Okay, I figured out what my problem is - I hate my clear brackets on the top.
I disliked them when I got them because they didn't match the bottom but the plan was to have clear to make them less noticable for work. Very quickly, the purpose I got them for was defeated. I had to switch to coloured ligs because the clear stained really quickly and made me feel self conscious. On top of working in the public, I also film on television weekly and I thought the clear would be less noticable for that. Turns out, because they are so big, I have a big lump under my top lip and no matter how hard I try, I hold my top lip over the brackets simply because they rub and sit weird. I also have a pretty strong lisp that hasn't passed in the three weeks of braces. I'm worried it will permanently affect my speech or when I get the braces off in two years, I'll naturally hold my top lip down because I am so used to it.
So between vanity (knowing I have this lump and consulting people close to me who have admitted they see it too) and my fear that this will affect my speech permanently, I am really turned off of the ceramics. I want to enjoy the two years to the best I possibly can...
I talked to my ortho office who said they can switch to metal. They won't charge me for new brackets, just the charge as they would for someone who wanted them off for the day to go to a wedding or something like that. They added the metal are not that much smaller, I'll still really feel them. The cost to do the switch is $400.
I just want opinions. Is it worth it? I'd love to hear some full-metal experiences, are they really noticable in a bad way? Do they rub a lot? I've got so much good advice from this site, I figured I had to consult on here to aid in my final decision.
Oh Please, I Need Advice
Moderator: bbsadmin
I wish I had some advice for you dramagyrl, but I have a totally different kind of braces. My brackets are way smaller then the average and I still have that fat lip look and I too have a lisp now.
I found the best way to get rid of the lump is to smile lots and just show off the braces (but then the lips get stuck coming out of the smile
)
Anyways, good luck with your decision.
What about looking through some pics of the clear verses the regular and see what you think?
I found the best way to get rid of the lump is to smile lots and just show off the braces (but then the lips get stuck coming out of the smile
)Anyways, good luck with your decision.
What about looking through some pics of the clear verses the regular and see what you think?
Dramagyrl, I have full metal braces. I have decided to use the metal one from the very beginning cos my ortho says that it is more effective than ceremic or clear one (in the sense that the latters can be broken more easily), thus the time for bracing may be shorter for metal brackets.
I don't think the metal brackets rub a lot, except the one on my top left canine cos there is a little hook for holding elastic band later. And the upper braces can be fully covered by the upper lip and nobody will recogize my braces unless I open my mouth widely when speaking/smiling. There's also no problem of lisp.
hope these will give you some useful info.
I don't think the metal brackets rub a lot, except the one on my top left canine cos there is a little hook for holding elastic band later. And the upper braces can be fully covered by the upper lip and nobody will recogize my braces unless I open my mouth widely when speaking/smiling. There's also no problem of lisp.
hope these will give you some useful info.
Hi Dramagyrl,
Sorry to hear that you are having problems with your brackets.
I'm in full metal and I love them! I never wanted to go ceramic for personal reasons, and them my ortho basically told me I could have metal, metal or metal so ultimitely I didn't have a choice in the end! The only sad thing is that I don't have ligs so no colours
My speech has been pretty good from day one- I find if I have been talking a lot or if I am tired it gets worse, but generally my speech is normal. I haven't had any problems with the brackets rubbing, apart from a back molar band.
However, everyone's experience is different. If you're that unhappy with the ceramics, go for the metal. Only you can know.
The only other advice I can give is have a look at lots of pics here and see what they all look like.
Take Care, dramagyrl.
Sorry to hear that you are having problems with your brackets.
I'm in full metal and I love them! I never wanted to go ceramic for personal reasons, and them my ortho basically told me I could have metal, metal or metal so ultimitely I didn't have a choice in the end! The only sad thing is that I don't have ligs so no colours
My speech has been pretty good from day one- I find if I have been talking a lot or if I am tired it gets worse, but generally my speech is normal. I haven't had any problems with the brackets rubbing, apart from a back molar band.
