I've had braces for 4 days and want to get rid of them

Message

#1 Post by **hello** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 11:45 am

Hello. I'm a 21 year old guy who got braces this thursday and i really hate them. My face and lips look swollen. I feel ridiculous. I wonder why i even wanted braces. Why should i care what people think about my teeth? Why should i have to change myself and suffer this? I'm unkissed, insecure about myself and braces for 2 years arn't gonna help. I don't even want to go out to buy grocerys now. Having braces is so "HEY i'm shallow and i do this because im ugly". My teeth isn't even extremely bad so it's not gonna help much.

#2 Post by **Maria83** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:01 pm

Hi Hello

Not that it is of any help but I believe most of us experienced the same feelings during the first days. Personally I made exactly the same thoughts. However for me it was a tooth (just one tooth) that during time kept bending inside my mouth and scratched my tongue that made me tolerate the braces. I knew it was not going to get any better but only worse so I keep going.

This is actually a very personal decision. No matter if your motives are aesthetically or functionally driven you should see if this is something that you will regret NOT doing in the end. I do agree that the trauma of having braces in your adult life is quite big, especially for those of us who already feel self conscious, therefore you should not endure it if you can not. Nonetheless, I suggest trying keeping them on for a month as you will feel differently about them when you calm down. I can only guarantee that most of the times third people's reactions are not half as bad as we expect them to be. Good luck

#3 Post by **Unlikejoey** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:21 pm

Hang in there! It does get better. For the first month I tried to cover my braces with my lips but now I can see the improvement in my teeth. Even if you dont think its going to make your teeth look much better, it will be easier to keep them clean, etc which should mean less cavities.

#4 Post by **hello** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:25 pm

I've never had a cavity.

#5 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:26 pm

This feeling will pass. Trust me. With braces there is a lot to get used to at first. 4 days is nothing. Give yourself some time.

You think that everyone is starting at you. Right? I felt that way too at first but I've got news for you. They're not. In the year and a half that I've been in braces I'm astonished at how many people never even notice them. It is a complete non-issue for anyone who does happen to notice. Hang in there--you'll be glad you did.

#6 Post by **epiphany7** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:32 pm

I can't tell you how many times I had to be "talked down" from marching right back into my ortho's office and DEMANDING that he rip these suckers right out of my head during that first week!

But then, just as suddenly as it began, I GOT OVER IT. Believe me, I was dead set on having them removed. But then I remembered why I wanted them. And I'm glad I didn't give in to that initial scaredy-cat fight-or-flight response.

Hang in there! It gets MUCH better. Give it at least a month or two before you jump to any conclusions. And if it helps, think of it as a new pair of shoes. Sometimes the COOLEST looking shoes hurt your feet like HECK when you first put them on... but walk around in them for a few days, and they soon become "old favorites." It just takes some breaking in. No difference here

Good luck, and HANG IN THERE!

#7 Post by **Shutter** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 6:06 pm

Yes, let me echo all of the above posts - hang in there - it gets better and you get used to it. I know that it is hard to imagine, but after a while you don't notice them, and neither do other people. I wanted to rip mine off after the first week as well.

My advice is to give it until your first adjustment. If you're anything like me, by then you won't be thrilled about having them (I'm still not thrilled about having them), but you won't hate them either.

#8 Post by **PatJ** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:28 pm

Honestly, it will get better. When I had my braces put on, my ortho was very honest and said "you're in for 2 weeks of hell, and then you won't worry about it..". Actually it wasn't even 2 weeks before I wasn't worrying about it. I am just about to get mine removed (yay, on 4th November) and during this whole 2 years I have never received a negative comment or a peculiar stare from anyone. When I told a colleague last week that I had a deband date, she said that she hadn't even realised I was wearing braces! (I think she was being nice!) One last thing, be glad that you're getting them at 21. I'm 57 and I wished I had got this out of the way earlier.

Hang in there, you'll be pleased you did.

#9 Post by **ANGELFLUTTER** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:51 pm

