Braces on yesterday, help!

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#1 Post by **nickym** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:32 am

Hi,

I got my braces put on yesterday and they just feel so wierd and bulky in my mouth! I feel so self conscious, I can't imagine ever getting used to them, although from reading other people's accounts it seems that after about a week things start to feel more normal. I'm starving as all I've been able to eat is soup and that was a challange! I'm having trouble talking too, as my top lip keeps getting stuck on the brackets. I got Damon 3/ Ice which means I have white brackets on the top 6 teeth and the rest are metal, but I'm starting to wonder whether I should have got metal all over as the white brackets are bigger and feel very bulky (maybe similar to Ceramics?), but maybe I just need to get used to them. Also, I'm worried that it'll be more noticable if I get food stuck in them than if they were metal. Can anyone give me some advice?

Ps This website is brilliant, it's so reassuring to know so many other people have gone through this too and survived!

#2 Post by **lisab** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:42 am

Hi Nickym
I felt exactly the same way for the first week. I have ceramic brackets upper and damon lower, and the first thing I ate was pumpkin soup...which seemed to stick everywhere!! Please rest assured that the feeling doesn't last long...and I'm still amazed after 10 months that food doesn't show nearly as much as I thought it would after that initial pumpkin soup experience. I learnt to chew with my back teeth, and pretty soon that felt normal. I still ask my husband after dinner if there's any food stuck, and he hasn't noticed anything in all that time!! As for the bulky feeling, that feels normal quite quickly also. I really don't notice them any more. Most people seem to have the same experience in this regard. I'm really happy with how my ceramics look. Once you start to see results, the excitement will take over, believe me!
All the best
Lisa

#3 Post by **barbra0674** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:55 am

Regarding food getting stuck in your wires, I recommend getting a Dentakit or making your own kit to carry with you when you're out and about. Folding cup, pick, interproximal brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, compact mirror, and floss in a little carrying case.

#4 Post by **dawnm** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:19 am

Honestly, you just have to give it time.... before you know it, you will be 100% used to them and they won't feel bulky. I have Damons -- not sure which ones but the top 6 are 1/2 metal, 1/2 clear) and the tops don't seem to trap food any more than the bottom ones. I did get nervous after I ate tomato soup, but the red from the soup brushed right off. I just make sure to brush right after I eat.

You might want to wax the top 6 so your lip doesn't get caught until your mouth gets used to the "bulk"... seriously though, after a few days, you won't even notice. For me, everything got tons better on day 4.

#5 Post by **nvcarissa** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:03 am

In total agreement with everyone else about getting used to them, with one caveat. I started out like you, with ceramics on my social six. I don't know if it is the size of my mouth (small) or what but I never got used to them and switched out to all metal at three months in to treatment and have never regretted it for a minute.

By the way, I am so used to the braces right now that unless I am eating I actually forget they are there and am sometimes surprised when I look in the mirror and see them there. Having braces is sort of like wearing a wedding ring. At first you are very conscious of it, and then it just becomes part of you.

#6 Post by **nancoy** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:24 am

Your wax will help with the brackets rubbing your lips. I wore wax, specially at night, for the first two weeks. Everyone says you will get use to them but I have had mine almost 2 months and I still haven't gotten use them. I have figured out how to eat with them. I carry my tooth brush with me everywhere I go. I find my electric tooth brush to work best to get around the brackets then I use the end of the tooth brush my dr. gave me to get in between and under the wire. How long do you have to wear your braces?
~Nancy

Here's mine:
viewtopic.php?t=17426

#7 Post by **loulou123** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:40 am

Hi, im another Uk brace wearer. I know exactly how you feel ive now had my braces on 8 months. I was fine for the first day or so as right away i decided there was no point in being self concious as people were going to notice so i may as well get it over with. After people have seen them for the 1st time its old news.

But on day 2ish i remember thinking how is there any chance at all i will ever get used to them, i was constantly aware of them and in all honesty regretting my decision to have them fitted (not that i had any choice really)

But as the days went by i guess i just got used to them, as it got to the stage id be surprised when i felt them in my mouth.

As for eating, it is painful for a while but it really does get better and until my last adjustment on thursday i was able to eat anything i could before i had the braces fitted. if your worried about getting food caught in them, i think its prob happened to all of us at some point, best advise there is to carry a small mirror and check or ask a trusted friend.

What is it your having done? Im having double jaw surgery and braces for 3 years. If you have any questions please ask, as i guess im a little further along the path and both being in the UK.

hope your feeling bit better by now.