However, everyone's experience is different. If you're that unhappy with the ceramics, go for the metal. Only you can know.
The only other advice I can give is have a look at lots of pics here and see what they all look like.
Take Care, dramagyrl.
Banded 22 June 2006.
Debanded 24 July 2007.
Loving it!
Debanded 24 July 2007.
Loving it!
I have all metal braces but they are small brackets. I was in a pretty big wedding a couple of weeks ago and I just got the pictures back and my braces didnt look bad at all. When I want to make them less noticeable I won't get colored ligs, I will ask my ortho to give me the thinnest wire for my treatment. I would try some other wire and lig options before I would pay extra to have them switched. Hope that helps.
i love my metal ; )
I have metal and love them! I too work in film/TV/etc. and I don't think they look bad at all, and everyone has said how cute they look...
I was concerned that the ceramic would be too big, stain, and look like
I had stuff on my teeth...whether that's true or not, I don't know, but it
persuaded me to get metal and I don't regret it at all...
hope that's helpful!!!
take care,
*aka
I was concerned that the ceramic would be too big, stain, and look like
I had stuff on my teeth...whether that's true or not, I don't know, but it
persuaded me to get metal and I don't regret it at all...
hope that's helpful!!!
take care,
*aka
I'm sorry your having such trouble adjusting to your brackets Damagyrl .
I have metal brackets and I like them. However, I've never had ceramic brackets, therefor I dont have any idea if one feels smaller than another (although my ortho did tell me that the ceramic that he uses is larger than the metal) or if one is more comfortable BUT the most important thing is that YOU feel comfortable.
I have to say though, I wonder if waiting another week or two before making the decision might be better since you haven't had yours on very long yet and there is an adjustment period for most of us no matter what kind of brackets that we have. I remember looking into the mirror and thinking "what have I done!" for a little while until I got used to seeing them. Not to mention how they felt in my mouth-yikes!
When you had your ligs changed ( because of the staining) did your ortho offer wire ties? They are less noticeable, or I have also heard that smoke colored ligs are pretty discreet. Just a thought....
Anyway, YOU are the most important factor in this, if you dont like them- have them changed. It doesnt matter what anyone else thinks only what you think since you have to live with them for 2+ years.
Good Luck and keep us posted.
I have metal brackets and I like them. However, I've never had ceramic brackets, therefor I dont have any idea if one feels smaller than another (although my ortho did tell me that the ceramic that he uses is larger than the metal) or if one is more comfortable BUT the most important thing is that YOU feel comfortable.
I have to say though, I wonder if waiting another week or two before making the decision might be better since you haven't had yours on very long yet and there is an adjustment period for most of us no matter what kind of brackets that we have. I remember looking into the mirror and thinking "what have I done!" for a little while until I got used to seeing them. Not to mention how they felt in my mouth-yikes!
When you had your ligs changed ( because of the staining) did your ortho offer wire ties? They are less noticeable, or I have also heard that smoke colored ligs are pretty discreet. Just a thought....
Anyway, YOU are the most important factor in this, if you dont like them- have them changed. It doesnt matter what anyone else thinks only what you think since you have to live with them for 2+ years.
Good Luck and keep us posted.
~*~ Kim ~*~
Next Appointment #14: Feb 26,2007
Next Appointment #14: Feb 26,2007
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hippyhippo
- Posts: 136
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:14 pm
- Location: Canada
I know very little about ceramic braces, other than what I've read on this board. But I've heard that instead of clear or coloured ligs you can get silver ones (metal?) which supposidly i) aren't very noticiable on ceramic braces and ii) don't stain. You may want to investigate that before making the plunge to all metal braces!
-
Painfulvanity
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 4:55 pm
Oh Please, I Need Advice
Hi there,
I understand completely how you feel. I have clear braces on top and bottom and am 41 yrs old. In my case, my bottom teeth have pushed out and are creating an open bite and my bottom lip sticks out much further than it did before braces.
