MY JOURNEY IS SOON TO BEGIN

Message

#1 Post by **ema27** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:07 am

Hi there i am due to have braces put on my top and lower teeth in 2 weeks followed by jaw surgery in 2008.-i am so nervous,worried about the whole thing. i am 28 this year and my teeth at the front go in quite abit meaning the 2 front ones catch on my bottom teeth so apart from having an ugly smile i get sore teeth.i hate my teeth always have done yet the whole idea of what im facing scares me .im worried about what my children will think(they are6 3 and 1)will braces scare the youngest.im worried about opinions of others,im worried about the changes that will happen to my face.i am self concious now-how am i going to cope with braces etc!!!I AM DREADING THE SURGERY-but am trying not to think that far ahead
Still theres a little voice in my head that tells me i will be alright when its all over!and ill be glad i had the courage to go through with it...ill keep you up dated on things as i said braces in 2 weeks!

#2 Post by **Daveyboy** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:17 pm

Hi Ema,

A fellow brit here!!

Just thought i'd wish you good luck for your Bday in 2 weeks. I'm sure it'll go fine and that after a couple of weeks you'll settle in to it and the whole thing will fly by. Come to think of it i've had my uppers on for almost 3 months now... and it feels like yesterday!!

I've got a lower advancement surgery next year so am in a similar situation to you, I can recommend reading a few of the posts on this board here as many people have written some good accounts of what happens and what to expect.

I had a genioplasty 5 years ago, and have also had all 4 wisdoms out, and I would agree with the general consensus that the build up/nervousness is worse than the actual surgery! Embark on this journey with a positive attitude and you will come out much better for it, and with a healthy smile and healthy teeth!

Let us know how you get on on your Bday!

Dave

#3 Post by **mmh** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:13 am

Hello
I have five year old and a two and a half year old, I was amazed that they didn't freak out at all. I pre-warned them with some pics of braces and that mummy was getting them tomorrow, and they weren't on forever etc, and they were surprisingly fine. Interested but not afraid of them at all. Especially my son, who is two and a half, he was quite intrigued, 'braces, braces, see, see' that was it.
I haven't quite thought of how I'm going to announce or deal with the surgery down the track, but I'll deal with that when we get there. I'm planning to say that children aren't allowed at the hospital due to the swelling that I'm sure will absolutely freak them out. That's not for a few months yet though (I've had braces top and bottom for about six weeks and expect to have them on for 6-9 months before upper and lower surgery, then another 3-6 months of braces).
You'll find it's not as bad as you think it will be. Kids are very adaptable and if you seem okay with it, they will be too. Keep the anxiety attacks for when they're asleep, that's what I do!
Good luck

#4 Post by **ema27** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:51 am

hi dave thanks for replying its great to hear from fellow brits-you say you had your wisdom teeth taking out i have to have 3 removed in 6 months-iv been told that it really hurts afterwards is it true..?

#5 Post by **ema27** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:59 am

thanks for your coments about how my children may react my oldest is curious but doesnt seem to bothered yet ,the 3 year old saw a picture of someone in braces and she looked at me as if she was thinking what the heck is that!my youngest is too young to explain before hand so i guess time will tell...im actually feeling alot more better about the whole braces thing..At the end of the day no-one is forcing me to do this it is for my self i know that the first few weeks may be tough but hopefully ill soon adjust to my new look .just keep reminding myself that there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!12 days to go!!!

#6 Post by **mmh** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:08 am

That's the way I rationalise it too - I think to myself on the difficult days, when I'm at work or in public and I think people are looking at me (they're probably not), this is my decision, no one is making me do this, I choose to do this and in two year's from now it will be a distant memory. Your kids will barely remember it - it will just be one of 100 things in their childhood memories. You will be fine, I was hyperventilating the day of getting the braces on, but once they were on, it wasn't that bad at all. Already it's six weeks later. Tick tock, time is just going by, whether you do this or not. Twelve days time, they'll be on, and you'll be further along your journey than you've ever been before. One day at a time. You'll be fine. This site is a real help, just reading the stuff is very reassuring and makes you realise you're not the only one who's done this and you won't be the last. As you keep checking this site, over the coming weeks, you won't be the most recent person to get braces and you'll see the end of the journey. I feel like this already and it's early days yet.
Keep breathing in and out!! It calms you down!
Mary MH

#7 Post by **KriegeR** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:35 am

hi dave thanks for replying its great to hear from fellow brits-you say you had your wisdom teeth taking out i have to have 3 removed in 6 months-iv been told that it really hurts afterwards is it true..?