#8 Post by **BraceMom** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:41 pm

nickym, I am with you, got mine on the day before you and I cannot even drink water without pain. One of my molar bands has rubbed a huge sore on the bottom of my tongue and it is the biggest pain point. And yes they're bulky, I got clear on top but I can tell I'm getting used to them a bit. Actually, it's the metal ones on bottom ripping up my lower gum line, the tops aren't causing nearly as much problems for me. But I'm living off of smoothies, shakes and soup, great diet for the last 20 lbs of baby weight I have

Anyway, not much advice, just support in that I feel your pain. Everyone says it gets better in a few weeks so I'm just holding out and praying. Good luck

#9 Post by **nickym** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:04 am

Hi everyone,

Thank you for all the advice and support, it's made me feel so much better! I'm starting to get used to the way the braces look and the few people who have seen them have said they look fine. My mouth is still very sore and I'm still eating soft foods but it sounds like that'll improve soon.

Bracemom, how are your braces feeling now? Hope you're not as sore now! Have you managed to chew anything yet? It feels like being a baby doesn't it?!

Loulou - Thanks for the advice. I hope your jaw surgery goes ok, when do you have that? Or have you had it already? I don't need any surgery but I may need extractions a little further on in the treatment. My estimated treatment time is 14 months.

Lisa - Thanks for the reassurance. I can really relate to the soup story, the same happened to me the day I had them on but since then it doesn't seem to be so bad. I'm steering clear of tomato (and pumpkin) soup for the time-being though!

Good luck everyone and thanks again!

#10 Post by **Blackcat** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:12 am

Nickym, I've had my braces on for three weeks (top only for now) and it has got better - you have to like mashed up food though! I've never used so many straws! I use wax over my inside brackets at night as they cut my tongue up
Good luck and I hope you are feeling lots better already

#11 Post by **loulou123** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:18 am

Glad to hear your teeth feeling a little more comfortable, it really does get better. I had a power chain put on my teeth on thursday and i was back to the eating soft food stage myself for a couple of days, but am now able to eat pretty much anything again.

Im due to have my surgery sometime at the end of the year, after having had my braces on for 18months, then i have to wear them for another 18months afterwards.

I know it seems hard to beleive right now but the time will come whrn you dont notice them anymore and only have any real problems right after an adjustment.

As i said before any questions please feel free to ask, as when i first joint this group i was befriended by another UK member who answered all my questions as he was a year ahead of me on the treatment front. (Hi there Andrew if your reading!)

Good luck.

#12 Post by **LucyQ99** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:57 am

You will soon perfect the art of chewing with your back teeth. Everything you eat will probably not be very comfortable the first few days (mine up to two weeks, but my friend ate regular food the same day she got hers!). I'd try adding smoothies (if you make them at home, you can also add some protein supplement (powdered) to your smoothie so you can get a little more nutrition from the food you may be missing from your regular food) to your diet. Mashed potatoes are also very smooth going down.

And the irritation inside your mouth won't last long also. I think I made mine worse by trying to close my mouth all the way because of feeling ackward...allow yourself to get used to them. After while, you'll start forgetting you even have them.

#13 Post by **nickym** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:42 pm

Thanks for the advice

One more question. Did any of you find that you bit on the brackets when eating? Because of my deep bite, I find that some of my top teeth bite down on the lower metal brackets when I chew, which makes me feel squeamish! Is this normal?

#14 Post by **Cynnamin** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:47 pm

YES!

I was so afraid I was going to push a bracket off when I closed my mouth that for two weeks, I held my mouth slightly open ALL the time. My bite is not extremely deep but it was so funny because I was so paranoid about it. I asked my dentist (I saw him the next day) and apparently, some extra adhesive had squished above the bracket and it was the glue, NOT the bracket I was hitting. He filed it down for me and I didn't have any problems.

A month later, after some movement, I really DID hit a bracket. It was fine 10 minutes before but suddenly it was hitting. The ortho said it would be okay, just to be cautious and a few days later, it was fine.

My consolation is that the brackets feel like they are attached to my teeth so well that even the ortho won't be able to get them off!

#15 Post by **gramsinbraces** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:59 pm

LOL, I also work in a school in the Cafeteria and today all the kids seemed to notice my teeth. Most of them said "Oh I like your braces!" Or my sister has braces, all kinds of sweet and inocent comments. I enjoyed all of them , even the little boy that said "why are your teeth green?" I laughed and showed him I have braces. This is a week for me and doing pretty well, my lips just are so dry and I'm constantly using vaseline for lips on them. Guess that to will ease up in time.