Hello and what a great site!
Moderator: bbsadmin
Hello and what a great site!
Hello to everyone - I have been cruising around this site for a couple of weeks and must say I have collected a TON of information that I think will help me! I, like many others it seems, find myself in my mid-to-late 30's with a leftover mess from never having braces when I was young! It was now or never for me, after my hygenist said for the 5 hundred and thirty third time (it seemed like anyway) "your teeth are SO tight". I got a tooth pulled last week and I got my spacers today. Interestingly enough, the tooth pull was nothing compared to the pushing and prying my ortho had to do to get these spacers on! I took my ibpro and now i'm sitting here about five hours later and my front teeth feel like they are getting pushed together more and more by the minute. I know this is just a temporty thing but it is a very weird feeling! Next week it is the bands and the following week brackets and wires. I'm a little scared, but alot excited!
Good luck.
Most people on the list will tell you that the first few days with the spacers are the worst. At my last appointmet I talked about trying to move up my banding for my lower teth. I was offered to either keep the current date or do spacers until November 9. I chose to wait instead of having them for three weeks.
The spacers are the first part of this process. No matter how irritating they are, focus on the outcome. To get this far you must believe that the end result will make a positive improvement for the rest of your life. There will be other times when you'll need to focus on the outcome to get over the frustrations of what new appliaince has been installed.
Finally take pictures before the braces, and pictures in the first two days with braces. When you get disgusted with the process, look at the progress shown in those pictures. Even after a couple of weeks, they’ll give you great encouragement.
Welcome to the board.
Mike
Most people on the list will tell you that the first few days with the spacers are the worst. At my last appointmet I talked about trying to move up my banding for my lower teth. I was offered to either keep the current date or do spacers until November 9. I chose to wait instead of having them for three weeks.
The spacers are the first part of this process. No matter how irritating they are, focus on the outcome. To get this far you must believe that the end result will make a positive improvement for the rest of your life. There will be other times when you'll need to focus on the outcome to get over the frustrations of what new appliaince has been installed.
Finally take pictures before the braces, and pictures in the first two days with braces. When you get disgusted with the process, look at the progress shown in those pictures. Even after a couple of weeks, they’ll give you great encouragement.
Welcome to the board.
Mike
I wore braces (this time) for 1294 days or 3 years, 6 months and 17 days.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.
Thanks everyone! For the encouragement and advise! I have a pretty high pain tolerance but this is different than surgical or injury pain isn't it? 
Last night, after not biting down for several hours, a grilled cheese sandwich felt like stakes were being shoved into my jaw! But, i had read on someone's post not too long ago that chewing actually helps and after several minutes it did. I see what you mean about the lip balm - the outside edges of my mouth are actually cut where my ortho was prying so hard with the floss trying to get these things in! But, i believe everyone is right - this is SO worth it! I have taken my before pics and after looking around alot at everyone's movement pictures I can't wait to see the progress start! My stepson is getting braces like 6 days before me and he is like any other kid, moaning about it. Last night i was like - i'm not trying to sound like an annoying adult but if you wouldn't have had this opportunity in your life until my age you'd be looking forward to it!
Last night, after not biting down for several hours, a grilled cheese sandwich felt like stakes were being shoved into my jaw! But, i had read on someone's post not too long ago that chewing actually helps and after several minutes it did. I see what you mean about the lip balm - the outside edges of my mouth are actually cut where my ortho was prying so hard with the floss trying to get these things in! But, i believe everyone is right - this is SO worth it! I have taken my before pics and after looking around alot at everyone's movement pictures I can't wait to see the progress start! My stepson is getting braces like 6 days before me and he is like any other kid, moaning about it. Last night i was like - i'm not trying to sound like an annoying adult but if you wouldn't have had this opportunity in your life until my age you'd be looking forward to it!