised i have them.

As others have said it is definately worth 'shopping around' to find an ortho you are comfortable with as you have to see them fairly regulary the last thing you need is to be dreading going back!

Hope the consultations go well!

#5 Post by **Clare** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:00 am

Hi Chyrstal,

I'm in the same boat as you, I'm 25 and so did not want to be getting braces on! But I took the plunge and got them on yesterday and while my face is quite sore, I know it will be worth it. Or at least that is my mantra for today!

One thing that pushed me into it was my mother. She has the nicest, whitest teeth I've ever laid eyes on but her front two teeth on the top overlap. She is always saying that she should have gotten them corrected when she was younger. I didn't want to end up wishing the same thing so I've bit the bullet! It's so going to be worth it! Do it!!! Just think this time next year you'll be well on your way to perfect teeth

#6 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:07 am

Hi dredgos and Clare, thanks for stopping by and thank you for the encouragement! I have been having slight second thoughts, but realise this IS what I want.... and as soon as I can. I'd rather have them straightened 'now' rather than put it off for another 5-10 years then get it done in my 30's or even 40's.

So a little update for my story so far:

I had my first consultation on Thursday 12th August and I can definitely say I will be having another consultation with a different Ortho.

My consultation went well, the Ortho seemed kind. I made a short list of questions I'd like to ask, but he answered them all before I even got to ask (I only had about 4 or 5 questions that I could think of! lol) so that was good. No molds or x-rays were taken at this consultation, but he did look in my mouth/around my teeth... overall, I was in there for about 25 minutes.

I wont go into great detail, because if I did this post would be 10 pages long

. Anyway, like I said, I was happy with him and how he explained about having braces... but a couple of things 'put me off'. The main one being him saying I would most likely not have a brace fitted on the lower arch... "why?" I hear you ask, he said because of my overbite (not an overjet! I notice alot of people get overbites and overjet confused), and that my top front teeth would hit/touch the brackets on the lower teeth. I thought that was what molar buildups and bite turbos were for? if so, this wasn't mentioned to me at all. He just said "you might just have to live with how your teeth are without having them corrected" (something similar to that anyway, I can't remember word for word), I'll be totally honest, as soon as he said this, I felt rather disappointed.

At first he was talking about 'SPEED Braces'. After lots of talking/explaining he said "I will show you some models of the 3 types of fixed braces you can have". So he brought over the 3 models and first he showed me the SPEED Braces (they are just smaller and self ligating? Well, anyway, the archwire isn't held on by those tiny rubber bands/ligatures), then I got to look at the 'clear' (ceramic) option (called radiance) and then finally, the traditional metal ones with the rubber ligatures. He quoted me £3500 for the traditional metal with rubber ligatures (cheapest option) and said that the clear or SPEED Braces would be at least £300 more on top of that.
Do you want me to be honest? OK, I will... £3500 shocked me... why? because when I was talking to the receptionist (prior to booking a consultation appointment) she said that the minimum they charge is £2000 and the maximum is £2800, and I feel that the info she gave me was incorrect!
Anyway, he said my case was relatively simple (and also said no extractions needed... didn't mention elastics or powerchains at all)... so I hate to think what he would have quoted if my case was more severe! I just feel a little frustrated that I was told no more than £2800 (I remember her saying, £2800 is for the more severe cases) and then in the consultation I was quoted £700 more on top of the max price.

I just want to make clear, it's not so much the price that 'put me off' at the consultation, it was mainly due to the fact he said I would most likely not have my bottom teeth corrected because of my overbite. If I am paying over £2500, I expect both arches to be corrected and anyway, what's the point of having nice straight upper teeth to have crooked lower ones? (that's just how I feel about my own teeth, my personal opinion). I'd personally just prefer to leave them ALL how they are than pay out that sort of money for one arch. Also, I didn't really appreciate the Orthos comment "most people don't show their bottom teeth when they smile anyway"... I just didn't feel that attitude towards my lowers.

Most people I've spoken to in the UK are paying £3000-£3500 for CLEAR braces, not metal... I'm just a little shocked, I'll get over it LOL.

I know I am not an expert, but I honestly didn't think that people with an overbite aren't able to have lower braces too... strange.

I can now understand why people always recommend seeing at least 2 Orthos for a consultation, which I will definitely be doing. I booked my next consultation (with another Orthodontist) on Friday, after calling in to their practice in person earlier in the day. I did mention to the receptionist I had already had one consultation with another Ortho and even mentioned them quoting me £700 over the ‘max price’ and she looked a little puzzled. So, my next consultation is booked for the 20th September… they are quite busy, so I’ll have to be patient and wait

#7 Post by **mlholl19** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:40 am

Hi Chrystal,

I know how you feel. I got braces at 26, and now I'm 27 and hopefully I only have about 4 months left of treatment (keeping fingers crossed). I actually got a very positive response to my braces because I spent 26 years not smiling, and the more my teeth straightened out, the more I smiled. Suddenly I had people telling me all the time how great my teeth looked, which made me feel great. As for the ortho issue, I would recommend going to at least 3 different consultations, if not more. The first guy I went to did not want to put braces on my bottom teeth either, and he also wanted to charge me $1500 US dollars more than my current ortho, with whom I have braces on top and bottom. I would shop around for as long as it takes for you to feel comfortable because different orthos will give you different treatment plans, different treatment times, and also different prices and payment plans, which will all be a factor in who you choose. You should also make sure that you like the office staff and the ortho because you will be seeing these people regularly over an extended period of time and you want to make sure that you feel absolutely comfortable with them. I hope that helps. Good luck!

