Well, this is it. I finally did something I wanted to do my whole life - get braces. Being 45, it was a very difficult decision but one I think I'll be happy with in the end. I got my braces on on 2/9/2011 -ceramic clear on the top, metal on the bottom. So far, I've had a little pain - some related to the molar brackets rubbing against my cheek (wax helps) and some related to my teeth themselves. They're just sore; and I don't even have an archwire on the bottom yet, as I need to have two teeth pulled The first of the two was pulled yesterday - not too bad. The other next week. Eating is REAL tough. Everything has to be real soft or broken up into little pieces and chewed slowly and carefully. My wife always said I eat slowly, but now . . . oh, boy . . . real, real slow (drives her nuts -

Anyway, back to the ortho on 3/11 for the archwire placement on the bottom.

One other thing. Whereas we think braces are so noticeable (as we feel them), most of my co-workers didn't even know that I had them . . . until I told them and showed them. So, if you're self-conscious - forget about it - people don't notice as much as you think they do (which is great!).

congratulations on making the decision to get braced, it will be the best thing you have ever done! I am the same as you, no one noticed mine until I pointed them out!

I'm 43 and just got braces a month ago. Upper ceramics now, lower metal coming in a few months. Folks at work just don't notice them. I wasn't sure if people really weren't noticing, or they were but just not saying anything to be polite. As an experiment, I held off telling a few people until I had sat and talked with them for a while. They were all genuinely surprised when I finally said something, so they really hadn't noticed.

Thanks for the comments. Yes, same here. People haven't even noticed them, which feels real strange because YOU feel like you're walking around with a Bozo nose on - , but . . . other people don't see it that way. Which is great, really. Makes it easier to deal with for sure.

Its funny. I got ceramic because I didn't want people to notice them. But now that I have them, I want to talk about them since its a big thing in my life right now, so I sometimes wish people would notice them and ask about them.