finally worked up the courage

[julieh]

I was planning on getting veneers on 6 of my top teeth on May 19. I decided that I wanted to do something about some minor crowding on my bottom teeth simultaneously. I called and asked about getting a retainer made. Met with the Dr. this morning, and I must say, he was thorough and seemed passionate and knowledgable. That being said, he informed me that i was in no way a candidate for a retainer, and that any cosmetic work, would be sub-par, or subject to breakdown without significant orthodontic intervention. Now, I am pretty freaked. He wants to work with a restorative dentist, and also put me in a full set of braces, and then some. I was really looking forward to improving my smile after all these years, via, crowns and veneers, but I cannot imagine subjecting myself to 2 plus years of orthodontia:(

[klobird]

Give yourself some time Julie...you may find the idea of braces will become more and more acceptable to your brain! It took me a while full of shocking thoughts and what ifs and confessing to my family that I was getting them, before I just went ahead and dove in. I haven't regretted any of it, although I have had some bumps along the way. I am soooo glad that I finally decided to get braces--and I'm 56!

[julieh]

thanks for your reply. i was so overwhelmed this morning that i found myself agreeing to a full set of impressions tomorrow morning. i am already seriously considering "bagging" the whole thing.

[Porge]

Wow, good for you Julie! I too had never considered real braces when I went in to get my consultation and dismissed it almost immediately. It took me weeks to get used to the idea so I think you are very brave for setting up the appointment for the impressions tomorrow! I hope all goes well.

[julieh]

Thanks. I am not really sure what to expect. Did you go ahead and get braces? If so, how bad has the process been?

[elainek]

Hi Julie,

My dentist first mentioned to me that I'd need braces about 4 years ago...and it took me 4 years to work up the courage and finally go for it so definitely well done you!

Maybe take some time to get used to the idea...but every week you're thinking about it is a week that your teeth could have been in braces and moving into their perfect position!

Good Luck!

[whiteswan]

It wouldn't hurt to go for a second opinion, just for reassurance. Some ortho's are perfectionists and will correct far more than the patient really wants. If you don't care if your bite is a certain "class" and just want nice looking teeth that you can chew with and not have problems from it, you may be able to find someone who will do that for you. If your bite is way off and you really need full correction then a second opinion will just confirm this for you. On the otherhand, if your bite will not be perfect but will still be functional then you can make an informed choice about how much to fix.

[Georgina A]

Go for it! I'm 28 and got my braces on yesterday. i was so nervous about how they would look and that I would be a metal mouth at 28. I then realized that having a straight confident smile means more to me than what any stranger might think about my braces. My friends and family still love me no matter what and that's all that matters. In 2 years my vampire fangs will be straightned and I'll be smiling big for my wedding photos. In the long run it'll all pay off so util then I'm rocking my braces! Good luck in whatever you choose!

[zdenka]

Good for you for looking into this.

My story is somewhat similar. I am 33 yo and I went to see an ortho to "just close the gap between my two front teeth". I figured a retainer of some sort would do.... Hahaha... that was 3 months ago. I am now sporting a full set (upper/lower) of braces. I has been 4 weeks. I just dove right in. I knew it was for the best and didn't want to waste any more time or over analyze the situation. My insurance will pay for the whole thing two and I didn't need any other work done, which helped.

Good luck with your decision.

[Kipepeo]

Julie,
Read my story. I started with a spring retainer, thinking it an easy way to straighten the bottoms. Here I am nearing the end of treatment of bottom only braces, and I wish my ortho would have suggested I get full upper and lowers.

It's really difficult when you start targeting areas to improve, because it's really a whole mouth experience. When you move one tooth, it affects your bite, and the surrounding teeth, then you have to address those, and so on........

I agree with others. Get a 2nd opinion, know what you want, and select the treatment that best fits you.