Hi Ema27 and welcome to ArchWired.

Another fellow Brit undergoing orthognathic correction here. Nice to hear from you.

In the summer I had to have all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed, as they were all impacted and growing at peculiar angles. The removal was done under general anaesthetic, and to be honest, it didn't really hurt that much. I was in hospital at 8am, down to theatre at 9am, and I was back on the ward for 11am. I think then I had a good sleep, (you're obviously a bit groggy after the anaesthetic), and I was discharged at 4pm that afternoon.

In all honesty I found the most painful bit was actually the day after the operation. This was obviously when the swelling peaked and everything was at it's worst. Even then it wasn't a sharp pain. It was just a dull ache as though I had a bruise on my jaw at either side. This faded away over the next two days, just leaving me with the swelling and some bruising. There was no actual pain in my mouth at all - just a bit of light soreness.

Believe me you are doing the right thing if that is what you want to do. Don't get disheartened if things appear to move slowly or take their time. I've just been given the green light for surgery at Easter this year, and that will be after 21 months of wearing braces.

#8 Post by **loulou123** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:00 pm

Sorry posted by accident

#9 Post by **loulou123** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:01 pm

Hi, im a fellow brit whose having orthodontic treatment and surgery. ive had my braces on 6 months so im not that far in front of you. Just wated to wish you all the luck in the world.

When i first had my braces on after a few days i thought oh god what have i done, but i promise you, you do get used to them even though you might think you never will intially.

The actual process of having the braces put on doesnt hurt at all, just alot of pushing and prodding, and even a few hours later they are just uncomfortable not actually painful in my experiance.

Hope this helps, any questions please feel free to ask, and ill do my best to help.

#10 Post by **loulou123** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:02 pm

Hi, im a fellow brit whose having orthodontic treatment and surgery. ive had my braces on 6 months so im not that far in front of you. Just wated to wish you all the luck in the world.

When i first had my braces on after a few days i thought oh god what have i done, but i promise you, you do get used to them even though you might think you never will intially.

The actual process of having the braces put on doesnt hurt at all, just alot of pushing and prodding, and even a few hours later they are just uncomfortable not actually painful in my experiance.

Hope this helps, any questions please feel free to ask, and ill do my best to help.

#11 Post by **katmpet** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:47 pm

Hello there-I have three children(12, 7 and 3) and really all adjusted amazingly well. We tend to think that children will process these events as we do and yet they don't-especially the younger ones. (I am also a professor of child development if my response comforts you any more

) Children take the event at face value-tell them something will be different about you and let the ones who can speak guess-good to make it fun. As for the surgery-one step at a time. I was the same when I got my braces 18 months ago and I realize now at 6 weeks post op for upper, lower and genioplasty how much it affected me. Take it easy and good for you for doing something for yourself-you won't regret it

#12 Post by **ema27** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:02 am

thanks for all your support guys-i just want the damn braces on now-the waiting game seems to soo slow just want them on now!!i get spacers in just under a week then i get braced-i ll let you all know how i feel with a mouth full of metal!all the best emma

#13 Post by **freerideuk** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:10 pm

hey

your kids will be fine after a week or two they will noo longer make comments or even find it strange too see there mum with braces on alot of people never even noticed when i got mine on

i was in the same ship as you kind of i have massive amounts of low self esteem and not much self confidence i dreaded getting the braces and even cryed about it

i thought i am ugly enough now what will i be like with braces ........ but i found i quite like my braces and don't really want them off as i actually like how i look with them on

plus time has flown by it is weird too think am nearly a year into having my braces on .. it seems like noo time at all

people are right in saying the worst bit is the nerves once you start your treatment you just get on with it it is before hand that the worrying really gets to you

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#14 Post by **freerideuk** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:10 pm

hey

your kids will be fine after a week or two they will noo longer make comments or even find it strange too see there mum with braces on alot of people never even noticed when i got mine on

i was in the same ship as you kind of i have massive amounts of low self esteem and not much self confidence i dreaded getting the braces and even cryed about it

i thought i am ugly enough now what will i be like with braces ........ but i found i quite like my braces and don't really want them off as i actually like how i look with them on

plus time has flown by it is weird too think am nearly a year into having my braces on .. it seems like noo time at all

people are right in saying the worst bit is the nerves once you start your treatment you just get on with it it is before hand that the worrying really gets to you

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