I look forward to finding guidance on this site, you are all very special people.
Excited, Scared, It all starts on next Friday the 13th!
Moderator: bbsadmin
Excited, Scared, It all starts on next Friday the 13th!
My name is Lily. I am 29 and a teacher in a small rural school in New York. I am getting braces next Friday and I have many mixed emotions... What will I look like? How will my husband feel about this journey? But for now, with my recent 4 wisdom teeth extractions and current spacers I am in some pain. It actually hurts to chew where the spacers are, they ache and so I try and think of the end result, but boy am I scared!!!!
I look forward to finding guidance on this site, you are all very special people.
I look forward to finding guidance on this site, you are all very special people.
Welcome to the site, Lily! I'll certainly be interested in following your progress, since I'm scheduled to get my braces 1 day before you! Sorry you're in some discomfort currently, but I'm sure you've found out from reading the posts that MANY of the posters here have spacers now or have had them in the past. I haven't had them myself, but the consensus seems to be that they're more uncomfortable than the braces will be! Plus, take heart that they won't be in your mouth much longer!
I think it's natural to feel some anxiety about being braced. Compared to a lot of other health care procedures, though, there really isn't too much of a downside to straightening your teeth. I asked my own ortho about root resorption, or shortening of the tooth root, and that does happen in a few instances (about 5% of folks, is the percentage he quoted me). I certainly feel that the upside far outweighs this slight risk -- you have much healthier teeth, less prone to cavities in the future because they're easier to clean, and less prone to wear. If your teeth need orthodontal work and you DON'T have it done the ultimate risk to your teeth is far greater, IMHO!
How will people react? Well, obviously that depends on the person, but adults in braces are more common than ever these days, and almost to a person our posters here say that most people don't give a thought! Oh, they'll probably be a topic of conversation at first, because you'll look different than before. But after that who's going to care? I'm sure your husband will feel that way, too -- in fact he's probably proud of you for taking this step to improve your smile and your overall health! Try and continue to take a lighthearted approach and feel good about yourself that you're doing something great for YOU!!
Best of luck to you next Friday!
I think it's natural to feel some anxiety about being braced. Compared to a lot of other health care procedures, though, there really isn't too much of a downside to straightening your teeth. I asked my own ortho about root resorption, or shortening of the tooth root, and that does happen in a few instances (about 5% of folks, is the percentage he quoted me). I certainly feel that the upside far outweighs this slight risk -- you have much healthier teeth, less prone to cavities in the future because they're easier to clean, and less prone to wear. If your teeth need orthodontal work and you DON'T have it done the ultimate risk to your teeth is far greater, IMHO!
How will people react? Well, obviously that depends on the person, but adults in braces are more common than ever these days, and almost to a person our posters here say that most people don't give a thought! Oh, they'll probably be a topic of conversation at first, because you'll look different than before. But after that who's going to care? I'm sure your husband will feel that way, too -- in fact he's probably proud of you for taking this step to improve your smile and your overall health! Try and continue to take a lighthearted approach and feel good about yourself that you're doing something great for YOU!!
Best of luck to you next Friday!
Congrats on your decision to make the orthodontic journey. There are bumps in the road but they tell me it is all worth it. I'm about half way through my treatment and I think the separators were the worst part so far.
Fear not, the biggest hurdle is making the decision to go for it and after that it will be like running downhill. There are days when I actually forget I have them.
We look forward to reading your story and watching your progress.
Fear not, the biggest hurdle is making the decision to go for it and after that it will be like running downhill. There are days when I actually forget I have them.
We look forward to reading your story and watching your progress.
hi
Hi Lily welcome and good luck for Friday. The 13th! hehe My b-day is Tuesday 10th so I'm 3 days ahead of you!
I have spacers as well, I've had them for 7 days and I won't be sorry to get them out. I understand what you mean, they do make biting down uncomfortable sometimes. It seems to vary from day to day, sometimes I forget I have them, others I can't even chew soft food. Warm salt water rinses have helped me I think they are soothing even though it tastes vile. It seems to relieve pressure.
Most people I have told so far that I am getting braces have either prasied my courage or said they wished they could so the same and immediately opened their mouths to point out imperfections in their own teeth and bite! I would go so far as to say that one colleague at work is actually jealous. I worried for a long time about what people may think or say about me but as I've learned more about ortho treatment and spoken to more people about it I'm a lot less worried about all that.
Anyway good luck for Friday!
- Mark
I have spacers as well, I've had them for 7 days and I won't be sorry to get them out. I understand what you mean, they do make biting down uncomfortable sometimes. It seems to vary from day to day, sometimes I forget I have them, others I can't even chew soft food. Warm salt water rinses have helped me I think they are soothing even though it tastes vile. It seems to relieve pressure.
Most people I have told so far that I am getting braces have either prasied my courage or said they wished they could so the same and immediately opened their mouths to point out imperfections in their own teeth and bite! I would go so far as to say that one colleague at work is actually jealous. I worried for a long time about what people may think or say about me but as I've learned more about ortho treatment and spoken to more people about it I'm a lot less worried about all that.
