Sarahlynn's journey in braces

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#1 Post by **sarahlynn** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:44 am

I'm 28 and it's my first hour in my new braces. There's a lot of mixed emotions right now.....I will try to post pics tomorrow too so you can all see what's going on and hopefully later down the line I can look back at these and be glad I did this.

I have metal on my tops with gray ligs. Honestly I'm ok with the appearance of these - I've been reading and looking at so many pics lately that I'm getting used to the look. I have 2 bicuspids that have a crossbite and the brackets sit lingual on those. There's some weird tube and elastic around those.

I have a deep bite with a slight overbite, so my bottoms can't go on just yet (he said probably 6-12 months at my consult). So in the mean time, to help adjust the bite and keep my mouth open more to allow the bicuspids to come forward, I have a clear retainer tray in my bottom - seriously, this is what has me most upset. When I heard about it I thought "cool, it's clear, no big deal." This thing is SO bulky and it's light blue tinted (because apparently the super clear ones people lose really easily). It feels like a full mouth guard in my mouth, is causing me to have a lisp, and it's just plain noticeable and I hate it - there, I had to get that out. I wanted to cry when I saw it in my mouth.

Thank goodness I took the whole day off work to get used to this stuff. I'm currently at home still digesting this all and sometimes I want to cry and sometimes I'm beginning to think "ok, I can do this." I honestly wish that I could have had the tops and bottoms all on - I know it's impossible with the situation I'm dealing with, I just wasn't prepared for this clear retainer thing to be so bulky and huge.

I have to keep thinking, "it'll only get better from here!" I go for my first adjustment in 3 weeks.

#2 Post by **jesspenguin** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:46 am

Next time you go in you should express your concerns about the retainer to your ortho. If you have issues with some part of your treatment, they can usually be pretty flexible about making you more comfortable if there are other options.

It will take time to get used to such a big change, even if you prepared yourself ahead of time. The day I got my braces I took the day off too, and after my appointment I just went home and took a long nap so I wouldn't think too much about the soreness/tons of metal I suddenly had in my mouth.

Definitely stay positive! Even if there are some tough times, you will make it through and it will be worth it in the end!

#3 Post by **sarahlynn** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:52 pm

Thank you for the response!! I will talk to them about this retainer next time I go in, which is in 3 weeks for my first adjustment.

I'm trying to stay positive but I'm still pretty up and down about everything right now. I'm dreading going into work tomorrow and seeing the reactions and trying to talk - this retainer gives me a horrible lisp.

I know that once I start to see results that my confidence will go up. I am afraid to eat though! I'm so worried about messing something up. I'm not in any pain yet, although my tongue is starting to become sore from rubbing the bottom edge of the retainer.

I asked my ortho today if I would get good results with all of this and he said that I would get "immensely better results than what I have now." I keep trying to think "immensely better, immensely better, immensely better - it'll be worth it some day!!"

#4 Post by **sarahlynn** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:47 am

Day 2 is off to a pretty good start - I'm feeling a little better about everything overall. The retainer feels slightly better than it did yesterday. Sometimes my speech sounds a little better and sometimes not - but at least the retainer is starting to feel more "normal" in my mouth. I took it out to eat breakfast (I went for oatmeal and while it was interesting cleaning it out, not all too bad) and man it hurt to pop the retainer back in afterwards!

I'm at work now and have already spoken with 2 colleagues and they reacted well. One knew that I was getting these and they both seemed positive. I admitted up front that my speech was a little wacky right now.

I think it's good to get right back into the swing of things, I already feel a bit better getting to work and getting my mind on something other than obsessing about what's in my mouth. Yesterday when I was pretty depressed I got up and helped my husband clean the garage. He said I didn't have to if I wasn't feeling up to it, but I knew that doing something else would help me to not sit and stir about all of this. We also had a houseguest over in the evening last night - I was dreading that but it went well. The guy had had braces a long time ago himself and he made no big deal out of it, and no one has made fun of my wonky speech yet.

