Braces anyone else?

i had braces in high school for like a year- they were not horrible at all its hard to eat when you first get them on but its honestly not horrible expecially if you get clear buttt you have to be very good about brushing your teeth because the clear can yellow quickly. I didnt have a choice in color mine were all metal so your lucky you get a choice of color. my mom just got braces and shes 53- honestly you cant tell she has them on. Dont think about how they look now think about how amazing your teeth will after!

emsillly said:

Dont think about how they look now think about how amazing your teeth will after!

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Thats what I keep telling myself but every time I think about the fact I'll have them for minimum 28months I get sad

One of my in-laws was just financially able to get braces in her 40's. Least you don't have to wait as long as she did!

I remember in High School everyone wanted braces. Imperfect teeth are also considered beautiful. Just look at Anna Paquin or Gotye.

Good luck!

I wouldn't be getting braces if I didn't have a whole mouth full of problems that are getting worse(more teeth than space available plus 100% over bite ) lol I too am just now financially able to get them my insurance didn't cover much of the removal and doesn't cover braces for anyone over 19

I had braces for 2 or 3 years (I can't remember) in high school. For a little while I felt like other people viewed me as a nerd because I also wear glasses. I don't know why I felt that way, though! The first few days were kind of miserable, adjusting to eating with braces is quite bizarre. Sometimes the metal would dig in to my tongue or cheek so I would use that waxy stuff to cover the metal that was rubbing. I was told not to have certain things (like gum and popcorn) but I did anyways. I would just floss super well afterwards. My dentist let us pick different colours. Good luck with everything!

kltohlman said:

I am 22 and getting braces for the first time. Jan 3rd I had 7 (yea 7 lol) teeth removed compacted wisdom teeth and 3 of my 4 canines because they were still baby teeth( my orthodontist says I have the mouth of a 13 yr old). Im really worried about how it will look,over the last year and a half I've worked really hard to lose 55(+)lbs and take better care of myself(I'm 5' 3" at one point I was 175 lbs and miserable),it's caused me to become very self conscious (borderline disorder). Anyhow how do you feel about your braces? Does having braces affect how/what you eat? Oh and can you change the colors or is the first color you pick is what you're stuck with until the braces come off?

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I am 29 and had braces when I was 12-13. When you first get the braces on your teeth will be sore and you won't want to eat anything that's hard or tough. They'll also get a little sore when they tighten them, but not as bad. As far as having the actual braces on, you'll get used to it. Your orthodontist will strictly forbid you from eating anything chewy or anything that can get stuck in your braces (i.e., popcorn). When I got my braces off, they gave me a goodie bag of the "forbidden foods".

The colored rubber bands get changed on a regular basis, so no, you're not stuck with the color you pick.

I just got braces in December. I felt like I looked really weird when I first got them, but after awhile I barely notice them (kind of like people with glasses, I guess).
I had to have 2 molars removed beforehand, and I am getting oral surgery in a few years to remove impacted molars.
You kind of have to re-learn how to chew comfortably, but you get used to it pretty quickly. As far as colors, you get to change them every adjustment. I got the clear brackets so I just stick with the clear bands, but they have a ton of colors to choose from. I was worried about pain when I got mine, but they honestly weren't that bad. I stuck to soft foods for the first three days, but after that it was only minor discomfort. I have had one adjustment since, and the only pain I experienced was when she was putting the bands on. So, don't let anybody freak you out about the pain. When my mom had hers (she was 35 at the time) a friend of my dads told her it feels like you've been punched in the mouth after an adjustment, so I was expecting some pain, but I think he was just reiterating someone's exaggeration.

I know how you feel. I had seven teeth pulled... in kindergarten! I got my braces on in the summer before third grade. I don't really remember them all that much, to be honest. What I do remember was the worst mistake I ever made. I got white rubber bands on my brackets, and then sometime later had a popsicle. And then... well... my rubber bands turned a horrific fake purple color. I would not recommend getting white rubber bands.

But seriously, braces aren't that bad. They hurt a tad at first, then you become used to them. Different orthodontists have different foods you can/can't eat, so make sure to ask your orthodontist about the "forbidden foods". After you get them off, your teeth will look amazing.

DaisyLily said:

When my mom had hers (she was 35 at the time) a friend of my dads told her it feels like you've been punched in the mouth after an adjustment, so I was expecting some pain, but I think he was just reiterating someone's exaggeration.