I hate to look in the mirror most days because of how I look. I didn't look this way before braces and it wasn't until the second wire change that my bottom teeth jutted out so far. My ortho (which I am dropping due to lack of concern about my treatment) said I am causing this myself and just have to live with it, but I know there is always a solution and am in the process of finding a new ortho.
One comment current ortho made that I believe is " other people will be as comfortable with your braces as you are." I am trying to act as though it is no big deal and don't want to let them dictate my mood, but it is still hard at times. I don't feel as confident as I used to even after giving myself a pep talk. Also, I tell myself that this is temporary and focus on how good I will look when treatment is finished.
I think the social impact of having braces as an adult is much more prevalant than for an adolescent. As far as your lip sticking out, as my teeth got used to the braces my lips didn't look so big so maybe it would be worth giving it a couple more weeks to see if they settle in more. I don't know how much smaller the metal braces are vs. ceramic but I am wondering if it is enough to make you feel better. The nice thing about clear is that they are less noticeable.
I wore the clear ligs at first but due to staining I switched to wire ties which don't stain at all and I am happy with that. As for the lisp, I am sure it is temporary and as your teeth move into place and your tongue gets used to the braces, it will go away.
I think we are much more aware of the braces than anyone else, we may assume that everyone is thinking we look weird, etc, but I know that is a little narcissistic thinking that I am so important and am the topic of everyone's conversation. Most people notice them and don't give them a second thought unless I am acting self conscious and at that point I am making them the focus and creating the effect that I least desire.
I am trying to put it all in perspective and not take myself so seriuosly. I know whatever ortho I switch to will fix the problem and I want to be able to look back and say I made the most of this uncomfortable time because these things come up in life and we have the choice to let them ruin our day or not.
Cheers,
Cindy
I understand completely how you feel. I have clear braces on top and bottom and am 41 yrs old. In my case, my bottom teeth have pushed out and are creating an open bite and my bottom lip sticks out much further than it did before braces.
I hate to look in the mirror most days because of how I look. I didn't look this way before braces and it wasn't until the second wire change that my bottom teeth jutted out so far. My ortho (which I am dropping due to lack of concern about my treatment) said I am causing this myself and just have to live with it, but I know there is always a solution and am in the process of finding a new ortho.
One comment current ortho made that I believe is " other people will be as comfortable with your braces as you are." I am trying to act as though it is no big deal and don't want to let them dictate my mood, but it is still hard at times. I don't feel as confident as I used to even after giving myself a pep talk. Also, I tell myself that this is temporary and focus on how good I will look when treatment is finished.
I think the social impact of having braces as an adult is much more prevalant than for an adolescent. As far as your lip sticking out, as my teeth got used to the braces my lips didn't look so big so maybe it would be worth giving it a couple more weeks to see if they settle in more. I don't know how much smaller the metal braces are vs. ceramic but I am wondering if it is enough to make you feel better. The nice thing about clear is that they are less noticeable.
I wore the clear ligs at first but due to staining I switched to wire ties which don't stain at all and I am happy with that. As for the lisp, I am sure it is temporary and as your teeth move into place and your tongue gets used to the braces, it will go away.
I think we are much more aware of the braces than anyone else, we may assume that everyone is thinking we look weird, etc, but I know that is a little narcissistic thinking that I am so important and am the topic of everyone's conversation. Most people notice them and don't give them a second thought unless I am acting self conscious and at that point I am making them the focus and creating the effect that I least desire.
I am trying to put it all in perspective and not take myself so seriuosly. I know whatever ortho I switch to will fix the problem and I want to be able to look back and say I made the most of this uncomfortable time because these things come up in life and we have the choice to let them ruin our day or not.
Cheers,
Cindy
Thanks for the responses everyone.
I should clarify a few things:
*My ortho doesn't have the wire ties, it's all elastics. I asked if they had glow-in-the-dark because I hear they are less likely to stain, and they don't have those either. The elastics are the least of my concern, it just sucks having planned to have clear brackets and elastics, then learning I can't really do that. Then if I match coloured elastics to the bottoms, they don't match because the clear brackets make them brighter. I'll never be able to do fun colour coordination and that kind of thing.
