Feeling a bit self-conscious...just got braces last week. Need some encouragement! Please!

[nybizzle]

I'm 25 years old. I've always wanted orthodontic treatment but my parents always said it was too expensive. I went to a orthodontic consultation last year and the orthodontist said I was a candidate for both Invisalign and traditional metal braces. I was initially very excited to get Invisalign. This is because my dentist and some dental hygienists had told me that because of my crossbite, I wouldn't be able to get it, and braces would be most effective option. I also have a crossbite on my back teeth in addition to the front ones, and this orthodontist said that neither braces or Invisalign would be able to correct it. He said jaw surgery would be the only option. I told him that I don't want jaw surgery and all I cared about was my front teeth being straight. He also mentioned that since I am a nurse, Invisalign may be more professional-looking. I went to a second orthodontic consultation at a different place, and the orthodontist there said I was a candidate for both Invisalign and traditional metal braces. However, he mentioned that braces would be more effective at correcting the crossbite on my back teeth. I've also read that braces are better at correcting bites on back teeth. I ended up going with the first orthodontist I saw because I felt that the staff there were more genuine. I just don't get why he would say that jaw surgery would be the only way to correct my back bite.

Fast forward to this April: I ended up getting Invisalign. I was really in for a shock! I had no idea that you HAD to remove them for eating. I always thought that you could remove them, but you didn't have to. None of this was explained to me during my initial consultation. All they said was "the only con about this is you have to wear them." Doesn't explain much, does it? When I got Invisalign put on, I was told that I can only drink cool water when the aligners were in, I couldn't even have lemon in my water. I guess I should've done more research before getting it. I also had about 14 attachments put on my teeth, so it looked like I had clear braces on anyway! I also had to wear elastics. Invisalign wasn't so invisible after all.

I ended up using Invisalign for a very, very, short time (trust me). I immediately wanted to switch to traditional metal braces. The staff at the orthodontic office tried to encourage me to stick with Invisalign a little longer, but I just couldn't. I felt better knowing that even though braces aren't as discreet, they would be on 24/7 and I wouldn't have to worry about taking them in and out. I got braces on last week - ceramic on top, metal on the bottom. I just feel self-conscious with metal braces at my age. I wish I could get ceramic on the bottom, but I can't because they said it could wear off the enamel on the top teeth. I even wanted to get pale blue elastics on the bottom so it would match the top ceramic ones more, but they only have a very bright blue, which is not the look I'm going for. I just feel a bit weird having metal braces at my age, and being a nurse as well. Most of the nurses I see have Invisalign as opposed to metal braces. I went to a workshop last week and saw a lot of my colleagues there. No one said anything about me having braces but I still felt self-conscious about it.

Here are my questions?
1. How do I get over being self-conscious?
2. Does it matter if a nurse has metal braces?
3. What are some legit advantages of metal braces over Invisalign? I feel like the staff at my orthodontist's office are quite biased against braces. There HAS to be at least one advantage of metal braces over Invisalign, come on!

I would appreciate any feedback! Thanks :)

[littlenatter]

I am due to get mine on later on today, I am petrified. I am 28 years old so I'm also scared I am going to feel really self-conscious, not so much at work more when I do the school run in the mornings! I just keep telling myself that in the end it will be worth it and to be honest recently I have seen quite a few adults in braces!

I wish I had answer's for you but as of yet I don't! :) All I can say is that most people really don't care, when I see anyone in braces i'm like good for them! How long do you need them on for? I need mine on for 2 years which I think is making me even more nervous!
I would definitely say metal train tracks are far better than invisalign. I had three consultations and they send Invisalign are for minor teeth issues, and they all said to me standard braces are by far the strongest. If you have an overbite, Invislign would not be able to fix that.

[djspeece]

I was always a little self-conscious for my entire sentence (three years) especially when photos were taken because the braces made my teeth look grey from a distance. Other than that, I came to accept them and realized that people really didn't notice them, or at least didn't obviously stare at me like they might an interesting insect. People didn't even notice when they were removed!
As a nurse myself (although not currently in clinical practice) there is no reason why metal brackets would be an issue. Try to do some oral hygiene after eating, if possible (but then again in my experience just getting time for a quick bite was a challenge.) Your patients will probably enjoy asking you about them. Tell them the braces make you cranky so just do as I say and everything will be fine . Best of luck to you.

