Scared Little School Girl

Message

#1 Post by **jensceana73** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:49 pm

Hello everyone, I am a thirty something mother of 3, two of which are babies, and have decided to take the plunge and get me a "metal grill"

I have always had bad (crooked) teeth. It didn't really start to bother me until I married my husband, who has extremely straight perfect teeth. Now, to give you some background on me, I have been absolutely petrified of dentists my entire life. I had a bad experience when I was a kid and swore I would never return. Well, ok...so I did return, but only when necessary. Anyway, during my last pregnancy, my teeth and gums went all to hell. So I ended up spending more time with my dentist, than I did with my husband. Wait...ok, that didn't sound right. Lets just say I spent many hours looking up into his nose. The dentist that is. Got those all fixed, gums back healthy and at my last visit asked what else I could do to get these puppies to look better and he said "why don't you try orthodontics"...I was like...WHAT..AT MY AGE!!!!??????

So, needless to say, that's what I did. Made an appointment, had a consultation, some ex-rays, some molds, and then, in the midst of it all......I found this site while doing some research. I LOVE IT HERE!!!!! I love seeing people's pics, I love their experiences, their advice...you name it. It's a great place to come and get all kinds of info...especially if your on the fence...like myself.

Anyway....being the scared little school girl that I act like, or so my 10yr old son tells me...I'm really nervous about doing this. I don't get them put on till the end of March and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to talk myself out of it by then. I mean...do I really want to scare my small children when I smile? Or have all the THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. go off in the airport when I arrive....or what about my husband....I can actually do bodily harm to him with those things!!!!!! See...I've just talked myself out of it...I mean, come on, isn't the jack-o-lantern look in this year? Ok, Ok....kidding...I haven't really talked myself out of it....YET. By the way, did I happen to mention that my daughters 1st birthday is the day after I get those "things" put on, AND it'll be APRIL fools day...so everyone will think it's a big joke. Nope, that's it...I'm not doing it....yes I am...no I'm not...YES I AM!!!!!!

Anywho...thanks to this site. I love to read it, it brings smiles to my face...hope in my heart, that it'll be all worth it....and calmness to my being...when I read that sometimes....I'm not the only "scared little school girl" out there!!!!

#2 Post by **smileawhile** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:20 pm

Dont be scared they are not as bad as they seem in our imaginations.

I am an adult 29 F and just got my metal mouth 2 weeks ago. I have the metal ones. woohoo.

In reality nobody cares that much and everyone is familiar with the braces look.

The first week is weird but then its all downhill from there.
Its also pretty exciting to know in 2 years I ll have a beautiful smile

.

Seriously DO IT.

#3 Post by **PrincessPeach** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:42 am

Its always going to be worse in your mind than it is actually, just take the plunge, you'd never regret it.

& you don't beep at the airport

Nor have i ever scared anyone, braces are normal, they're so common these days it's like someone having glasses, and we don't think any less of people for wearing glasses do we?

You've come this far, don't talk yourself out of it now

#4 Post by **cmone** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:57 am

Hi, welcome to the board!

Trust me I think all of us who don't have braces yet are both frightened & excited. I just had a tooth pulled in the front & believe me the Jack-o-lantern look is so not cool

I had my hair braided yesterday & I know that if I can sit through the torture of having my brains nearly pulled out, I can certainly get through braces. Mine go on 3/18 so looks like we'll be going through this together. Who knows, it might be fun to scare some bad lil kids.

good luck to you & keep us posted.

#5 Post by **jensceana73** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:24 pm

[/colorHey, thanks to those with positive encouragement...Keep em coming, I'm gonna need every bit I can get!! I just found out that they want me to have jaw surgery after braces. OK...that...really does freak me out. I have an overbite, which I always knew...I just didn't realize it was bad enough to have to have surgery. AND....maybe a front tooth pulled, "we'll see" once your into treatment. OK...yikes!!

Anyway, any advise would be greatly appreciated and any experiences people have had with this (surgery) I would love to hear. Thanks much!!!!

#6 Post by **jensceana73** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:17 pm

Ok...it's coming. As of yet, I have not chickened out ....key word...yet. 9 days. That's all I have left, is 9 more days before....I get my metal grill. I've woken up everysingle morning for the last 5 weeks and said to myself, "nope, I'm not doing it, I'm not going to get these." And then, I've gone to bed each night, after thinking it all over, and thought "ok,ok...I can do this...I CAN do this...maybe". Anyway, I have an appoitment tomorrow to get my teeth "measured", whatever the hell that means...and then, the next visit...is it. I'll be braced. Sure hope I don't chicken out. I've only been waiting to do this for 20 years. I mean, if I think about it, what's another 20...right??

#7 Post by **40WithBraces** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 3:27 pm

I have had my upper braces for 3 weeks (tomorrow). I am so glad I finally did it. I debated for years over whether or not I should get them, whether I should spend the money etc.

My 14 YO son has had his braces on for 20 months, he should be getting them off this summer. His teeth look so fantastic that it finally motivated me to get mine put on this year... and now I am really kicking myself for not doing it sooner!

At first I was really worried what everyone would think about me getting braces, but I can honestly say that after only 3 weeks I have come to realize that it just isn't a big deal to anyone but me.

