Damon Braces at 24 yrs

[kelskelskels]

Hi everyone!
I just came across this site while google searching all sorts of questions about my braces I just got put on on the 16th (9 days ago). I figured keeping up with others who are going through a similar experience might make it go by a little faster and make it more enjoyable...

My journey began just on the 7th of this month when I went in for a routine cleaning and was referred to an orthodontist. I had always been told I had perfect teeth (never had a cavity, never gone in for anything more than a cleaning and x rays) and was a little skeptical when I was told there was a good possibility that I was going to end up with metal mouth for a little while. Long story short I went in for my free consultation and was evaluated further. The following was brought to my attention:

Concerns:
class I occlusion, deep overbite of 70%, minimal over jet, moderate lower and upper crowding, narrow dental arches, my anterior teeth are also retroclined and supra erupted.

My recommended treatment was either the Damon system braces, or Invisalign aligners with an estimated treatment time of 18 months. I decided pretty quickly that although the thought of having full metal braces for over a year may be embarrassing, the pros did out weigh the cons. My orthodontist is part of the Damon family (I believe it was his uncle who created the system) and said that he would have more control with the Damon System and once I got around to needing the rubber bands that stage would be easier. In addition to being easier to work with while fixing my teeth, the Damon System was also cheaper and could potentially cut my treatment time down closer to 12 months rather than the full 18. So I was defiantly on board.

My appointment to have my full braces, top and bottom, was scheduled for just five days later. I was extremely nervous/excited! I had always wanted braces in middle and high school after seeing the amazing results my friends experienced. I went in that morning, made my down payment ($$$) , had my before x rays and photos taken, and then proceeded to get my braces on! I had both my upper and lower brackets applied (including my second molars) and a thin round arch wire. I now also have to have some sort of cement over the top of my lower first molars to ensure that my top fronts don't knock off my bottom front brackets (deep bite). I was also told that as of right now my second molars will not be attached to the arch wire but I should expect that to come at a later date. I went into the office at 730 am and was back in my car driving home by 839 am. I had no idea they could do it so fast!
I scheduled my next appointment for March 2nd, six weeks from my initial. Hopefully I will be upgrading to another arch wire by then but we will see!

I haven't been in as much pain as I thought I might be but eating has not gotten much easier than it was the first day. Probably the worst part so far is the cement stuff that is packed onto my molars, which has made my grinding teeth only touch in two spots, one on each side. I purchased a water pik in attempt to upkeep my pristine oral hygiene routine as flossing is defiantly something I have only had the patience to do before bed nightly. I work as a waitress at a local bar/restaurant so going into work was pretty intimidating at first but Ive kind of gotten over the anxiety and stopped caring what people think about my adult braces, after all Im doing it for a better me! One thing I was surprised to notice was how jacked up my teeth looked with the arch wire and brackets on. I thought I had a pretty good smile... Good thing it's in the process of being fixed!

I wanted to start keeping track of my story because as I was reading up on the experiences of others I seemed to be getting more peace of mind! All comments are appreciated! Im especially curious to hear about others experience with braces to treat a deep bite!

[atrixa]

I'm glad everything's fine with work! Are Damon braces the clear ones? I think they might be in the UK, but not sure about the US. I'm getting full metal on my uppers next month.

[arraye]

I haven't been in as much pain as I thought I might be but eating has not gotten much easier than it was the first day. Probably the worst part so far is the cement stuff that is packed onto my molars, which has made my grinding teeth only touch in two spots, one on each side. I purchased a water pik in attempt to upkeep my pristine oral hygiene routine as flossing is defiantly something I have only had the patience to do before bed nightly. I work as a waitress at a local bar/restaurant so going into work was pretty intimidating at first but Ive kind of gotten over the anxiety and stopped caring what people think about my adult braces, after all Im doing it for a better me! One thing I was surprised to notice was how jacked up my teeth looked with the arch wire and brackets on. I thought I had a pretty good smile... Good thing it's in the process of being fixed!

Congrats on getting braces!! You are right you are doing this for you so have nothing to feel self concious about. That said I can relate to this paragraph! I looked in the mirror after my appointment and just thought... what have I done? The braces do nothing but highlight how crooked my teeth are! I am also having trouble chewing still, it is starting to get easier on my molars now but I still avoid hard foods. All of my front teeth feel like they are about to shatter when I put any pressure on them.

Make sure you take pictures at the beginning so you can compare the end result to them