Metal Mouth Message Board

I just turned 29 and I said it's now or never for Braces. The first day was definitely the worst. I went to the orthos office and there was literally 30 kids and their moms waiting for dental work and me being the only adult male was really embarrassing with all the female dental assistants around. when I was waiting to get my x-rays I saw a little girl crying while they were fitting the molds for her teeth and I was like "it shouldn't hurt that bad" to myself. That's until it was my turn, and they fit the mold's and it was so painful cause the metal part was pulverizing the roof of my mouth (like how cereal eats the roof of it but much more concentrated) a tear almost formed. Then I had todo it again cause the dental assistant wasn't strong enough to get the mold right the first time cause I was much bigger than her. so it was excruciating pain x2. Then I had to redo my x-rays cause the densitometer was set for little kids and they couldn't get a good x-ray cause they needed to recalibrate it for me and I was like, "YAY! more radiation for me." cause it always gives you confidence when they put the lead vest on you then run out the door in panic. Then when it was time for my evalutation I had like 5 people look at my teeth at once since my Ortho apparently was a NYU dental school Professor and was teaching overseas interns or something and they were all looking at me with the speculum keeping my mouth wide open and taking notes. It was probably the second most humiliating event in my life next to taking a poop in my pants in kindergarten. I asked my Ortho for linguals but he said they would cost me $7000 bucks! so I had to stick with ceramics which were half that cost. they didn't hurt when he put them in but everytime i bite with them I hurt something fierce. So I then went on a liquid diet and bought out all the geriatric ensure shakes and pediatric applesauces and use them for nourishment. I won't be eating steak anytime soon. My friends all laugh at me (I admit I'd probably laugh at them too, it's a guy thing) cause of my wires. I wish they'd do it more overtly so I could be in on the fun. Don't believe em when they say "Cool, I never noticed" - OH they notice alright. SO I basically paid an arm and a leg for being publicly humiliated, feeling like I got kicked in the teeth, looking like special johnny (the kid who sat in the back of the bus who everyone said ate his own boogers), eating food old people and infants eat and all 'cause I wanted nicer teeth. Is it worth it? I don't know yet. I guess in 18 months I'll find out. Until then, it's slings and arrows for me.

Sounds like that was some bad day for you.

My ortho uses plastic mouthpieces for the molds and aside from slightly gagging me, they never hurt.

Oh, and it wasn't a speculum he put in your mouth, (that is reserved for us ladies, LOL), it was a cheek retractor. Oh god, at least I HOPE it wasn't a speculum!!!

I admit that having all those x-rays is never fun. I hate getting x-rays.

Getting that all done in one day is a lot. Mine was spread out over a few weeks. I had the x-rays done at the x-ray place, then a few days later I had the molds made. Then we had the final consultation. Then finally I got the braces put on. To have that all done in one shot is pretty overwhelming.

Listen, don't feel so bad about your friends joking with you. When your teeth are done and they look great, you'll know that it was worth it.

As for the pain -- it WILL get better. It will, it will! You may not be able to eat steak for a few months, but soon you'll move beyond Ensure and applesauce. The first few weeks are the worst. Believe me when I tell you that in a few months, you'll reach a point where you forget you're wearing them sometimes.

Hang in there, mister!

Reading your post was an absolute laugh! Well at least you can see some slight humour in the events leading up to your brace installation.

Dont worry about the initial comments about your braces. Soon, they will be the only comments made about your braces ever again. Either you'll be the one to bring it up again or no one even gives them a second thought about it. That was the case with me.

When I was about less than a mouth into it, i could eat basically everything again. So have no worries. Its definately worth it.

Like my signature says " If you Always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got"

i've had lowers on for 3 weeks now, and i'm pretty much eating anything

but next thursday i'm getting upper ceramics on so i'll be back to mashed vegies and baked beans