My husband is being a real god-send right now - he's so positive and keeps telling me that it's totally no big deal about any of this, and that I'll get used to it all eventually. He's never even had braces and I wonder how he can say all that, but it's really helping me to not feel silly. When he got home he asked to see it all but I started crying and saying I felt ridiculous. He's been convincing my otherwise ever since, saying that outwardly I don't look that different at all and that my speech isn't that terrible.

And really I'm in very minimal pain. I've only had to wax one bracket this morning, and my tongue is slightly sore from the retainer inside edge, but that's it. The braces feel fine, and there's a slight pressure on my teeth, but nothing that really hurts. The spacer pain was way worse than this so far.

I am still sort of afraid to smile, it just feels awkward with all this junk. But I know it will come in time.

#5 Post by **jesspenguin** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:12 am

The big thing I've learned while having braces is that you are *always* going to be more aware of them than other people are. Anytime I had changes made that I felt affected my speech, it was pretty much unnoticeable to people who see me every day. Eventually people don't really notice them anymore, they just see you

It's amazing to me how many people have had braces at one time or another, I'm always interested to bring it up and see what they have to share about their experiences. It makes you feel a little less self concious knowing how many people have been in your position.

It's also a good thing to just let your husband convince you that you don't look ridiculous

My boyfriend of 14 months has never known me without braces, and it's never been a concern of his at all. As time goes on you'll just come to accept them. I'm always aware that mine are there and I'll be glad when they're gone, but it's just one of those things you deal with and keep on going. Staying busy is a good idea, the more you dwell on the negative the more unhappy you'll feel.

Just remember, it will get better! Hang in there

#6 Post by **sarahlynn** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:24 pm

No one commented on my braces at work today - woohoo! Well besides the one guy who knew they were put on yesterday, and he only commented after I made a comment about my speech lol. Granted I didn't talk to all of my coworkers, but I wasn't up for long conversations today.

I'm eating pretty well, chewing softer foods, I ate quite a bit of mac n' cheese for dinner and that was good! Almost felt normal to eat, but I am being careful to not snap the elastic things around my cross bite bicuspids - with my deep bite & no retainer in my bottom teeth hit those when I chew. They said I might snap them, but I'm trying to take care not to.

Cleanup is going ok after eating, not too bad at all. I bought a cordless waterpik that I'm using in the morning after breakfast and after dinner, that's really helping to get food bits out. Then I do my flossing at night before bed.

#7 Post by **sarahlynn** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 12:46 pm

I finally have some pics to post - my goodness though, this is my worst nightmare, giving people a close-up look at the mess that is my mouth!!

But it's better knowing that my teeth are on their way to moving as we speak!

This is Day 5 in my top braces (could not find camera, then battery was dead once found lol). I really wanted to have pics in the beginning to monitor my progress since I did not get my before pics from my ortho:

I have a retainer in my bottom that tinted blue - didn't feel like taking it out for these pics. That's why my bottom teeth look so off-colored

A closer look inside - I have 2 bicuspids that grew in behind my baby bicuspids that never came out (they were pulled when I had my wisdom teeth out). So they are in cross bite and have to come forward - but hey, at least I have space for them already!

Right side view - there's a tube where the bicuspid space is and there's elastic tied around the tube and around the bicuspid bracket:

Left side view:

And a better look inside. The bicuspid brackets sit lingual.

Taking pics was harder than I thought! I don't have a private bathroom at the moment where I can use a mirror so I had to blindly point and shoot

#8 Post by **kilikena311** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 1:57 pm

Congratulations on getting started!

I am a little suprised about how blue your retainer is also. I don't think I've seen one quite that shade on this site before anyways.

#9 Post by **I love my teeth** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 4:02 pm

sarahlynn-

your pics came out pretty good for taking the blindly---I am really having a hard time with mine--and never thought to take prepics or pics on the first day--my first set is from 2weeks post braces

good luck with your journey!!

I am getting from first adjustment this thursday after 5 weeks, hoping some big movement after that!!

#10 Post by **sarahlynn** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 4:51 pm

kilikena311 wrote:Congratulations on getting started! I am a little suprised about how blue your retainer is also. I don't think I've seen one quite that shade on this site before anyways.

