Day 3 in braces and I want the metal bottoms off:(

Message

#1 Post by **LMZ** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:10 pm

I got braced this past Thursday with clear ceramic Damons on the top and metal on the bottom. My Ortho does not normally do ceramics on the bottom due to possible tooth chipping issues if the top teeth hit the bottom ceramic brackets which are harder than metal. I love the clear tops. They are discreet and just what I expected. The bottoms however I do not like at all and I am very upset. My bottom teeth show when I smile and talk and right now it looks like a big black hole in there. I do not want to spend the next 12-18 months with metal on the bottom. I called my Ortho on Friday to tell him how I felt and he said that he would look at the possiblity of putting ceramics on the bottom with bumpers. He will get back to me on Monday. I am going to plead my case until he agrees as the metal bottoms look awful on me:(

The good news is that I have little pain at all. It just feels like my teeth are floating.

Thanks for letting me vent!

Linda
A 42 yo who has been thinking about doing this longer than she can remember!

#2 Post by **MsViola** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:23 pm

Hi Linda,

Welcome.
I am sorry you are feeling so down about your bottom braces. I hope things will get better. I am sure that they look better than you think. But, you know what will make you feel comfortable. Good luck in whatever you decide to do. Here is to you feeling better about your decision

P.S. - When I got my braces, my Ortho told me to give it a month before I made any decisions about not liking them.

#3 Post by **ArchAngle** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:50 pm

WOW

Please be aware that metals are nearly half the size of ceramics - for a reason.

Swapping out the smaller metals for ceramics on the lowers and incurring bite plates or turbos or molar build ups, and thus forfeiting "eating like a normal human being" begs for carefully contemplation -- all in the name of right now, 'wanting your braces to look [visually] nicer'.

Consider you lived with awkward teeth for 42 years and seemed to not have minded, the off set of having the means to fix what you lived with all that time, needs a little more respect, in my opinion.

The idea of course while you can certainly "chop and change" as you see fit, as it is your dime and time, just make sure you know and are aware in advance if you do decide to do that. Because surely if after 3 months after that change you suddenly don't like the "feel" of it, you will of course be back to square one, and have turned this process of fixing your teeth into an adventure of ... fixing your teeth

#4 Post by **LithpingLitha** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:12 pm

I have ceramics up top and metal self-ligating on the bottom.
It took several weeks before I was comfortable with my braces. For a while I wondered just what I had done to myself! I hope you can give it a little time to get used to it. I found the small metal brackets to be easier on the insides of my cheeks.

#5 Post by **sparkles** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:31 am

Hiya
I agree with the others..maybe give it some more time to get used to them before making a firm decision to change.

Not that I've experienced ceramics but just that when my metal brackets went on I really did have a few days of OH NO! What have I done! I didn't not want the end result of 3 years of braces and jaw surgery, but I missed my teeth (that maybe sounds mad) and thought I looked dreadful. I was all set to go back to the ortho and have him take them all off just 2 or 3 days after they were put on.

My husband said well if that's what you want, go back and tell them to take them off, blah blah blah but my best friend said to me just wait a wee while and give it time, you'll get used to it, it's such a big change.

And she was right, by the end of the week I was feeling much better, actually once the wires and ligs went on, it looked so much better (I had a week of just brackets on my teeth).

Now I'm quite put out that no-one, absolutely no-one has mentioned/noticed my braces..not one single comment from anyone about them (LOL maybe I need to choose hot pink ligs next time).
So chances are no one else is noticing your metal braces half as much as you are yourself.

Of course if you really are set on the change, then good luck on your journey

Fay

#6 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:40 am

I have clear traditional ligating braces for upper and lower arches...I still have the "OMG what did I do!" phase. I vote for you to wait it out a bit longer. If after a month the feeling goes away, then it is money saved. If you still feel compelled to change them out, then it is a sound investment. I hope you're feeling a bit better.

#7 Post by **bracesafter40** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 2:01 am

I got braced this past Thursday with clear ceramic Damons on the top and metal on the bottom.

O.K. Linda, I'm not going to baby you; just cut it out! We are about the same age and I've had braces for 15 months now and you know what, it is fine and I have full metal. It is not as bad as you think and the average person is not laughing at you or even notice especially since you have ceramics on top. I get compliments all the time and when other braces wearers see me they chat me up or just smile.

Just give it more time as others have said. You are really working yourself up over not much really.

