What was your initial reaction? I cried...

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#1 Post by **cathykay** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:59 am

I just got my braces yesterday, although only the top has the wire in. On the bottom, I just have the brackets because I still have to get one extraction. Anyway, what was your initial reaction when you first looked in the mirror and had your braces on? My reaction was a lot like this face:

Honestly, I felt myself fighting the urge to cry towards the end of the appointment. When I got into the car, I broke down and DID cry. I feel unattractive and I hate that people are going to have to see me like this. I was always a smiley and bubbly person and now I feel like crap. One of my friends told me that before I know it, I will get used to them and they will become a part of me. That is extremely hard for me to believe right now. I know I must sound like a whiny baby but I'm hoping to find some comforting words... and I'm curious to know what your initial reaction was. I just don't feel like me.

#2 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:40 am

I'm so sorry you feel this way, but I really do believe this will be a temporary feeling. I did not have such an extreme reaction upon first looking in the mirror, but I also spent about 10 years (no kidding) mentally hemming and hawing over braces. When I finally got them I was as ready as anyone could ever be. Braces are very strange at first. You feel like they are so huge in your mouth and that everyone is staring at you. They aren't huge and everyone IS NOT staring at you. As a matter of fact, people are insanely unobservant and most won't even notice them. Trust me, I'm about 17 months into treatment and braces are no longer at the forefront of my thoughts at all. Don't get me wrong, if my ortho suddenly said: "You're all done, you get them off a year early!" I'd be jumping for joy. But your friend is right, they just become a part of you, and for the most part you'll ignore them. For the first time in my life I smile big and I smile proud even though I have braces on. My teeth are straight and I'm so happy about that. Give yourself some time to warm up to this idea. It'll be ok...really! Hang in there!

#3 Post by **Megan11** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:57 am

Here is a large thread on this topic

viewtopic.php?t=28891

I knew I was not going to like how I looked so when I was handed the mirror it was not a shock. I was just kind of like..." so here we go".

But, I do remember some people saying that they cried in the thread above.

Give it about two weeks. You won't notice them as much.

#4 Post by **marycotter5678** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:08 am

Well I really hated my smile - my teeth are awful so I was looking forward to the braces. When they gave me the mirror, I was a little taken aback because I just didnt imagine it would look like that - I guess initial shock. I think the fact that I was forcing my lips closed bothered me more and I kept thinking omg if I'm not consciously thinking about keeping my lips closed they will just hang there ... lol
But when I got home I was checking myself out in the mirror and I starte to like it - I think it actually looks better because it covers my ugly, crooked teeth somewhat lol
My boyfriend kept telling me I look s cute with them and that made me feel really good

#5 Post by **Ice runner** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:09 am

I am really happy we have this web side, i see there is a lot of people thinking like me and we are having the same problems

So, admin thanks for everything you are doing for our good

well, when I was sitting in ortho office (when ortho glue braces on my teeth) i was thinking...well, this is it. You canÂ´t chicken out no more! You will be brace face now for another 2 years

)
And when I saw myself for a first time, it was like; Ok, it is not that bad! The worst think about braces for me was, how to tell everybody that I have them. I didnÂ´t told no one, except my girlfriend. First of all, I was literally avoiding people, because I thought everybody will looked in my braces and start asking me "wtf you have on your teeth or are you having braces?

..... and so one".... but the truth is that no one didnt noticed my braces at all! when I talk, I dont show my teeth too much (not because I would hide it, but because of my lips) so no one donÂ´t notice braces. And people really dont stare in some other teeth.

So the point of my post is, dont worry, you will get used on it, and you wont even notice you have them. I am totally used on them after 3 months. And proud of my movement. Like you will be soon. Just keep in there.

p.s. sorry for mistakes, english isnÂ´t my primary language.

#6 Post by **beth1966** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:01 pm

Hi - sorry you are having a hard time adjusting. I keep preparing myself for the very worst, I figure if I think that way - - - I will be better off, and even pleasantly surprised. That said I'm doing a lot of consults to find the best ortho, one who is the best skilled AND who can give me the most aesthetic choice as possible because I do care how I will look for the next 18 months of my life. If I didn't care, then I wouldn't be getting braces right!

Anyway - I also keep telling myself - WORST CASE SCENARIO, you have them taken off. If it makes me THAT miserable, or looks THAT bad, or hurts THAT much - then I get them removed. That is one reason why I won't pay in full, and she told me if 6 months down the road I couldn't take it anymore - she will only charge me for 6 months of treatment.

Best of luck!

#7 Post by **vjammiez** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:50 pm

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I know that it will get better, both comfort wise and your smille will return.

Five minutes after they were glued on, my ortho was handed my camera and I took a few shots even before I looked in the mirror! When I did look at the massively oversized, magnifying mirror, it was a bit surprising because they weren't as noticeable as I thought.
At the time I thought I looked amazing! With the ceramic uppers, my smile felt more dazzling or maybe I was just happy I had finally done it!! After all it did take only took four years to make a decision.....

#8 Post by **snashe** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 4:15 pm

vjammiez wrote: Five minutes after they were glued on, my ortho was handed my camera and I took a few shots even before I looked in the mirror!

this is a great idea to kill (work on) the first impression phenomena
now i think about taking my camera the day ill be braced
thanks

#9 Post by **minkyming** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:58 pm

Exactly, once it's done you will have perfect smile for life, what you have now is only temporary.