*These brackets do stick out far. I can't know if the metal will be small enough to feel the difference (the main reason I am taking so much time to think about it) and maybe as my front teeth move back, the clear brackets won't be as prominent behind my lip. I just mean I asked some people honestly, and they admit the braces have dramatically changed my appearance, speech and confidence for the worse. I asked them flat out after watching myself on television. I had tried to be confident on television, but I could see I was off. People aren't offended by the braces, they can see the metal on the bottom easier than the top, they just admitted it seems like I am struggling to deal with the ones on top.
In the meantime, I'm trying to portray confidence, it's just thinking about my ultimate comfort for this two year investment. Like Painfulvanity said, I want to make the most of this experience. On the other hand, I don't want to invest $400 for very little difference. This will be a tough decision, and I won't make it overnight, I just know I'll dislike the clear the whole way through and "what if" myself to no end. At the same time, I'd rather not waste that much money unnecessarily lol.
I should clarify a few things:
*My ortho doesn't have the wire ties, it's all elastics. I asked if they had glow-in-the-dark because I hear they are less likely to stain, and they don't have those either. The elastics are the least of my concern, it just sucks having planned to have clear brackets and elastics, then learning I can't really do that. Then if I match coloured elastics to the bottoms, they don't match because the clear brackets make them brighter. I'll never be able to do fun colour coordination and that kind of thing.
*These brackets do stick out far. I can't know if the metal will be small enough to feel the difference (the main reason I am taking so much time to think about it) and maybe as my front teeth move back, the clear brackets won't be as prominent behind my lip. I just mean I asked some people honestly, and they admit the braces have dramatically changed my appearance, speech and confidence for the worse. I asked them flat out after watching myself on television. I had tried to be confident on television, but I could see I was off. People aren't offended by the braces, they can see the metal on the bottom easier than the top, they just admitted it seems like I am struggling to deal with the ones on top.
In the meantime, I'm trying to portray confidence, it's just thinking about my ultimate comfort for this two year investment. Like Painfulvanity said, I want to make the most of this experience. On the other hand, I don't want to invest $400 for very little difference. This will be a tough decision, and I won't make it overnight, I just know I'll dislike the clear the whole way through and "what if" myself to no end. At the same time, I'd rather not waste that much money unnecessarily lol.
I tolerated my ceramic braces for three months. I NEVER got used to them. I switched to metal and have never regretted it for a minute. They are smaller, more comfortable and the colored ligs look great against the silver...or I go all silver for a more conservative look. Right now...I am magenta!!
Yes, you will still feel the metal brackets...but my experience has been that I don't feel them nearly as much as I felt the ceramics. I have a very small mouth and they were just too big for me.
my ceramic braces for three months. I NEVER got used to them. I switched to metal and have never regretted it for a minute. They are smaller, more comfortable and the colored ligs look great against the silver...or I go all silver for a more conservative look. Right now...I am magenta!!Yes, you will still feel the metal brackets...but my experience has been that I don't feel them nearly as much as I felt the ceramics. I have a very small mouth and they were just too big for me.
Braced 5/11/05, BSSO with advancement 6/21/06, Debanded: 8/1/07. Click on www for my braces story.
For me the pick of the metal brackets was not in the least predicated on what anyone else thought of me in braces. Same with the ceramic. At first I liked the idea that my ceramics wouldn't be that noticeable, or so I thought. Really, the ceramic braces are only not noticeable from a distance or in pictures. Up close everyone can see that you have braces. So, for me, the ultimate decision came down to comfort.
I have never worried about what others thought of my braces. They are just temporary anyway!!
I have never worried about what others thought of my braces. They are just temporary anyway!!
Braced 5/11/05, BSSO with advancement 6/21/06, Debanded: 8/1/07. Click on www for my braces story.