time estimate for getting braces on

[GRILLZ]

i'm curious....how long would you estimate it took you to get your braces on?

minutes....hours? all those teeth....

[goin4it]

I am told that top and bottom is approximatley 2 hrs +/-

[Lynette]

Mine took around an hour and a half

[Ellebraced]

Mine took 2 hours for the full mouth.

[Snowglobe32]

Just over an hour for upper and lower. I suppose it also depends on the skill level of the person applying the braces.

[BraceFace2o1o]

I've only had my uppers fitted so far. But for my uppers to be fitted, it took about 40 minutes.

[sarahorsomeone]

Wow, I don't often post outside the orthognathic surgery forum, but these answers surprise me!

I must have got off very lightly... I've had braces put on twice (with the same orthodontist), and both times it took less 30 minutes for upper and lowers (at the same time).

[GRILLZ]

yikes...the longest i've had my mouth open at one time was for root canals....two hours and i thought i was going to die......do they let you take a moment to close your jaw every 1/2 hour or so....i don't know how i can get through that long......

[fraid090]

Half an hour for both arches.

[BraceFace2o1o]

yikes...the longest i've had my mouth open at one time was for root canals....two hours and i thought i was going to die......do they let you take a moment to close your jaw every 1/2 hour or so....i don't know how i can get through that long......

I can't remember exactly, but I am sure the cheek retractor/tongue holder relieves some of the pressure, although I have a clicky jaw and I must admit it was aching quite a bit.

I don't think they will let you close your jaw during fitting (maybe in between arches, though?) because the lips have to stay away from the teeth as the teeth need to be/stay dry when bonding the brackets.

[GRILLZ]

i'll have to deal w/ it somehow......

[Snowglobe32]

yikes...the longest i've had my mouth open at one time was for root canals....two hours and i thought i was going to die......do they let you take a moment to close your jaw every 1/2 hour or so....i don't know how i can get through that long......

It is really just your cheeks that are held away from your teeth. You should not feel any discomfort in the jaw. Like a previous poster said, the cheek retractors (placed east to west) hold your cheeks away from your teeth so the teeth stay dry. They also spray air on the teeth to dry them.
The person putting the brackets on will ask you if you are okay throughout the process. If you put two fingers on each side of your mouth and pull out, that is what is is like.

[petal]

from the time I checked in to the time I walked out of the office was not even an hour and a half. I wasn't really uncomfortable. I promise, it won't be that bad and the time will fly by quickly. I was so excited to go to my appointment to have my braces installed until I was brushing my teeth for the last time before I walked out the door...then I started to have a little bit of a panic attack. I then decided I would still go to the appointment and tell them I just could not go through with it. Well, I got to the office and everyone was so fun and sweet that I felt 100% better. I enjoyed the bracing process and I have now had them for 2 months and I am so happy I went through with it. Stay positive, try to enjoy the experience, have them explain the steps as they are doing it, watching the ortho and his assistant was so interesting they made an excellent team. I did take vaseline to put around my mouth because at my first exam I noticed the orthos gloves kept pulling on my face. It made me more comfortable and I would even reapply it when they would have me rinse out my mouth. My ortho said the vaseline was a great idea and would not interfere with what they needed to do at all. I will be thinking happy thoughts for you, I think you will be surprised at how fast the time will go! Keep your eye on the prize and know this journey has more good days than bad! keep us posted!

[GRILLZ]

thanks for your encouragement! i just got my waterpik delivered today and i set it up and gave it a whirl.....i'm trying to get used to it before my braces are on....it's strange to use it....but i can tell that it would be very very helpful for cleaning braces...but you still should floss even though you use the water pik, right?

i am excited to get the braces...but yes, i have moments where i start to think.....i must be crazy...this is going to be a 2 year hall....but i try not to think about that too much

my big fear is that because i have alot of dental pain now....because of wear on my teeth from a misaligned bite....that the pain will be so much greater once the braces are on.....i've had bad pain for years.....so i am motivated to get the braces to help w that but i am still afraid it will get worse.....

[petal]

we can all understand your worry about getting braces. I can only speak from my own experience, but I have had jaw pain for the last few years and my option was pain for the next 40 years or braces for the next 18 months. In my case I have had a lot of relief from my jaw issues since getting braces. I think mainly because of the bite turbos not allowing me to close my mouth all the way I can no longer clench my jaw or grind my teeth. My waterpik has become a dear friend, even if my teeth are sore, setting the waterpik on a gentle setting makes them feel much better. The stages I went through upon deciding on braces was: 1.) Uncertainty of whether or not I wanted to deal with braces, 2.) Resolve at deciding on getting braces, 3.)Excitement and anticipation about getting braces, 4.) Total freak out the morning of my appointment, (Then I relaxed and decided to go ahead with the process of getting braces) 5.) shock the first time I saw myself with braces 6.) Relief...I left his office feeling so proud of myself for taking this step! Like most things in life there will be more good days than bad. You are like me, you want to gather as much info as you can so there will be no surprises and you will know what to expect.....remember to expect a positive experience. I find that everyone in my orthos office loves to answer questions about braces, they all seem to enjoy the experience of changing peoples lives by changing their teeth. I can't tell you how much reading I tried to do about braces leading up to my brace day! I needed to know that everything would be ok....and I can honestly say that I am so happy with how my teeth are changing! You will adapt quickly to what will work for you. The biggest problem I had was the first week, since my teeth would not touch because of my bite turbos, I felt like I had no energy because I was not getting enough calories. Well, I started buying protein shakes and then I felt a little more in control. now I only use them if I am away from home. Know you will find a lot of support on here. I will be watching for your updates and sending you the very best wishes as you start this journey. Enjoy the ride....it is only temporary and when your braces come off you will feel so proud. When I am having a rough day sometimes I will read posts about peoples debracing experience...makes me remember that my day will soon come! Take care we are all here for you!