Hello - I hope I can offer some advice. I don't have my braces yet - but will be getting braced in the next month or two. I have other issues with some teeth that I need to have taken care of first. My teeth to look at them aren't bad looking. In fact the top teeth are fairly straight. The bottom teeth have a couple that overlap - but not severely. When my dentist suggested braces - I thought at first that he was out of his mind. But - as time went on and he told me of problems that I WILL have in the future as far as not being able to wear a bridge, implants or dentures due to several of my molars that were pulled when I was younger and the way that my teeth are now starting to "lay down", I started to rethink the idea. I am doing this for ME - not to impress anyone. I am sure I will go through the process of "Why did I do this ? " and will probably want to rip them out as well - cuz I AM NOT A PATIENT person. But I was forwarned that these feelings will be absolutely normal. I don't know you, but I am strongly sensing some very powerful low self esteem issues from you. Braces are not the issue - it's just another thing in your life that makes you unhappy and something to place a focus on. I encourage you to stick the braces out. Are you a sociable person - or do you hang in the house? Lonliness is different from being alone. I would suggest finding social groups to join or maybe volunteering at places where you can meet others. Obviously you have a computer - perfect way to meet others. You can make friends by networking social groups of interest that are in your area. Make plans to meet with those that you socialize with from those groups. Check your local paper - many hospitals offer free meetings for depression / self esteem etc. I am not a therapist - but I just get the feeling that you are a lonely and as you stated yourself an insecure person. At 20 - I was the same. I am now 53. I was not ugly or anything like that - but it took me several years to find love and somebody that wants me - warts and all so to speak. Braces will enhance what is there. You might not have " bad teeth" in your opinion but obviously the dentist / ortho felt differently. It's easy for us to see what we have always seen as normal to us, as not being "bad " to others. It's way better to have great teeth in a couple of years than being toothless at 40. I think you will see improvements in a short while since your teeth are not "bad" and these improvements will bring on more self confidence as time goes on. A new haircut, some new clothes, a beautiful smile and most importantly a new attitude towards yourself will bring about new confidence - and beleive me self confidance is definitely an attraction to all of us ladies and helps in the male bonding process. Just keep it real. But, don't let the new found self confidence go to the extreme where you become obnoxious. That is a big,big,big turn off for all.

PLEASE _ hang in there and keep the braces on. You know in your heart that it was a wise decision - otherwise you would have never had them put on in the first place. And I have heard that they can be painful when first applied and after adjustments. But as I have read through many of the posts here that this too shall pass - and after awhile most hardly notice them.

#10 Post by **Miss Moppet** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:34 am

Hello - i got my braces 5 days ago and amazingly i love them! However i really thought i too would have a major crisis over them. I had arranged to work from home for a few days after they were fitted, fearing I would want to just hide away (probably in tears) whilst i got my head around how i looked. Bit then it hit me that actually it would be my attitude which would be the 'make or break' rather than the actual wearing of the braces. I like to look nice, like everyone, and so yes i now look 'less nice' maybe but i know i smile more- i guess thinking people will see them anyway and everyone responds well to a big smile so thats what i do! I even went straight back into work after having them fitted and really it was old news after an hour or so. Eating is interesting but i ate out with a new group of people at the weekend and not only was it a talking point but i'd say at least a quarter of them had had braces at some point in their life and we laughed and talked about all the funny things you have to deal with. So really i just want to echo what others have said- its not about the braces its about how you act with them that will make this a positive or negative experience. How many people have you seen with a tattoo or extreme haircut that you dont like but they rock it and love it and thats all down to confidence and i know that confidence is not something you are born with but rather something that grows by coming out of your comfort zone as you experience different things life throws at you. Wearing braces can be one of those things and how you deal with this now will help you deal with other issues as you go through life. Keep them on and learn to love them

#11 Post by **hello** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:21 am

Thank you everyone for your replies! I already feel better about wearing braces.

#12 Post by **sarahlynn** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:47 am

As everyone is saying - it WILL get better!!! I felt exactly the same as you when my first went on. I felt ugly and ridiculous and didn't want anyone, stranger or friend, seeing me in them. My self confidence was low before braces because I didn't like the way my teeth looked (I had crowding and gaps).

You said that you insecure about yourself right now (I'm assuming pre-braces as well as right now). That insecurity won't go away unless you change whatever is causing the insecurity. These first few days and weeks are by far the worst, and then you'll start to see changes and get used to everything, and suddenly you'll realize that it's just some stupid metal/ceramic on your teeth and that doesn't really matter.

I already have WAY more confidence about my teeth now that I have seen some real changes. I'm the person who hated smiling pre-braces and now, even though I still have a lot of other issues that will be fixed, am already smiling big all the time now. The piece of mind that every day is one day closer to getting these off and having a fantastic smile, that's what keeps me going.

#13 Post by **wilson123** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:21 am

I'm amazed it took you four days to get to that stage.

I can honestly tell you that when I was still sat in my dentists chair - moments after he had attached the brackets and put the wire in - I was thinking "Omg what have I done". The wire felt like my lip was out extremely far - much further than I had anticipated when my ortho showed me the brackets and wire he would be using prior to fitting.

But it really does get better. I'm now on 6 weeks - it feels longer - but I can already see a part of my front tooth that I have never seen before because it had been tucked behind the other lead tooth.

I was a bit of a disaster in breaking the wire or brackets in the first few days but it seems to have settled down a bit more now and I haven't been in a fortnight!! (personal best that!)

I was unbelievably self conscious when I first got them. But now almost everyone who I care to have seen them has seen them (I always found it a bit awkward in do I say - "Hey look I've got braces" or wait for them to approach the subject) but now everyone has seen them, I really don't mind any more!

#14 Post by **iceberg4chey** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:39 am

I'm 26 yrs old and I felt the same way at first. I've had em for 4 days too. I didn't want to even smile the first day. I felt like they were so damn big at first! After a while I realized that people weren't even noticing until I pointed it out. I even went out partying this past weekend and it was totally fine. Feel better and Good luck!

#15 Post by **bbsadmin** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:31 pm

How are you feeling today? Do you still have the swelling and apparent allergic problem, or has it gotten better?