It will get better

#10 Post by **cathykay** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:09 pm

Tumble: Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope that like you, I will end up proud to smile and show off my braced-teeth. You sound like you have a great attitude about the whole thing which is great.

Megan: Thanks for the link. I read through all of the responses. I definitely wasn't expecting to love the way I looked in braces but I guess it was still worse than I expected. I'm thinking that when my teeth get straight, maybe I won't mind them as much. Braces just look extra wonky on wonky teeth because the wires and brackets are all twisted, you know? I think that was part of the issue for me. I looked in the mirror and because of the crooked brackets, I really realized how crooked some of my teeth are!

Mary: Lol @ the lip comment. I know what you mean. Sometimes I feel my lip get temporarily caught on a bracket and I feel like I have to consciously make a little effort to close my lips together, haha!

Ice: Your english is fine, don't worry! I actually told so many people that I would be getting them, just so I couldn't chicken out. Now I have to say, I'm not exactly looking forward to showing everybody them... but my big-mouth aunt saw me and said they're not so bad, and good for me for getting them. Coming from her, that felt good to hear because she has a reputation for being a bit too harsh at times.

Beth: Now that they're on, I don't plan on getting them off until I finish treatment! Like I said, that's part of the overwhelming aspect for me right now. It's a pretty crazy reality that I will have these for 18-24 months! Good luck with finding the right treatment!

Vjammiez: Haha, I think it's taken me about 4 years to come to the decision as well actually. I started contemplating the idea sometime in high school, then went for a consultation a year and a half ago while I was in college, and then now I finally got the braces. We think things over too much!

Snashe: When are you getting your braces?

#11 Post by **snashe** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:26 pm

Im in TMJ pre-treatement right now, hopefully it is near the end and ill get braces soon after that.
After 2years or more about planning and thinking i learned patience but i want it to be done, just done; be with pain, tears or awckwardness, I just want to be able to look back at my braces period and live my new life.
anyway, 2years gave me time to think and prepare myself, so i dont think ill be to overwhelmed the day i get braces but in fact, i dont know what will actually happend and at last, it doesnt really matter
i wont be pleased if i feel myself like being a so called braceface but i dont care, i can also not care about what people think (sometimes it helps even it kinda kill communications opportunities) so on last ressort, it will end up to be okay

some days later, how are you doing now ?

#12 Post by **cathykay** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:31 pm

Because I used to read through posts on this board even before I got braces, I know that some posts used to make me really nervous and reconsider getting braces. Therefore, I'd like to update this thread in case someone out there is reading this and freaked out when I said I cried. Literally THE NEXT DAY, I started to feel better. Today is only day 5 and I went back to school (after having Spring Break) and I found myself smiling and chatting with friends - and other people! I'm looking forward to seeing my teeth move, to getting my adjustments, and to getting the bottom wire in to get those teeth going too. Only thing I'm not looking forward to is getting my baby tooth pulled, haha. Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm feeling MUCH better about everything and it hasn't even been a week since! I'm not going to pretend like there won't be some hard times down the road because I admit, I tend to worry about things a lot and I don't exactly LOVE my braces... but I'm growing to accept them, refuse to let them hold me back from being myself, and I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE STRAIGHT TEETH!!

#13 Post by **stacy19201325** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:16 pm

I'm glad you're feeling better about the braces. My initial reaction was to drive to work (it was my day off) and then proceed to give a big, toothy, brace-y grin to every single employee, on all three floors, with a "look what I did today!"

I'm excited about them, and it's getting easier to eat. I bought a big, round, flat loaf of tomato foccacia bread and gnawed on bits of that for the last few days. I think it's helped. I could tell it was "pushing" my limit of what I could chew in a good way, a little sore to chew on, but not too bad, and it's getting better.

I hope you'll get to love the braces more once you see them doing some actual progress!

#14 Post by **beth1966** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:48 pm

Hi Cathykay - So glad your feeling better, only day 5 and you seem to be adjusting beautifully - congrats!

I too tend to worry about a lot of things, I just posted today that I guess that got me in trouble, tho I'm still not sure how or why bu the ortho I liked best of all has opted against treating me! They called and canceled my 2nd consult today because they dont think I will be happy with my results.

I am totally shocked.

Anyway - everything happens for a reason. So glad your doing well!

#15 Post by **Megan11** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:46 pm

cathykay wrote:Because I used to read through posts on this board even before I got braces, I know that some posts used to make me really nervous and reconsider getting braces. Therefore, I'd like to update this thread in case someone out there is reading this and freaked out when I said I cried. Literally THE NEXT DAY, I started to feel better. Today is only day 5 and I went back to school (after having Spring Break) and I found myself smiling and chatting with friends - and other people! I'm looking forward to seeing my teeth move, to getting my adjustments, and to getting the bottom wire in to get those teeth going too. Only thing I'm not looking forward to is getting my baby tooth pulled, haha. Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm feeling MUCH better about everything and it hasn't even been a week since! I'm not going to pretend like there won't be some hard times down the road because I admit, I tend to worry about things a lot and I don't exactly LOVE my braces... but I'm growing to accept them, refuse to let them hold me back from being myself, and I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE STRAIGHT TEETH!!

Glad to hear you're adjusting so well! You sound much more optimistic than myself at day 5, haha. I've learned that I look MUCH more stupid when I try hiding them in conversation ( which I subconsciously did for about the first 2 months). You should post pictures to document your progress you'll be amazed at how much your teeth will move just in the first few months!

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