[Aaeolien]

Honestly I wouldn't even worry about it. You will be surprised at the number of people who don't care or don't even pay attention enough to notice. I had my top braces put on this past monday morning. I went to work right after, today is Wednesday. I didn't tell anyone I was getting them other than my father and my girlfriend, just did it, and ZERO people have said anything at all. The only people who mentioned anythign or asked about them was my father and my girlfriend because they knew. LOL My kids didn't even mention anything or ask about them. So yep. I wouldn't worry about people saying anything or even caring. LOL

[nybizzle]

[quote="littlenatter"]I am due to get mine on later on today, I am petrified. I am 28 years old so I'm also scared I am going to feel really self-conscious, not so much at work more when I do the school run in the mornings! I just keep telling myself that in the end it will be worth it and to be honest recently I have seen quite a few adults in braces!

I wish I had answer's for you but as of yet I don't! :) All I can say is that most people really don't care, when I see anyone in braces i'm like good for them! How long do you need them on for? I need mine on for 2 years which I think is making me even more nervous!
I would definitely say metal train tracks are far better than invisalign. I had three consultations and they send Invisalign are for minor teeth issues, and they all said to me standard braces are by far the strongest. If you have an overbite, Invislign would not be able to fix that.[/quote]

Thanks so much for your reply! Feeling much better. Let me know how it goes with your braces!

[nybizzle]

Thanks so much for your replies everyone! I'm so glad this forum exists!

[Tyrantblade]

I'm nearing the end of my sentence, the only thing I'm really annoyed with is how 1 bracket has started to pop off and has popped off 4 times now; that and how much pain this one sharp end of wire is (I'm going to the Ortho tomorrow).

As others have said, nobody really cares if somebody they don't know has braces so I was never self conscious about having braces, but I was about how bad my smile/bite was

[littlenatter]

[quote="nybizzle"]Thanks so much for your replies everyone! I'm so glad this forum exists![/quote]

Had my top Damon brace yesterday, bottom will be metal which will be put on in 6 weeks. I'm quite glad it was staggered I think all in one would of been difficult as it is a little sore and does feel quite full in your mouth.

I am surprised at how I felt after, I feel good and happy about it! I felt more self conscious of my teeth without the braces, I would always cover them when I speak but having the braces almost feels like a new start and that I will finally have good teeth :) School run went fine, no-one even noticed!!

But to be honest they cost as much as a bloody designer hand-bag, so may as well show them off!? LOL!

How long do you need to have yours on for? I have an over-jet so probably needing two extractions in the next couple of months!

[nybizzle]

[quote="littlenatter"][quote="nybizzle"]Thanks so much for your replies everyone! I'm so glad this forum exists![/quote]

Had my top Damon brace yesterday, bottom will be metal which will be put on in 6 weeks. I'm quite glad it was staggered I think all in one would of been difficult as it is a little sore and does feel quite full in your mouth.

I am surprised at how I felt after, I feel good and happy about it! I felt more self conscious of my teeth without the braces, I would always cover them when I speak but having the braces almost feels like a new start and that I will finally have good teeth :) School run went fine, no-one even noticed!!

But to be honest they cost as much as a bloody designer hand-bag, so may as well show them off!? LOL!

How long do you need to have yours on for? I have an over-jet so probably needing two extractions in the next couple of months![/quote]

That's a positive attitude! And the good thing is that braces are temporary. They said mine would be on for 1.5 to 2 years. How about you?

[Beckett]

But to be honest they cost as much as a bloody designer hand-bag, so may as well show them off!? LOL!

This is awesome. And true. How many people spend tens of thousands of dollars improving other parts of their body without a second thought, and yet so many people with braces feel embarassed or self conscious? We need to stop thinking people are going to think less of us just because we have little bits of metal/ceramic and wire in our mouths to give us a gorgeous healthy smile and start feeling proud of our bravery at going through the often trialsome adventure of orthodontics.

[kcjawjourney]

In response to your questions:

1. How do I get over being self-conscious? Not to sound insensitive, but you just do. I am a jaw-surgery patient and I cried the day I got my braces. I was 29, and I work in a job where I'm constantly giving presentations to large groups of people, and I lead a staff of six. I was SO self-conscious when I got them on, and I felt like everyone was starting at them and they felt so unnatural in my mouth. 9 months and one painful jaw surgery later, I've realized that people don't care about your teeth or your face as much as you do. Even when people notice, they most likely won't say anything. And I've found the people that DO say something are usually the people who've always wanted braces themselves so they may ask a few questions. I promise, once you get used to them, the time actually goes by quite quickly and they just become a part of your routine.