Everyone I know that has had them as an adult tells me that I will not regret this

Heather

#8 Post by **lfwood** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:05 pm

Hi and Welcome.

I am a 33 year old mother of 2 boys and have had my braces for 14 months now. I also had jaw surgery (lower advancement) just over 2 months ago. I had braces as a child, but my teeth shifted again because my jaw wasn't in the right place.

Hopefully this will be the last of it and my bite will be stable.

The time has flown so quickly, I am over the halfway part and I can see the light in the tunnel....

What kind of jaw surgery are they thinking you will need?

If you have any questions please send me a message.

Goodluck

#9 Post by **Maggie Brace** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:22 am

Hi jensceana73
I m a 30 something as well and i get braced in TWO days

. I m so nervous. Did actually think about cancelling my appointment and chickening out but i m going ahead. 2.5 years to having a lovely smile( I hope)!!!

Good luck with your braces journey

Maggie

#10 Post by **DrBlur** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 10:21 am

jensceana73 wrote:[/colorHey, thanks to those with positive encouragement...Keep em coming, I'm gonna need every bit I can get!! I just found out that they want me to have jaw surgery after braces. OK...that...really does freak me out. I have an overbite, which I always knew...I just didn't realize it was bad enough to have to have surgery. AND....maybe a front tooth pulled, "we'll see" once your into treatment. OK...yikes!!

Anyway, any advise would be greatly appreciated and any experiences people have had with this (surgery) I would love to hear. Thanks much!!!!

I'm having surgery a few weeks after I get my braces (probably sometime late April) so you're not alone. I don't think my surgery is too major, though...what are you having done?

#11 Post by **jensceana73** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 6:13 pm

Ok, so....as of today....8 days and counting. Had my final visit today before, you got, I get my grill. The clock is offically ticking....LOUDLY.. $+\+$ . No turning back now, put my down payment on those babies as of 3 o'clock central standard time. As I drove home, I thought to myself....self...what the hell is wrong with you. Your gonna look like a freak-O!!!

The girl doing my final molds said to me.."I'm so happy and excited for you to get your braces, your going to look so nice"....I thought to myself, what....do I look that bad now??? And then, I realized...oh hell ya!! I look awful, terriable, disgusting, gross, sicko, pathatic....ok, you get the picture. And then....it dawned on me, soon they'll be a time, when I no longer see myself as that, and that my metal mouth friends.....was a wonderful, priceless feeling which made me wanna sing out loud "oh, what a feeling"..."dancing on the ceiling".

And then, I broke into dance, right there in the car. People were driving by me staring at me and I didn't give two rips. I was a swayin back and forth happy as a peach to the thought....in a matter of time...I will no longer look at myself as the local "jack-o-lantren"
I've come across a new found energy and cannot wait to get the puppies put on. Of corse....I'm sure I'll be wonding, once again, what the hell was I thinking.....hours after they've been on. But for now.....I'm actually lovin the thought of having myself a metal grill!!!

#12 Post by **jensceana73** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:11 am

Ok,Ok....I just had to tell this story....cause if I wasn't freaked out before, I AM NOW!!!!! I had the weirdest dream last night. I went in to get my braces put on....(in exactly 7 days mind you)....and that night, while I was sleeping, ALL MY TEETH FELL OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I woke up this morning touching all of my teeth in a frenzy. I hope this isn't someone higher up trying to tell me something. I mean, it's better to have crooked teeth than no teeth at all....right??? Maybe it's the braces gods trying to tell me I'm not worthy enough...

It's gonna be a long 7 days if these are the games my mind is going to play on me. Anyway...still got my teeth, still getting braces...for now.

#13 Post by **Steph in Sac** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:38 am

Relax!!! All will be well. You will hate them, you will love them, you will wish them off, you will tolerate them, and then you'll get them off. The result will be well worth it. I've had a set of lower clear braces for six weeks and I'm very used to them. I have seen great progress and as an added bonus, I used the excuse to lose 12 lbs! It's all good. You can use this opportunity to set a good example for your kids (especially the 10 yo).

#14 Post by **jensceana73** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:48 am

Thanks everyone for your words of wisdom. Actually, the closer it gets, the more excited I get. You watch....something between now and Wednesday will happen

and I won't get them on that day...now that I'm actually letting myself get somewhat excited.
And as for the questions about my jaw surgery...who the hee haw knows. It's all very confusing to me. I have an overbite and some pretty pain full TMJ and was told that once my ortho journey was finished it would behoove me to have jaw surgery to align my bite since once my teeth become aligned from braces the overbite will only get/look worse. I also have 1 wisdom tooth that will need to be pulled, and ....yes and....I will need to have an implant as I am missing a bottom tooth from many yonder years ago. THEN...I will need to be in braces...AGAIN for a short time after all that mumbo jumbo.
I'm finding it to be quite more than I ever expected. AND, I'm surprising myself be actually considering/going through all of this since I totally put a hex out on dentist's long ago.

Now, I just have to figure out how to get me one of those ticker thingys I see at the bottom of everyone's posts...because I'm gonna need about 3 of them with all the stuff I'm gonna have going on.

Toodels for now peeps....

#15 Post by **jensceana73** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:57 pm

K....I'm just testing to see if I uploaded this right...

Metal Mouth Message Board