#8 Post by **dredgos** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:34 am

Hi Chrystal,

I am glad that the consultation wasnt a total nightmare, even if it wasnt exactly what you would have liked to have been told! I am somewhat suprised at the price quoted especially as you were told that the lower arch wouldnt be braced, seems rather expensive for something that they described as 'relatively simple'. My whole treatment (which involved no extractions etc) was a total of just over £2000, so those prices you are talking about do seem rather high especially if it isnt going to get you the result you want.

I had a similar problem with my lower arch, where my top teeth at the moment do touch the lower set of brackets when i chew but my ortho added a small molar buildup each side so that i could chew without biting off my brackets. Again it suprises me that your ortho didnt seem to mention this route either.

If nothing else though, each consultation you go to gives you something to compare against and some food for thought. I am glad that you have taken on the advice of 'shopping about' as for me, its the best advice on this whole forum!

#9 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:03 pm

mlholl19 wrote:I would shop around for as long as it takes for you to feel comfortable because different orthos will give you different treatment plans, different treatment times, and also different prices and payment plans, which will all be a factor in who you choose. You should also make sure that you like the office staff and the ortho because you will be seeing these people regularly over an extended period of time and you want to make sure that you feel absolutely comfortable with them. I hope that helps. Good luck!

dredgos wrote:If nothing else though, each consultation you go to gives you something to compare against and some food for thought. I am glad that you have taken on the advice of 'shopping about' as for me, its the best advice on this whole forum!

I totally agree with both of you. I remember when I first started getting serious about wanting a fixed brace... I wasn't so keen on the idea of seeing more than one Ortho for a consultation (because of the cost,

), but since experiencing my first consultation I can totally see why it is recommended. Of course if I feel unsure at the next consultation (not too long now, just under 3 weeks!) I will have to book another with another Ortho, the only thing is, I don't currently know of any others in my town or that are quite local! Ideally I need one within a certain distance as I might soon have to be without my car

... so until then I can drive there, but if I no longer have my car during treatment I need to be able to get there by bike/bus.

#10 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:04 pm

I am wondering if my one last wisdom tooth is causing me a few 'issues' lately. I had 3 of my wisdom teeth removed in November 2009 (both uppers, and lower left). My last one (lower right) hadn't come through the gum at the time, so the surgeon refused to remove it... I would have preferred he removed it as well to avoid another extraction date in the future!

Anyway, I remember when he looked at my x-ray... I saw that the lower right one was too impacted (I think it's mesially impacted) and angled towards my last molar. My other 3 wisdom teeth had already made an appearance through the gum, although the lower left one was only slight because of the way it was growing. My two uppers were removed because they had come through at a funny angle, the base/chewing surface of the tooth was kinda facing the inside of my cheek, this resulted in me having difficulty brushing them and keeping them clean! My my lower left was removed because it was pushing up against the molar next to it and causing pain, also, it hadn't totally come through the gum so I had a little flap where food would get stuck... ergh, gross! Like I said, I would have preferred the oral surgeon to have removed all 4 at once, but for some reason he said no to the last one (lower left) as it was still under the gum.

Because it's growing towards the molar next to it, I wonder if it's starting to 'push' my teeth on my lower right side to become even more compact/crowded. I am experiencing a weird pressure sensation in my lower right front tooth, and a premolar (they are both tightly squeezed by the teeth either side). It just feels like it's getting squashed, and isn't a sensation of a typical tooth ache. My lower arch is crowded on the right side (my midline is off and going to the right), so I wonder if the wisdom tooth is trying to erupt, but in the process as it pushes into the molar, I am getting a domino effect

and because the teeth are already tightly packed it's causing my teeth on that side to feel 'odd'.

I will mention this to the Ortho when I see him in 3 weeks time, as it's bugging me!

#11 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:07 pm

Chrystal wrote:(my midline is off and going to the right)

I meant my midline is going off to the right fron the inside of my mouth, if that makes sense. Basically, if you were looking at me, my lower midline is more to the left!

wow, I can make things so confusing.

#12 Post by **TrolleyDolly** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:13 am

Hi Chrystal,

I just thought I'd drop by your blog and say hi! Also after reading about your first consultation, I thought I'd share some of my experiences with you.

