Three days in...already I'm regretting my braces

[almost30]

Hello everyone! *waves*

I'm glad I found a forum where I can receive advice and maybe vent a little. I haven't even had my braces on for a week yet and already I'm regretting my decision.

Well...I had braces years ago in middle school...the traditional metal and I loved them! I was confident and my smile was great; even with all the mult-colored bands I would have! :-)
I lost my retainer a few years back and didn't think my teeth would would move. I was wrong; my gap started to open up and my overbite was coming back, so I went to the orthodontist thinking I would just get another retainer. Instead he suggested braces for four months, which isn't long at all. He offered invisalign which would cost nearly 5k (No way!) and finally mentioned the clear ceramic braces which would only cost me a little over 2k.
From how they were described they seemed great! And they looked awesome on the photos and "model". However as soon as I got them put on, I felt hideous. They are not clear on my teeth. They look a glaring white and my teeth look yellow in contrast (yuck!). They look AND feel very thick. I can barely close my mouth and they are ripping the skin under my lip up horribly. Wax helps a bit, not too much. I do not remember my metal braces cutting my gums AT ALL, or being thick either.
I know it's only four months I have to deal, but I already feel myself regressing back to that unconfident, shy young girl I was before I had my first set of braces. I find myself not wanting to smile, looking down, avoiding people because I think they're looking at my teeth, etc. A part of me wants to get these removed and get the metal instead, but I know that's going to be additional money that I will have to pay.
And before anyone thinks I'm being a bit dramatic, I was at work the other day and a coworker actually sent me an email of the dog with the big teeth; you know the only for the dog dental products? I kept my composure and tried to laugh it off, but it really hurt my feelings and I didn't want anyone to know that it offended me.

Sorry for the long rant... :-)

[shekhinak]

Believe me, you're not alone, and what you're going through is typical for nearly every adult with braces. Three days, and yes, you start to wonder, "What the heck did I do?"

I didn't get braces until I was nearly 49, and at the three-day mark I was starting to flip out. I stuck it out, and I'm really glad I did. I felt very sheepish at work, brushing my teeth after eating everything, but no one else commented on it, and eventually it just became routine. I felt like my braces (ceramic ones) had a neon sign pointing to them, but unless I mentioned them, few people noticed.

I was sentenced to 18 months in braces, and even though it took longer than that, I'm glad I stuck it out. I have an appointment on Tuesday to see if it's time to take the braces off. My general dentist has to do a little bonding work (plus whitening!! ), and he gave his OK.

This site is a great place to get some moral support, and it really helped me out in the first few weeks and months!

[almost30]

[quote="shekhinak"]Believe me, you're not alone, and what you're going through is typical for nearly every adult with braces. Three days, and yes, you start to wonder, "What the heck did I do?"

I didn't get braces until I was nearly 49, and at the three-day mark I was starting to flip out. I stuck it out, and I'm [u]really[/u] glad I did. I felt very sheepish at work, brushing my teeth after eating everything, but no one else commented on it, and eventually it just became routine. I felt like my braces (ceramic ones) had a neon sign pointing to them, but unless I mentioned them, few people noticed.

I was sentenced to 18 months in braces, and even though it took longer than that, I'm glad I stuck it out. I have an appointment on Tuesday to see if it's time to take the braces off. My general dentist has to do a little bonding work (plus whitening!! :D ), and he gave his OK.

This site is a great place to get some moral support, and it really helped me out in the first few weeks and months![/quote]


Thank you so much for the encouragement! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels or has felt this way! And good luck at your next appointment; hopefully all goes well and you get the OK to get the braces removed! :-)

[Ciara]

The first week is the worst. I have ceramic too and everyone says they are thicker/more bulky than metal. For the first week or so, I couldn't close my lips over them and had a very dry mouth. Now, 7 months later, I don't notice them at all.
You will get used to them and just think, you will have your beautiful smile back and you will wear your retainer. Hang in there!

[Hanka01]

I felt the exact same way for the first 10 days. It's been 4+ weeks now and I feel better and better every day. You are not alone. Hang in there.

