Over 50's club ?

[Dee17]

Well, we'll all be happy to welcome you to the club. There are quite a number of people over 50 who are members of this forum. I myself am almost 55 and got my braces at the end of October/12. Good luck with your appointment.

[JeniK]

Thanks Dee17! I am in the right place now! I have been to my doctor today. She took me off my medication for the time being. When i am done with braces...I go back on it..at least that is the plan now. I have to wait 2 months before I can have the braces put on. Oh well.. I will enjoy my summer until then !!

[Dee17]

Hi JeniK,
Glad to know all went well. It can be a bit nerve wracking when you're waiting for some kind of approval before you can actually get your braces. My orthodontist wanted me to see a periodontist and get approved by him before he would put my braces on. I was very nervous he would say I couldn't have them. But it all worked out well in the end. So, I hope you enjoy your bracket-free summer. Eat as much corn on the cob as you can possibly hold!

[Realizingadream]

My orthodontist had concerns when I told him I had been on bisphosphonates a while ago, but not currently. He had me get a CTX test I think it was, and he checked with my dentist.

There were no issues so after making sure everything seemed to be okay physically, he first braced my lower jaw, and we both waited to see "if the teeth would move." Six months passed uneventfully, except for my lower teeth straightening up quite a bit! So, everything went well, and then (6 months in) he braced my uppers.

I am really glad he tested everything and was cautious. I was afraid at the time, though, 1) that he wouldn't treat me and 2) that something horrid would be found out to be wrong with me.

Now, I am well into treatment, and very glad I did it.

Best thoughts to your plans!

Real

[JeniK]

Realizingadream...I too was on the same medication. My ortho would only do braces if I have clearance from my doctor. My doctor was telling me about the risk...even tho they are extremely rare , she had to inform me of them. And with that....I had to be off my meds for 2 months. By the time I get my braces (aug 6th) I will be off 2 1/2 months. Please let me know how you are doing. I am excited to get this started. I hope I am able to get the results I am looking for. Good luck!!

[redwine]

I'm back. After a pretty awful winter and spring - partly due to SARPE and partly to husband (30 years) leaving, I'm finally feeling quite good. My gap closed surprisingly quickly, I have bottom braces on, and ortho says I will be ready for lower jaw surgery as early as October! However, I won't be getting it done until December due to time constraints. Hope everyone is doing well and hangin' in there. I find it interesting (now that the gap has closed), that I am far less self-conscious now that I was before the braces! And now that the Hyrax has finally been removed, my speech has improved dramatically. People at work say my voice, not just my speech, is back to "normal". Also, my breathing has improved soooo much! It is wonderful to see so much progress in the mirror, and inspiring to read about others progress. With luck, my next milestone will be the lower jaw getting fixed. Anyone else in this club have both surgeries? If so, which recovery took longest?

[Realizingadream]

Well folks:

I am another day closer to getting debraced. I have had Damons on since oh summer 2012. It has been an adventure.

In fall 2012 I went back to school. I will finish that very soon, and have been hired at a local, larger company in my area, and am very excited to be done with school and start earning a paycheck. I was worried they wouldn't like me because of my braces--but got the interview--and then the job! I'm pretty excited.

The braces should come off early 2014, but I'm willing to hang in there a little longer to get one little sad sack tooth on the bottom, to straighten up better.

I'm really glad I did it. The braces, the schooling, the new job. All of it. I am so much well, better and in so many ways, than I was 3 years ago.

Real

[xanidu2012]

Congratulations on schooling and new job. Your debrace date will be here before you know it. Enjoy all of your accomplishments and in Realizing A Dream. Once again congratulations!!!

[Dee17]

Congratulations to you on many fronts! You must be so proud of yourself. Enjoy your new job and your new look!

[sim]

Hi. I'm also over 50. I'm 51 and female. I've been in metal brackets since January. About 30 years ago I had one for my upper yaw but since then I still have had large gaps on both sides between two teeths. So I have bracelets to cloce the gaps.
In my other yaw I have crowding teeths.
I was lucky and didn't have much pain and no blisters. Except when I got power chains on my upper yaw. That is since last Thursday and man, that hurts.

[Dee17]

Yes, sim, power chains can be a real drag. I've been wearing them since two months after I got my braces put on -- October 2012. You will get used to them. They make cleaning a bit more of a challenge but the pain will go away with time.

[vyvyen]

Hello, yes I'm over 50 actually 55 and got my braces last Tuesday so it's been 6 day today. So glad there are other over 50's in here.

[sim]

I had never realised there would be so many over 50 people with braces. Now I am having braces I'm quite obsessed seeing other people with braces on.

At the beginning, about nearly 5 months ago I was a lot self aware, only smiled with my mouth closed. Now I don't care anymore (well, maybe a little bith!) and dare to show that I have braces on.
I think it's not that bad wearing them though I'm glad the power chains don't hurt anymore.

Are there many over 50 people with coloured elastics around the brackets? I think it's fun to have lovely coloures but for myself I only prefer having grey ones

[Dee17]

Hi Sim,
I had terrible anxiety when I first got my braces put on and would barely open my mouth in public for about the first six months. I don't have coloured elastics because I got Damon Q self-ligating braces and they don't need those little elastics. You get used to them pretty quickly and as I soon found out from other people on this forum (and from experience) other people really don't notice you're wearing braces. Most other people are far too self-absorbed in their own life to take notice of other people and what they are wearing -- or even doing -- most of the time. Good luck!

[redwine]

Having braces over 50 isn't such a bad thing. People usually think you're younger because - well, who in their right mind would get braces over 50, right? And the time goes by much faster. And (big one) we're not in high school and care a whole lot less about what other people think.
That said, I actually have a de-bracing date! August 13th is the big day. I might not have made it if it weren't for the tips and encouragement I got on this board!