Anyway good luck for Friday!
- Mark
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Miss Smiley
- Posts: 2008
- Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 11:59 pm
- Location: Sunny SoCal
- Contact:
Lily, welcome! You will feel some sort of relief once you actually have the braces on. To know that these brackets will be bonded to you longer than a woman would carry a child in the womb. Once they're bonded, you'll start to smile more and be comfortable with the way you look because this is helping you achieve a healthy smile. Who doesn't want to stay healthy?!
Upper and lower 1st premolars extracted
Uppers braced 4/6/07 & Lowers braced 4/20/07
ceramic brackets and rectangular arch wires
Est. term: 30-36 months
De-banded: 3/04/09 w/ LBR and U&L Essix
Uppers braced 4/6/07 & Lowers braced 4/20/07
ceramic brackets and rectangular arch wires
Est. term: 30-36 months
De-banded: 3/04/09 w/ LBR and U&L Essix
Thank you so much!
It has been very hot here in New York and so I have stayed away from the computer upstairs, no ac. I wanted to take the time to thank everyone for the support. It really means a lot, that you would actually care enough to respond. It looks like there are two of you who are also going through this saga with me this week. I wish you both luck and hope we can be supportive to eachother as needed.
This really is a one of a kind site, I am so glad I found it. My husband is excited for me in answer to my earlier question and very supportive, I am the worried one. I just don't want the braces to get in the way. I have to get going as it is time to do a quick pick up before dinner, I was wondering how do you post pictures? I would like to post my before and other pictures as time progresses. Thanks!
Lily
This really is a one of a kind site, I am so glad I found it. My husband is excited for me in answer to my earlier question and very supportive, I am the worried one. I just don't want the braces to get in the way. I have to get going as it is time to do a quick pick up before dinner, I was wondering how do you post pictures? I would like to post my before and other pictures as time progresses. Thanks!
Lily
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hawkerswife
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 7:22 pm
- Location: Savannah,GA
Hi Lily,
Regarding:
You'll find complete instructions in the "How do I..." forum.
Good luck -- anxious to see those pictures
Regarding:
Basically what you have to do is store your digital photos in a hosting site like www.imageshack.us or www.photobucket.com and then reference the link in your post.I was wondering how do you post pictures? I would like to post my before and other pictures as time progresses.
You'll find complete instructions in the "How do I..." forum.
Good luck -- anxious to see those pictures
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LilRedPitViper
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:11 am
- Location: Central Pennsylvania
- Contact:
Spacers!
Omigod- you are not kidding about the spacers! I just had mine put in yesterday, and can't believe the amount of pain I'm in. I actually had braces about 15 years ago, and totally forgot about this part.
The hygienist that put them in had an extremely difficult time, and said I had some of the tightest "contacts" she has ever seen. She couldn't get one of the rubber spacers in after two tries, so I have a metal one in right now that woke me up in the middle of the night with incredible pain.
Luckily I'm going back in tomorrow to have the metal one switched out for a rubber one. I had a tooth extracted a couple of weeks ago, and this is much more painful. I actually had to stay home from work today, because the Advil isn't working- I had to take the Vicodin prescribed to me after my extraction. It's funny because the literature they gave me yesterday about the spacers says "these appliances may give rise to some tooth tenderness" and "an aspirin or two may be taken". Ha!
Good luck on getting your braces tomorrow- I get mine on July 18th, and can't wait just to get these damn spacers removed. The best advice I can offer is to wear your retainer like your orthodontist says after they are off. If I had done that when I was a teenager, I wouldn't be going through this again now. I was told just recently that I will need to wear a retainer (at least at night) for as long as I'm alive and want straight teeth.
This is all literally a big pain, but we're doing it because it's worth it!
The hygienist that put them in had an extremely difficult time, and said I had some of the tightest "contacts" she has ever seen. She couldn't get one of the rubber spacers in after two tries, so I have a metal one in right now that woke me up in the middle of the night with incredible pain.
Luckily I'm going back in tomorrow to have the metal one switched out for a rubber one. I had a tooth extracted a couple of weeks ago, and this is much more painful. I actually had to stay home from work today, because the Advil isn't working- I had to take the Vicodin prescribed to me after my extraction. It's funny because the literature they gave me yesterday about the spacers says "these appliances may give rise to some tooth tenderness" and "an aspirin or two may be taken". Ha!
Good luck on getting your braces tomorrow- I get mine on July 18th, and can't wait just to get these damn spacers removed. The best advice I can offer is to wear your retainer like your orthodontist says after they are off. If I had done that when I was a teenager, I wouldn't be going through this again now. I was told just recently that I will need to wear a retainer (at least at night) for as long as I'm alive and want straight teeth.
This is all literally a big pain, but we're doing it because it's worth it!
I can completely empathize with you about the spacers. I couldn't chew anything and I felt like my teeth were going to fall out! I wish you all the best with getting rubber spacers in and then the braces. I promise to wear the retainer when I am done. I can't afford to do this twice. Thanks again for the nice message, I do understand your pain.. I did get better with the spacers but I still can't really bite down. I swallow a lot of food.