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Lol sorry I laughed at the "punched in the mouth" part, having all 7 teeth removed at once IS like being punched in the mouth/jaw several times,so maybe the installation of these appliances won't be so bad

I had braces for a couple years in junior high (I'm almost 40! lol). I'm pretty sure there weren't colors available back then just colored rubber bands. They do hurt when you get adjustments, and I'd just go on a soft diet for a few days. Make sure you avoid whatever foods your ortho tells you to avoid (popcorn, gum, whatever), and keep your teeth clean, clean, clean. Brush after every meal, and floss at least once a day using floss threaders. Ask about fluoride treatments if you happen to be prone to cavities. Your teeth are especially susceptible to cavities and gum disease right now since plaque tends to build up around the brackets, and you don't want to have to go through that, too, so do whatever you can to avoid it.

T1ggerPigLuvur said:

I know how you feel. I had seven teeth pulled... in kindergarten!

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That sounds awful. When I was 11 I had 9 other teeth pulled,I feel like I need a frequent flyer card,my ortho is already talking about MORE oral surgery

I had braces for a while in high school. I was kind of unpopular anyway so I didn't worry about how they looked, but nobody made fun of me or anything. Most people just ask if they hurt and then go on with normal conversation about other things. Mine didn't hurt much, but it seemed like every time I got them tightened I would get a headache for a day or so. The worst part was the taste of this stuff the orthodontist put in my mouth to make a mold of my teeth after I got my braces off. It's also annoying to have to put my retainer in every night. If I forget, my teeth get out of line within like a day.

I had braces with a palette expander in first grade through third grade, then again from seventh grade through ninth grade. I also had two oral surgeries and several teeth pulled. It is uncomfortable and a pain but ultimately can be worth it. I warn you though you will have a retainer afterwards and as soon as you stop using it your teeth will shift, its sort of a for the rest of your life thing. I was told getting them so early I would not need to wear a retainer afterwards but then after the second time getting them off I was told I do have to at night, forever. I was not happy to hear that but for a few years I wore it, then I stopped. It has been about 5 years since I've used my retainer which no longer fits and my teeth have shifted dramatically. Also I always ate the so called forbidden foods, like gum and all that, never had any trouble with it getting stuck, never had a cavity, nothing like that.

I was just tellin someone that you bet your butt I'm gonna wear that retainer after all the money and pain from removals it'd be stupid to let it all go to waste

I think that's the difference, as an adult your more aware of it and more appreciative. As a child I was somewhat resentful. Now I wish I had kept up on the retainers. I mean, my teeth are still pretty straight, only I can tell how much they have shifted. And the bigger thing was if I had waited I'd need to have my jaw broken to reset in order to fix my teeth, like my aunt and two cousins. So while I'm appreciative now, I wish I realized it more when I stopped wearing the retainers just how much a difference it makes.

All the people I have met with braces have perfect teeth afterwards, so think about that rather then the braces.

I actually wish I had braces, because they make your teeth look perfect afterwards. Only problem is I have no problems with my teeth at all. Ahah.

I had braces in high school and my orthodontist let me have them off early for my 16th birthday. I now have a couple of teeth that have shifted and at the age of 25 I'd go through any of the discomfort to have them back and have that tooth straightened out.

kltohlman said:

Lol sorry I laughed at the "punched in the mouth" part, having all 7 teeth removed at once IS like being punched in the mouth/jaw several times,so maybe the installation of these appliances won't be so bad

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I think that depends on the person. I had braces for two years and whenever they were adjusted the pain would be so bad I could barely chew bread. It could be that I have a low tolerance to pain, but I don't know. I'm just glad mine are off. lol

Good luck with your braces!

LifeAsItMayBe said:

I had braces for a while in high school. I was kind of unpopular anyway so I didn't worry about how they looked, but nobody made fun of me or anything. Most people just ask if they hurt and then go on with normal conversation about other things. Mine didn't hurt much, but it seemed like every time I got them tightened I would get a headache for a day or so. The worst part was the taste of this stuff the orthodontist put in my mouth to make a mold of my teeth after I got my braces off. It's also annoying to have to put my retainer in every night. If I forget, my teeth get out of line within like a day.

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I was extra nice to people with braces in school. They'd give me their wax stuff. I like chewing wax.