The Professor's Story of Braces at 40 (with pics)

[TheProfessor]

It has been a month since my second adjustment and yesterday I had my first cleaning since braces. Pre-braces I always dreaded cleanings because there was always a lot of scraping around my crowded teeth and I always left feeling like I had been scolded for not brushing my teeth we'll enough. So, I was a bit nervous going in, but the hygienist was so excited to see my braces that I calmed down and she got to work cleaning my teeth. Her first comment was " wow, you are doing a great job!" I assumed this was in comparison to all the kids she sees with braces, so I took her compliment with a grain of salt. Then my dentist came in and took a look, she was also very happy that I took the plunge to straighten my teeth. At the end of the appointment, I asked if I should be doing anything different such as one of those fluoride rinses I saw in the store. The dentist said they only recommend that for people with poor hygiene. Then the hygienist told me that I could be the poster child for oral hygiene with braces and that I should keep doing exactly what I've been doing! This made me very happy, especially considering my dodgy dental past....

So here's my progress in the month since my last adjustment:
July 7


Aug 7: starting to level out on the bottom!


My first gap ever: here's a picture of my right side

[Featheryy1221]

Wow! Your teeth are looking awesome!

[pjade1]

I can see your bottom teeth leveling out already. Mine need to do that too. I hope I can see that movement as fast as you did. I wonder what comments I will get when I go to my first cleaning with braces in Oct. I know my dentist has been wanting me to get braces for my bite and so she can get crowns on my front teeth easier. I hope my cleaning report is as good as yours. It seems like I am constantly cleaning my teeth now. They sure feel alot cleaner anyhow. It's awesome you got a nice report from your dentist.

[Buttercup22]

The transformation pictures are just amazing! I hope this progress has helped completely get over those regretful feelings, and that you are now feeling happy, positive and motivated about doing this I hope I will feel the same!

I see you are working in a university, and Rumi - I see you are in graduate school teaching undergraduates. That is something else we have in common. I will be starting in graduate school soon and will also be teaching for the first time. I almost wish that I had my braces fitted before going back (which I definitely won't), rather than having teeth extracted and then getting braces fitted while I am adjusting to these other changes! The fact that I will be communicating with different groups of people each day too does not make this easier.. How has this been for you? Or for anyone else that can relate? I feel that I will be more ashamed of my teeth at first with large gaps, and with a very crooked wire after that!

Your progress is very inspiring and your story has been really motivating so hopefully, like you, all of this won't matter in a few months

[TheProfessor]

The academics seem to be taking over this website ! I taught my first class of the semester today and can honestly say that I didn't even think about my braces. But, I'm 40 and I don't really care what a bunch of undergrads think about how I look. I got my braces right after spring break, I felt pretty awkward and I could tell that most of my colleagues in my department had no idea whether they should say something, and most didn't. My bottom teeth show a lot when I talk, and my original bendy archwire looked pretty horrific! Now I don't think anyone notices or cares, like someone else said on this website, it is like wearing glasses. Everyone notices at first but they quickly get used to seeing you with new " accessories". Now I actually wish someone would notice how straight and organized my teeth are starting to be and make a comment, but I guess that is why I'm on this message board

Good look with your grad studies and your TAship, Buttercup! The next few months are going to be busy and exciting for you

[Buttercup22]

Thank you TheProfessor!! It really does sound like I'm the only person it could possibly bother. I think will just be the initial awkwardness, if people feel too awkward to raise the issue that could make it awkward! However, as you said, this will only last for a few days and it will be old news then I think the reason I am more self-conscious is because I am only 22 and very young to be teaching in the first place! Some of my students will be older than me! But as I said in another post, no matter how uncomfortable I feel about something, I will never let anything including my teeth hold me back in life or in progressing with my career!

I hope the next few months are so busy that I will not have time to consider changing my mind or make myself wonder why I am doing this! I will be sure to keep updated with your story until I have a further update myself

[Matilda]

Great progress!

[TheProfessor]

Hi everyone,
I had my third adjustment a week ago and I'm 1/4 of the way done! Nothing happened with my uppers (still on 0.018 wire). After almost 6 months, I finally moved up to a stronger wire (0.018) on my lowers and now it extends back to my second molars. It is ok so far, my molars have been a little tender and my bite feels a little off. For the last few weeks I can feel my lower incisors touching the back of my top front teeth--so weird! I've never felt this before due to an overjet plus wonky lower teeth, but I guess my lower teeth are now flaring out to fit while my top teeth have been pulled in a bit to correct the overjet. It is a work in progress...

I feel like my dramatic movement phase is over, now the goal is to push out my lower back teeth so that my front incisors have room to straighten up.

Day 1:

Week 24:

[TheProfessor]

And here's a picture of my lower arch. You can see that my first molars need to be moved out to be in line with the second molars (and the wisdom teeth behind those!) I think this is the reason for my two year sentence, it is not going to be easy to move those big teeth. My top arch is similar but not as bad, I haven't managed to get a good picture up there, though...

[nicolie825]

Everythings looking nice! I was wondering why your sentence was so long considering how nicely your bottoms are coming along in such a short time. I didnt realize all the moving your molars have in store for them! Im sure you know that itll all be worth it with the drastic improvement youve already seen

[TheProfessor]

Everythings looking nice! I was wondering why your sentence was so long considering how nicely your bottoms are coming along in such a short time. I didnt realize all the moving your molars have in store for them! Im sure you know that itll all be worth it with the drastic improvement youve already seen

I was also wondering why my sentence was so long after seeing so many shorter estimates in other people's stories. I feel like my treatment is going pretty slow, I'm only on my second wires now. I think my ortho is not treating me very aggressively, but I trust that she knows what she is doing. I guess it will take as long as it takes

[pjade1]

You are having some nice progress and I can relate to how you are feeling with your sentence. I don't feel my teeth are very crooked at all but I do have an overbite/overjet issue and I am wondering if our sentence is so long because of the bite issues. It seems to me that crooked teeth are easier to fix than bite issues. My sentence is for 30 months and I don't have crooked teeth! Hmmm???? Maybe our sentence will be reduced. I hope so for the both of us.

[TheProfessor]

Me too! The second ortho consulted estimated 24-30 months, so I won't be surprised if I go over the 24 month estimate I was given by my ortho. I hope my teeth cooperate and I can finish early!

[pjade1]

Boy, I am doing everything in my power not to go 30 months in braces. I am wearing my elastics every minute I am not eating or cleaning my teeth. I hope I can get them off within 24 months. The first two ortho consults I had said 18-24 months and this one just said 30 months, YIKES! I am thinking positive that they will come off earlier though.

[ArchimedesDeathray]

Amazing! I hope to see progress in myself that quickly.