I have full metal top and bottom and had a big old spring across one my front tooth for a few months and I survived, so you can too. You waited this long to do it, so just go with it. You will find that the least you worry, the better it is.

You can read about how I felt in the early days on my blog at http://bracesafter40.blogspot.com.

Good luck, you WILL be fine with what you have now. The Ortho knows best. Now quit the whining

.

#8 Post by **loulou123** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:19 pm

Hey

Gotta agree with everyone else, if i was you id give it bit more time, just in case you regret the next decision too.

Ive got metal top and bottom and have had them on for nearly 2 years and have had no negative comments about them. Ive spent the last 3 months looking very swollen on one side, after a jaw surgery infection and even thats only attracted a few 2nd glances when i go out.

Im sure that your get used to them, if you give it a while.

Good luck.

#9 Post by **TigerLily** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 2:14 pm

Will your ortho charge you extra to have the bottoms replaced?

IMHO Do take a while to adjust as others recommend (and certainly I had a panic and posted on here upset on Day 1)...

but if it makes you unhappy change them. You have to wear these braces for 2 years, how you feel about them matters!

I have ceramics top and bottom and am very happy with them. My ortho did say that most of her adult patients went for ceramics top and metal lowers, but when I said I'd like ceramic on lowers, she said she was glad I had chosen to do so as anything that made me feel more comfortable was good. By the way, my ortho has been an ortho for over 20 years (a dentist before) and as I started my treatment she was at the end of her own 18 month braces treatment and she had ceramics top and bottom.

My only gripe is I have 2 teeth on the bottom that are on metals that could be ceramic (they are premolars), but my ortho says this is due to the positioning of my teeth, she doesn't want to put ceramics on those two. When I had my lowers only on for 6 months, the only handful of people (say 5) who noticed I had braces did so because of the glint from one of these two brackets.

Yes, yes, I know, I'm probably too concerned about appearances

#10 Post by **LMZ** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:21 pm

Thanks for all the replies.
I want to apologize if I offended anyone who has metal braces. That was not my intent at all:( I was simply venting about my own experience. The type of braces that we choose are a very personal decison and we should be happy with them as this is an expensive investment that we have to wear for a long time. How the wearer feels about them matters.

I did go in today to get the metals removed and got ceramic Damons on my bottom front 6. I love them and feel very comfortable. I did not even have to have the bumpers put back on (I had them on the metals). I do not know what a bite plate is but I know that I do not have one yet.

I am excited that I have started my journey to a beautiful smile.

#11 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:54 am

LMZ if that makes your treatment more bearable for you then kudos and welcome! I hope you feel better and remember that we are all here going through treatment or have gone through it.

#12 Post by **lilypea** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:30 pm

Hi LMZ. I'm actually going through the same thing as you. I had my brackets installed on Monday, with ceramics on top and metal on bottom. I was told that my bottom teeth wouldn't show much anyway, but I show a lot more teeth on the bottom than I thought (so my metal brackets show). It's not a huge deal, but I was thinking I'd be happier w/ceramic on bottom as well. I had not realized there were size implications with that and only read about that here.

My question for you is whether your ortho charged extra for his/her time to remove the metal brackets and bond the ceramics, or just the cost to upgrade to ceramics?

#13 Post by **LMZ** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:05 pm

Lilypea-

To answer your questions my ortho did not charge me anything extra for the bottom ceramics brackets or the time to take off the metal and install the ceramic! He said that he just wanted me to be happy!

#14 Post by **MsViola** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:53 pm

LMZ, I am glad you are happy. You shouldn't worry about offending us "metal wearers". Everyone has a unique experience and story to tell and live. Although we have the same goal, there are many paths that lead to the finish line.

Take care !

#15 Post by **KLC** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:30 pm

Hi LMZ,

I got brackets on today, clear on top, wire on the bottom. I, like you, show A LOT of lower teeth when I talk and I am a little in shock right now bc all I see is the metal bottom. I am sure this is partly "1st day nerves" but I wanted to see how you were doing with the lower ceramics and if you are still 100% happy with your decision to switch the metal out for the clear. I just feel, what's the point of having clear tops when the bottoms take over my entire mouth? My ortho did say he'd change them out if I was miserable.

Lilypea, what did you decide to do?

I go back next Friday to get the wires on... I'll see how I feel then.

Thanks!!

Metal Mouth Message Board

Day 3 in braces and I want the metal bottoms off:(

Day 3 in braces and I want the metal bottoms off:(

Re: Day 3 in braces and I want the metal bottoms off:(