Prior to deciding to go with my chosen ortho, I had 2 consultations - both people were recommended by my dentist. Each charged a consultation fee of GBP95.00 which would subsequently be deducted if I went ahead with treatment. Both ortho's gave me very similar consultations, a chat about why I was there and what I wanted to achieve followed by close inspection/examination of my teeth. Upper and lower impressions were taken as well as x-rays, both profile and 360 degrees. After the orthos had a look at the x-rays I was then given their diagnosis, treatment plan and costs and then shown the various appliances and given information on how each works.

In both cases I was told I could have invisalign or fixed ceramics/metal and would need both top and bottom arches doing. In terms of cost, I was quoted GBP4000 for invisalign, GBP3200 for either Damons or ceramic and GBP2800 for regular metal with ligs. Treatment times varied from 18-24 months dependant on which system I chose. The cost also includes a further 12 months of post brace treatment once I reached retention stage plus top/bottom clear retainers plus a possible fixed bonded retainer on my lower arch.

I am so shocked that your quote for just the top was GBP3500! That seems way too much based on the quotes I received.

I hope that this info has helped you, good luck with your next consultation. I hope that they're able to provide you with the treatment you want and also a more realistic price.

Look forward to hearing how you get on.....

#13 Post by **cosmo** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:38 am

welcome to the forum. You are going to love it here. all your questions and things you wonder shall be answered. I love my braces. I am going on four months not and honestly sometimes I forget I have them on ( i never thought I'd say that) except for in the morning when my mouth is dry and my brace get stuck to my gums lol.

You have no idea how amazingly happy this is going to make you feel. I see your uppers straighten out in a month or two.

congrats I look forward to following your posts/blog.

#14 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:33 pm

TrolleyDolly wrote:Hi Chrystal,

I just thought I'd drop by your blog and say hi! Also after reading about your first consultation, I thought I'd share some of my experiences with you.

Prior to deciding to go with my chosen ortho, I had 2 consultations - both people were recommended by my dentist. Each charged a consultation fee of GBP95.00 which would subsequently be deducted if I went ahead with treatment. Both ortho's gave me very similar consultations, a chat about why I was there and what I wanted to achieve followed by close inspection/examination of my teeth. Upper and lower impressions were taken as well as x-rays, both profile and 360 degrees. After the orthos had a look at the x-rays I was then given their diagnosis, treatment plan and costs and then shown the various appliances and given information on how each works.

Hi,

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience with me, it has definitely helped put my mind at rest with some questions I had going round in my head.

Did you have the x-rays and impressions taken at your first appointment? The first Ortho I saw only looked at my teeth, he said x-rays/impressions wouldn’t be taken until I decided to go ahead with treatment and would be done at another appointment. I personally would like x-rays/impressions prior to signing a contract as I thought they couldn’t make a ‘proper’ diagnosis without these.

TrolleyDolly wrote:In both cases I was told I could have invisalign or fixed ceramics/metal and would need both top and bottom arches doing. In terms of cost, I was quoted GBP4000 for invisalign, GBP3200 for either Damons or ceramic and GBP2800 for regular metal with ligs. Treatment times varied from 18-24 months dependant on which system I chose. The cost also includes a further 12 months of post brace treatment once I reached retention stage plus top/bottom clear retainers plus a possible fixed bonded retainer on my lower arch.

I am so shocked that your quote for just the top was GBP3500! That seems way too much based on the quotes I received.

To be honest I was shocked too. I understand having a brace certainly isn’t a cheap thing to do, but after making a thread asking other UK users how much theirs cost, most for metal were under £3000. I was kinda frustrated because the receptionist said the maximum they charge (for a serious case) was £2800, yet he said I had a relatively simple case and wanted £3500! how odd lol.

TrolleyDolly wrote:I hope that this info has helped you, good luck with your next consultation. I hope that they're able to provide you with the treatment you want and also a more realistic price.

Look forward to hearing how you get on.....

Thanks again for the info! Hopefully my consultation next week will go a little better.

cosmo wrote:welcome to the forum. You are going to love it here. all your questions and things you wonder shall be answered. I love my braces. I am going on four months not and honestly sometimes I forget I have them on ( i never thought I'd say that) except for in the morning when my mouth is dry and my brace get stuck to my gums lol.

You have no idea how amazingly happy this is going to make you feel. I see your uppers straighten out in a month or two.

congrats I look forward to following your posts/blog.

Hi cosmo and thanks for stopping by.

That sounds good! I am glad you are getting along fine with them and they aren’t causing you too much bother.

I shall update again after my consultation next week!

#15 Post by **TrolleyDolly** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 4:25 am

Hi Chrystal,

In answer to your question:
Did you have the x-rays and impressions taken at your first appointment?

Yes during the first consultation I did. At the second I had impressions taken and then went back a few days later for x-rays (their x-ray machine was broken otherwise I think I would've had it done there and then too.)

On both occasions my consultations were followed up a few days later by a full diagnosis and treatment plan in writing, along with information about financial payment plans etc. At no time during either consultation did I feel obligated to sign up there and then.

Less than a week now until your next consultation!!

I so hope that this ortho can provide you with what you want.