newbie, 32 & still unsure about going ahead with braces....

[pidgiepops]

Hi guys

Im booked in for 3 extractions and getting top and bottom braces the week after. Iv been told to expect to wear them for 2 - 2 and a half years!! sounds soooo long!!

My teeth are not noticabley bad, most people are surprised im getting braces. I have actually only recently seen how bad they really are, in photos or if talking to me staright on you prob wouldnt notice but my front tooth slightly overlaps and my front bottom teeth are quite crowded. I think my bite is ok though.

So I suppose Im really hoping for some reassurance that its all worth it, Im worried about how Im going to look with a mouth full of metal and feel like my life is on hold until I get them off :( Also do you find the ortho usually over estimate the timescales involved? (wishful thinking eh?> )

thanks in advance xxx

[Crafter]

I am also 32, and I have very similar teeth issues: a bit of overjet on top and crowded lowers. In pictures and when seen on the front you can hardly tell I have any problem at all, my midline is perfect and my overjet is not noticeably from the front.

However, when looking at me from the side (while smiling) you notice the overjet of the two frontal uppers.

I got clear braces a month ago and some people still wonder why I did it

My timeline is 10 months, but because I am moving to another city and I wanted to be done in shorter time, so I am getting self ligating braces and adjustments every 2 weeks (instead of the usual monthly visit). My ortho assured me she has done this before and that it is safe. But with regular braces my treatment was going to be 2 years with monthly visits. I guess is up to the ortho's opinion what works for every case.

However, I used to think that I had good teeth, but after being braced (and looking at the pictures and x rays from the ortho evaluation) I noticed I have very croocked teeth and terrible bite. It just was that I wan't really looking.

Good luck!

[pidgiepops]

I totally know what you mean, Im a very smiley person and used to think i had nice teeth but like you my crooked teeth are more noticable from the side, which is an angle I dont see lol. Its only recently when I have really loooked at them that i have noticed how bad they really are.

I am getting my treatment on the NHS so no chance of the process being speeded up, its strange how u can have such a different perception of yourself, just thinking about when my dentist was refering me and I said they prob wouldnt do it on the NHS as it wasnt that bad and he obviously disagreed saying he did think it was quite bad and the health board accepted it, even thoigh they are turning away more people than they are accepting. I suppose Ill just need to learn to love them as they will be a part of me for the considerable future. I have taken pics of my teeth just now to remind me of why Im doing it

Thanks for your reply xxx

[belistic10]

just go for it!! i wish i could have got financial assistance here for mine instead of paying for it myself! but so far no regrets! and i am only 2 weeks in! I had the damon clears on the top 6 and the rest damon metal, i highly reccomend the clear ones as they are definately not as noticeable as the metal, and gives me that extra bit of confidence i might not have had if i had gone all metal, but everyone is different I just went with what my ortho reccommended and this is what they use on most adult patients

[pidgiepops]

Thank u for ur reply :)

Are u in the uk? If so woukd u mind telling me the cost of ur treatment and the length of time uv to wear braces. I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the sacrifice of paying for the treatment, therefore having the choice of clear and maybe speeding up the whole process??

X

[Gennie 50]

Just go for it!! You will not regret it. I started my journey at the tender age of 50 and 14 months later the braces came off. I was told 24 months treatment time. I had ceramic on top and metal on bottom. I wore my rubber bands as directed. I invested in a Water Pik and had teeth cleaning every 3 months.

Be sure to floss and brush every day and your treatment time will go by soon.

[reynolk]

I completely agree with Gennie 50. Go for it, it's a decision you won't regret. I was braced 10 days ago, and when i wake up most mornings, i forget that I have them.

[tennesseeditto]

Hi guys

Im booked in for 3 extractions and getting top and bottom braces the week after. Iv been told to expect to wear them for 2 - 2 and a half years!! sounds soooo long!!

My teeth are not noticabley bad, most people are surprised im getting braces. I have actually only recently seen how bad they really are, in photos or if talking to me staright on you prob wouldnt notice but my front tooth slightly overlaps and my front bottom teeth are quite crowded. I think my bite is ok though.

So I suppose Im really hoping for some reassurance that its all worth it, Im worried about how Im going to look with a mouth full of metal and feel like my life is on hold until I get them off Also do you find the ortho usually over estimate the timescales involved? (wishful thinking eh?> )

thanks in advance xxx

I say go for it too! I am 62 and elected to go with a combination Inman Aligners and two weeks of a Clear Aligner because my back teeth fit fine--it's the front ones that are crooked, etc.

Feel free to read all of my posts to see my four weeks of happy progress.

I am NOT trying to sell you on the Inman rather than the regular braces as not everyone is a candidate for them. I am simply wanting to encourage you to get your teeth straightened--that IS what you want, as we all do on this forum, so I say, "Go for it!"

[smilelikeyoumeanit]

Go for it! I'm 31 and one year in and I'm so glad that I did it. I even got married last Spring with my braces. I'm at the point now, where I barely even think about them, (except at night, when I floss, still a huge pain). It's really worth it. The time really flies and you will have a great smile for the rest of your life.

[pidgiepops]

Thanks so much for your replys, I have just over a week to go until my teeth are removed and hey there is definitely no going back from there!!

Can you tell me how quickly youve found that your teeth ahve moved?

Thanks

[reynolk]

[quote="pidgiepops"]Thanks so much for your replys, I have just over a week to go until my teeth are removed and hey there is definitely no going back from there!!

Can you tell me how quickly youve found that your teeth ahve moved?

Thanks

I was braced on November 1st and I noticed a slight movement two days ago. My two front teeth are back to being tender, so hopefully they are getting to no one another

[Van'braces]

Hi,
I'm 32 and 1 year along, I had similar issues to you and everyone was surprised I was getting braces. I also had palate expansion surgery! Its been amazing and Im so, so glad I got the braces, and had the surgery! I say go for it!

[BBQ Grill]

Go for it! Go for it! LOL.... I'm 3 months in n I don't even think about it...doesn't even bother me....n its WORKING.....my teeth WAS looking like a major train wreck....now its all coming together.... Now we're working on the one guy who's hiding lol

[pidgiepops]

Aw thank you so so much, im defo going for it but just worried about what Im going to look like, not long till I find out now though, in jut over a week I am having the 3 extractions and a week later the full tracks.

I will keep you posted on my progress ans am so glad I found this site as its helped me a lot xx

[tennesseeditto]

Pidgiepops, how are things going for you?