[almost30]

Thanks Ciara and Hanka01!

Hopefully things get better soon; my braces are driving me crazy! ;-)

Ciara do you use the clear bands that go around the bracket? I think they make my teeth look worse. I'm thinking about trying a nice pastel color next time, like lavender, but I don't want to look too juvenile. I already look a bit younger than my age.

[djspeece]

As you see you are in good company. I'm 62 and started having second thoughts before I was even out of the ortho's office. I have a two year plan. My attitude slowly improved over s few weeks. This weekend I attended the wedding of my college friend's son in Chicago, so my friend & his wife wanted to know all about it. I have a standard refrain. A girl from those days didn't hesitate to kiss me so I think she was ok with them.
Be patient and be kind to yourself. You'll be even more fabulous by winter!

[almost30]

[quote="djspeece"]As you see you are in good company. I'm 62 and started having second thoughts before I was even out of the ortho's office. I have a two year plan. My attitude slowly improved over s few weeks. This weekend I attended the wedding of my college friend's son in Chicago, so my friend & his wife wanted to know all about it. I have a standard refrain. A girl from those days didn't hesitate to kiss me so I think she was ok with them. :wink:
Be patient and be kind to yourself. You'll be even more fabulous by winter![/quote]


Thank you so much!

[Ciara]

Thanks Ciara and Hanka01!

Hopefully things get better soon; my braces are driving me crazy!

Ciara do you use the clear bands that go around the bracket? I think they make my teeth look worse. I'm thinking about trying a nice pastel color next time, like lavender, but I don't want to look too juvenile. I already look a bit younger than my age.

I'm a curry, blueberry, coffee fanatic. I told my ortho that I'd consider ligature staining an "orthodontic emergency" and when she heard about my diet, she put metal ties instead of elastic ligatures. They take longer to put on so more chair time but it was better than me showing up 3 times a week wanting my ligatures changed. Anyway, I have no issues with staining and I think the metal ties are not very noticeable.

[isthistaken]

Everyone here told me it would get better and it did. I have metal brackets and had a rough time adjusting to them for quite a while, but it gradually becomes more tolerable. Hang in there.

[Tobilei]

I have clears and for the first 2 weeks or so wondered what the heck I'd been thinking and wishing I'd gone metal (now I have 2 metal around the side and I hate them worse!) Mine aren't clear (the one's on top anyway), they kind of a white colour. I don't have bands on them but I do on the bottom. I didn't like them with clear bands or white one's. I like my powerhain to be silver and I have smoke coloured rings. The smoke ligatures look clear when they're on but I think they make my brackets look smaller than the clear or white (you can see pics in the link below in my signature. Anything in the first few pages will have the smoke coloured ligs on the bottoms).

Hang in there, they eventually stop feeling so massive and they do stop rubbing as well! My 14 year old has metals and hers have rubbed the whole 18 months. Mine only do it on occasion now days.

[SunshineRay]

I am starting week 4 and getting a little more used to them. I agree with you though on the ceramic making your teeth look yellow. I have pearl ligs because my ortho doesnt offer smoke. There is such a noticeable difference between my top teeth and bottom in color. (I only have top braces)

[MaryLiz75]

I was definitely regretting my decision at 3-5 days, heck, the whole first two weeks. But now, 6 weeks in tomorrow, I sort of forget I have them, and everyone has just been super supportive.

Persevere, it will pay off.

[maralv]

hang in there. im 6 days in and i question it sometimes. but i think about the end result.

[chichi]

I'm sorry your coworker is being immature... I'm sure he/she didn't know it would affect you the way it did. It's easy to make comments about someone else's situation when you don't understand what's going on underneath.

Stick with it... it seems that most of us - myself included - seem to have a little bit of a breakdown/self doubt session at around the 2-3 day mark. I'm sure your teeth don't look as yellow as you think... mine look yellow compared with my brackets in certain lighting, but I figure I'm my worst critic and no one else is looking that closely. And like you said, it's only 4 months... you're going to have an amazing smile to show off when it's over and done with.