UGH I HATE this retainer - both how blue it is (I was not warned about that, I was told that it was CLEAR at my consultation - when the asst. put it in and gave me the mirror I said, "Why is it PURPLE?!") and how bulky it feels. My speech is a little better with it in, but I still hate the way I sound with it. I love taking it out when I can eat. Having the top braces on would be a breeze without the retainer. My tongue has also been cut up by rubbing against the sides of the retainer - it's almost healed, but there's still one really sore spot. No cutting or soreness from the METAL, but from the PLASTIC, yeah!

#11 Post by **sarahlynn** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:10 am

It's been a week since being braced!! And it is getting easier all around, as everyone around here says.

I had my first OMG moment last - I had lasagna for dinner (sooo good!) and later when I was doing the clean-up waterpik & brush thing I suddenly felt a big POKE way in the back of my cheek mid-brushing. Felt around with my tongue, couldn't find the exact spot, but when I gently opened and closed there was a definite poke going on. My eyes bulged thinking OMG I popped the wire out brushing!!! I've been sooo careful all week and *just* as I'm starting to be less delicate with brushing (seriously, for some reason I'm always worried that I'll brush a bracket off or something!

), this happens. I was poking around with my finger and tongue to find the root of the problem, but wasn't having any luck since it was *way* back in my mouth. I decided to do another rinse before I got a mirror to look around...........and out pops a huge piece of ground beef from my mouth and suddenly - no more poking! Whew, wire is intact, and I was stunned at how that piece of food could have poked me so badly!

Overall feelings 1 week in:
*I'm getting my clean up routines down pat and flossing isn't even that hard (I don't use the little threader thing that the ortho gave me).

*I'm eating a lot better - chewing soft foods and still being very careful overall, but in general eating has been going a little smoother every day. I'm eating all kinds of things like cereal (I figured Rice Krispies was the softest cereal and it's going well), lasagna

, various noodles, soft breads that I tear up, grilled cheese, etc.

*I still hate the retainer, but my speech has improved a little since last week. It's not where I want it to be, but it's much better.

*My anxieties about my coworkers and other random people seeing me in braces gets less with every day.

*Physically the metal braces feel fine. There were 2 days where I had to wax 2 brackets, but that's it.

*I played a soccer game in braces last Sunday, and I have 6 more games left. I was hyper observant of where the ball was, but it went well.

#12 Post by **jesspenguin** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:17 am

Glad to hear you're getting more used to the braces

It just takes time and eventually you'll be an old pro at it.

Ground beef is the worst at getting caught in braces. I hate having to dig it out and there's always another little bit hiding back there somewhere, waiting to surprise you.

You're lucky that flossing is easy and you don't need the threader. I've been buying the super floss with a stiff end to get in between my brackets and I can't wait to only have to contend with flossing my retainers in a few weeks

Hope things keep going well for you!

#13 Post by **sarahlynn** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:25 am

jesspenguin wrote: You're lucky that flossing is easy and you don't need the threader. I've been buying the super floss with a stiff end to get in between my brackets and I can't wait to only have to contend with flossing my retainers in a few weeks

I keep hearing people talk about this super floss, and I'll have to find that when this current box runs out. I just have regular old floss, nonwaxed and all. I'm going through floss at lightening speeds (so it seems) since I'm finding it easier to tear off little bits at a time as I work my way around my mouth. I think I should go to one of the bulk stores and stock up

#14 Post by **jesspenguin** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:33 pm

It's good stuff. I know not everyone likes it, but I've had good results with it. It comes 30 pre-cut strands to a box, and it's about $3 a box, so not a bad deal. Here's a link to Oral-B's website and what it looks like:

http://www.oralb.com/en-US/products/def ... oss&s=&rd=

#15 Post by **PrincessPeach** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 12:35 pm

glad to hear your braces are getting much easier! Cant wait to be at the point where i dont have to be worrying about mine anymore!

& your co-workers didnt mention it? I just came right out & told them about mine, seems like they dont shut up about it now, but i suppose its only because they're trying to be concerned!!