I was in a café in Dublin the other day, and I saw a woman sitting at another table - and she had braces.
I didn't go over, because she wasn't alone, and also I didn't want to disturb here (or look like a weird freak!) but I left the place smiling.
She is the first and only adult with braces that I've seen since starting my treatment. Guess adults with braces is a lot less common over this side of the pond.
What to say to a fellow braceface?
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I went to my annual checkup with my GP yesterday. She is one year younger than me (closer to 50 than to 40) and she had braces, the same as mine, ceramic upper, metal lower.
At the very end of my appointment, I asked how long she had had them, something I would never have done if I hadn't had my own mouthful.
Her answer was almost a year. That made me wonder. I've had mine almost 17 months so I had them at my checkup last year. I wonder if seeing me in them a year earlier had given her encouragement to seek her own treatment. I'm an egomaniac, aren't I?!
Last month I went to my dentist, who also is my age, college age kids, etc. And she had braces! I have to say, she had quite the overbite for a dentist. I also asked her at the end, or I think I said, I see you have braces too, and she laughed.
But if I didn't have them myself, I would never say a word. I find it disconcerting when people comment on them (unless they too have braces).
In fact, when someone makes a personal comment about my braces, I usually act surprised and say, I have braces? That tends to shut them up, lol.
On the other hand, I sometimes bring it up myself. Some days I find it hard to articulate when I am having a conversation, so I will say something like, sorry, my braces are making it a bit hard to speak today.
Or, if I am at dinner and I get something stuck in my braces, I say, excuse me for using a toothpick but I have something stuck in my braces (yes, I know, I should probably go off to the ladies and do it privately, but I can't always be bothered).
All this will soon be in the past. Debracing day is next Wednesday. Woot! I don't even care that my lower laterals aren't perfect or that my bite doesn't feel spot on. I am just so done. I can live with some imperfection and I imagine my new bite will settle in over time.
Counting the days,
Elle
At the very end of my appointment, I asked how long she had had them, something I would never have done if I hadn't had my own mouthful.
Her answer was almost a year. That made me wonder. I've had mine almost 17 months so I had them at my checkup last year. I wonder if seeing me in them a year earlier had given her encouragement to seek her own treatment. I'm an egomaniac, aren't I?!
Last month I went to my dentist, who also is my age, college age kids, etc. And she had braces! I have to say, she had quite the overbite for a dentist. I also asked her at the end, or I think I said, I see you have braces too, and she laughed.
But if I didn't have them myself, I would never say a word. I find it disconcerting when people comment on them (unless they too have braces).
In fact, when someone makes a personal comment about my braces, I usually act surprised and say, I have braces? That tends to shut them up, lol.
On the other hand, I sometimes bring it up myself. Some days I find it hard to articulate when I am having a conversation, so I will say something like, sorry, my braces are making it a bit hard to speak today.
Or, if I am at dinner and I get something stuck in my braces, I say, excuse me for using a toothpick but I have something stuck in my braces (yes, I know, I should probably go off to the ladies and do it privately, but I can't always be bothered).
All this will soon be in the past. Debracing day is next Wednesday. Woot! I don't even care that my lower laterals aren't perfect or that my bite doesn't feel spot on. I am just so done. I can live with some imperfection and I imagine my new bite will settle in over time.
Counting the days,
Elle
Spacers, Nov. 1; Braced Nov. 8, 2006; Braces off March 26, 2008, just short of 17 months. Glad it's over but the jury is still out on whether the game was worth the candle.
Where ever I am at a party with people i dont know and i see someone with braces I talk to them right away..we trade stories on lig colors and how long we have left...I even talk to young teenagers 
when i am in a meeting with people I dont know and I have to talk I apologize because I have a mouth full of rubberbands...(I have a class 2 on one side..a box config in the middle and a triangle on the other side so it's hard to talk) most people ask me questions like if it hurts or tell me how they are thinking of getting braces..
I even had the flight attendent show me his palate expander when I was flying home from my vacation..I think most people arent shy about it..I normally just say Hi! I like your braces, I have them too (smiles) and the conversation goes from there
when i am in a meeting with people I dont know and I have to talk I apologize because I have a mouth full of rubberbands...(I have a class 2 on one side..a box config in the middle and a triangle on the other side so it's hard to talk) most people ask me questions like if it hurts or tell me how they are thinking of getting braces..