2. Does it matter if a nurse has metal braces? Nope! Like I said, I talk to people face-to-face at work all the time, in addition to giving presentations. People either don't notice or don't care! That's actually the advantage of having them as an adult.

3. Advantages of metal braces: They can fix many more complex problems that Invisalign can't. I also had a wicked cross bite, and I chose to get jaw surgery to avoid complications down the road. BUT, I think if your ortho can fix most of your problems with braces, that's the less invasive route. Fixing your bite is about more than having straight teeth. Cross bites can result in uneven wearing of teeth, gum recession, TMJ issues, etc., so in my opinion, fix whatever you can...it'll be worth it. Invisalign probably wouldn't get you to the most optimal outcome, aesthetically or otherwise.

Good luck, you can do it!!

[nybizzle]

But to be honest they cost as much as a bloody designer hand-bag, so may as well show them off!? LOL!

This is awesome. And true. How many people spend tens of thousands of dollars improving other parts of their body without a second thought, and yet so many people with braces feel embarassed or self conscious? We need to stop thinking people are going to think less of us just because we have little bits of metal/ceramic and wire in our mouths to give us a gorgeous healthy smile and start feeling proud of our bravery at going through the often trialsome adventure of orthodontics.

That's so true. Good way of looking at it!

[nybizzle]

I'm nearing the end of my sentence, the only thing I'm really annoyed with is how 1 bracket has started to pop off and has popped off 4 times now; that and how much pain this one sharp end of wire is (I'm going to the Ortho tomorrow).

As others have said, nobody really cares if somebody they don't know has braces so I was never self conscious about having braces, but I was about how bad my smile/bite was

Thanks for the reply. What kind of bite did you have?

[nybizzle]

In response to your questions:

1. How do I get over being self-conscious? Not to sound insensitive, but you just do. I am a jaw-surgery patient and I cried the day I got my braces. I was 29, and I work in a job where I'm constantly giving presentations to large groups of people, and I lead a staff of six. I was SO self-conscious when I got them on, and I felt like everyone was starting at them and they felt so unnatural in my mouth. 9 months and one painful jaw surgery later, I've realized that people don't care about your teeth or your face as much as you do. Even when people notice, they most likely won't say anything. And I've found the people that DO say something are usually the people who've always wanted braces themselves so they may ask a few questions. I promise, once you get used to them, the time actually goes by quite quickly and they just become a part of your routine.

2. Does it matter if a nurse has metal braces? Nope! Like I said, I talk to people face-to-face at work all the time, in addition to giving presentations. People either don't notice or don't care! That's actually the advantage of having them as an adult.

3. Advantages of metal braces: They can fix many more complex problems that Invisalign can't. I also had a wicked cross bite, and I chose to get jaw surgery to avoid complications down the road. BUT, I think if your ortho can fix most of your problems with braces, that's the less invasive route. Fixing your bite is about more than having straight teeth. Cross bites can result in uneven wearing of teeth, gum recession, TMJ issues, etc., so in my opinion, fix whatever you can...it'll be worth it. Invisalign probably wouldn't get you to the most optimal outcome, aesthetically or otherwise.

Good luck, you can do it!!

Thanks so much for the reply! Super helpful!

[Tyrantblade]

I'm nearing the end of my sentence, the only thing I'm really annoyed with is how 1 bracket has started to pop off and has popped off 4 times now; that and how much pain this one sharp end of wire is (I'm going to the Ortho tomorrow).

As others have said, nobody really cares if somebody they don't know has braces so I was never self conscious about having braces, but I was about how bad my smile/bite was

Thanks for the reply. What kind of bite did you have?

I had a pretty wicked (in my opinion as well as my Orthodontists' opinion) open bite, most of my upper teeth had no contact with my lower teeth when I started 21 months ago, now I will hopefully finish within 3 months as I'm waiting on 2 teeth to move to their proper final spots.

http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtop ... 07#p460307

Is a thread I made before starting, showing how bad my teeth were



Is a picture from pretty recently.

Please excuse my lack of photography skills, but really the focus is on the 2 teeth to the left and right of the Pontic (fake tooth) and the minor gap between the upper front teeth and the lower teeth, my bite is perfect on the sides.