I even had the flight attendent show me his palate expander when I was flying home from my vacation..I think most people arent shy about it..I normally just say Hi! I like your braces, I have them too (smiles) and the conversation goes from there
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SaintsFan1
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 8:58 pm
- Location: Houston, TX
Chris1960: I was in your neck of the woods a few months ago and a lady working in JC Penneys in The Loop got all excited when she saw that I had braces too. She was lovely and we had a chat for a few minutes.
Buffy: I'll be in Dublin Tue & Wed of next week, so if you happen to be around O'Connell St/Dublin Castle area and see a 40ish female, fair hair/glasses with pink ligs, introduce yourself
I find that with members of the public in work (I work in an office with 100+ people) I've gone from "the fair haired girl with the glasses" to "the girl with braces"
, they are really taken aback then when they are told we have 3 females staff members (& indeed 1 male) with braces & they need to be a bit more descriptive 
I have found that quite a few people have asked me about the braces as they too are thinking of getting them, in fact my ortho should nearly pay me commission from the recommendations I have passed on
Buffy: I'll be in Dublin Tue & Wed of next week, so if you happen to be around O'Connell St/Dublin Castle area and see a 40ish female, fair hair/glasses with pink ligs, introduce yourself
I find that with members of the public in work (I work in an office with 100+ people) I've gone from "the fair haired girl with the glasses" to "the girl with braces"
, they are really taken aback then when they are told we have 3 females staff members (& indeed 1 male) with braces & they need to be a bit more descriptive I have found that quite a few people have asked me about the braces as they too are thinking of getting them, in fact my ortho should nearly pay me commission from the recommendations I have passed on
2 upper 1st bicuspids extracted
Uppers braced (metal), molar bands upper & lower 25 May 07
Lowers braced 22 Oct 07
Next adjustment 21 Apr 2008
Estimated brace time 2.5 years
Am not shy, I'll talk about my braces to anyone who will listen! If I see someone out in public, I will usually just smile really big and go from there. No need to make anyone uncomfortable, so I let them approach me.
But its really exciting to see another adult in braces. Gets rid of that am the only adult in this state with braces feelings. So far people just ask question. I had a coworker mention that his 9 year old would need braces soon.
If I see someone out in public, I will usually just smile really big and go from there. No need to make anyone uncomfortable, so I let them approach me.But its really exciting to see another adult in braces. Gets rid of that am the only adult in this state with braces feelings.
So far people just ask question. I had a coworker mention that his 9 year old would need braces soon.I have just completed my treatment!!
I admit, now that I am just over a month from getting my upper braces installed and I've been wearing my helices for a month, I DO notice adults who have braces.
I want to ask them about it. I'm not sure I could though. I'm still very self conscious about mine and I don't even have them yet!
(I'll be getting clear uppers and metal lowers...eventually)
But I expect that I'll become more chatty once they're in and I'm feeling more positive about it.
I want to ask them about it. I'm not sure I could though. I'm still very self conscious about mine and I don't even have them yet!
(I'll be getting clear uppers and metal lowers...eventually)
But I expect that I'll become more chatty once they're in and I'm feeling more positive about it.
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married2abuckeye
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:28 pm
- Location: Florida
Like many of you had mentioned, I find myself noticing other adults in braces and I feel like we share this immediate bond which makes me want to go up and start chatting. I don't of course, because the times I have started the conversation with a store clerk or server with braces, they seem pretty uncomfortable.
Before braces, I was always embarassed about my teeth, so I would never do anything to draw attention to them. But now, I point and poke and push on my teeth whenever anyone wants to talk about them For me braces have taken away that old shyness and I wish it were the same for everyone! Bottom line is I do not mind at all if people ask about my braces.
Chris: I am also in the central FL area and have noticed a LOT of adults in braces - maybe it's the culture here?
Before braces, I was always embarassed about my teeth, so I would never do anything to draw attention to them. But now, I point and poke and push on my teeth whenever anyone wants to talk about them
For me braces have taken away that old shyness and I wish it were the same for everyone! Bottom line is I do not mind at all if people ask about my braces.Chris: I am also in the central FL area and have noticed a LOT of adults in braces - maybe it's the culture here?
