Braces in next 2-3 weeks. Super anxious/nervous.

[msbraceface]

I am 25 years old. I am getting ceramic top and metal bottom braces. I am so anxious and nervous about this whole experience. I will be paying out of pocket for all. The cost is $4,195.00, plus $195.00 for ceramic tops. So in total $4,390.00. I am planning on making a $750 deposit and paying $152 for 24 months, no interest! Yay! From my initial consult on 3-25-14 the diagnosis was 'mild spacing upper, crowding lower, crossbite, retained #c (baby tooth) with an estimated sentence of 20 months.' After saving a little money and really doing some research I have decided to just do it!

10-6-14 :
I went for my extraction of a baby tooth which is the reason I will be needing the braces in the first place. It was a canine baby tooth that never came out. The adult tooth grew behind it on the roof of my mouth and has shifted few bottom teeth out of place as well because of how than sat together when my mouth was closed. During this appointment for a very simple extraction I felt so anxious and was dripping sweat..and I literally mean dripping sweat. They kept asking if I was alright and then they had to stop and take my blood pressure!! How embarrassing!! I am a wimp! About a year ago I had all my wisdom teeth pulled (1 impacted) and lost sensation to my lower jaw for about 1.5 months so the numbing and the shots to remove this tooth really got me stressed out. I hate that sensation!! Ahh!

10-14-14:
I have my appointment to do x-rays, molds, photos, contracts and deposit. I will then need to make the appointment to apply the braces.

10-21-14:
I have a regular dental cleaning and exam so I am hoping to make my appointment to apply the brackets on the same day or close to it.

Do you have any advice as to staying relaxed during the initial application of braces? I get extremely nervous in any doctor/dentist type setting and really work myself up sitting there waiting for them.
How is the actual application of the brackets? Awkward, painful, noises? I have a hard time swallowing and keeping my tongue still for stuff like that. Will this be a problem?
Also lastly- I am really concerned with the ceramic braces as far as staining and making my teeth look yellow. Does anyone regret doing the ceramic and why?

I have few photos of before extraction and after so once I get the brackets on I will post a few and keep updating as I go along.

Thanks for any input in advance! :)

[Buttercup22]

Good luck msbraceface! You will be starting your journey shortly after me so I will let you know once I get my braces placed next week. I will try to remember everything about the setting and I will hopefully be able to answer your questions soon I get the exact same feelings when sitting in the dentist chair (except I never paid too much attention to the numb feeling). My body just seems to be rigid and tense for the whole procedure no matter how simple it is. I also find it hard to swallow normally during these procedures so I will keep that in mind next week. I am starting to freak out about it now so I completely understand how you feel. I yet have to have extractions but that will be afterwards. How was that for you once you got past the initial fear?

I am also getting ceramics on top and metal on bottom and I am also concerned about staining. I plan to avoid curry, red wine, and red berries (I'm not sure if this counts in smoothies - anybody know?). I will still have my morning coffee, but through a straw, and will brush my teeth directly after. I am not so sure about other foods. Does chocolate stain the brackets? Or certain soup/smoothie/ice cream flavours? I am conscious that it will be difficult to eat solid food and I am worried that most soft foods will stain the brackets. So I would also find it really helpful if anybody with ceramics can remember what kind of soft foods they ate to avoid staining?

[djspeece]

Your anxiety is normal and we all feel some degree of nervousness. Some people go skipping in merrily I suppose, but if you look through this forum you'll find plenty of posts to the contrary. I approached the bracing appointment with the same lack of aplomb demonstrated before a prostate exam.

Actually the worst part for you is over. You're over the sticker shock, you've had the extraction and soon the rest of the workup. Compared to all of that, getting brackets applied is a piece of cake. There is no pain involved at all, no shots, no intravenous anesthetics (which frankly was a disappointment -- just kidding), and really sort of anti-climactic. Your ortho looks thoughtfully at your mouth, mumbles something to the assistant ("Pass me the #42 bracelyzer" or something), gently polishes or scruffs up a small area of the tooth with that drill thing (but it's not bad, but it's the sound I hate), applies some sort of adhesive to the tooth (smells like superglue), places the bracket, then uses a device that emits light at some special frequency to cure the adhesive. Repeat numerous times. I swear by the end I was nearly asleep I was so bored. Then they put in the wire, usually one that is relatively gentle, and that's about it. Remember to breathe normally, and perhaps visualize your new smile, and the adoring crowds who will doubtless approach you to view your beauty. OK maybe I got a little carried away there.

Expect the first few weeks to be the worst, as the inside surface of your cheeks get sore and inflamed from the new stuff in your mouth, and eventually they toughen up. You'll feel discomfort to some degree as your teeth begin to move -- embrace this sensation, as it means you are making progress, grasshopper .

I have the ceramic Damons and they really don't make my teeth look yellow in NORMAL light. However some incandescent bulbs cast a yellowish tint on everything, so just keep that in mind.

FWIW I don't drink coffee through a straw. I just don't think that works. I do lots of bad things -- as do many of us. Look for the thread "Confess Your Orthodontic Sins" for a look at reality amongst the sinners. I do maintain scrupulous oral hygeine though. The other thing -- most people don't notice and most people don't care about your braces. I try to smile normally, as I find when I try to semi-smile to hide my braces I look, well, like a moron.

Best of luck to you. You are on your way.

[sirwired]

For "Bracing Day":

- Take some ibuprofen before you leave the house. This may help somewhat with the pain you'll feel hours later.
- Apply a thick coat of the goopiest chapstick you have before settling down in the chair; your mouth is going to be open, and your lips stretched, for a LONG time.
- The actual application of the braces is painless. They'll affix a set of "lip retractors" to spread your lips into a big oval; this keeps your lips and cheeks from touching your teeth while they work. (Saliva messes up the bonding process.)
- While your tongue doesn't have to be any place in particular, you do need to keep your tongue from pushing saliva forward so it washes over your teeth. The cotton rolls they'll jam down between your gums and cheeks will help with the saliva situation.
- The application process either consists of the ortho applying the brackets with tweezers, or the ortho using a "template" (looks like a flimsy retainer) that has the brackets embedded in it in the position they are supposed to be in. Once the brackets are in the correct place, the cement will be cured with a UV light. It's all quite painless.
- If you need molar bands (highly likely if you have fillings on the side of any molars), the ortho will likely apply "spacers" during your records appt. These little rubber bands hurt, often quite a bit. (They feel like a piece of popcorn hull jammed between your teeth.) They stay in for a few days until it's bracing day.

On food:
- Eat a whole pile of "forbidden foods" the day before. Foods you won't be able to eat during your "sentence" include chewy bagels and pretzels, popcorn, and anything else that is VERY chewy/crunchy, or has little bits that can jam themselves in your gums.
- You can eat relatively normally on the way home from the ortho office, but I recommend getting it to go, as you'll get to enjoy your first brushing experience after that first meal. The feeling of food being stuck in the teeth grosses every ortho patient out for a few weeks.
- Any soreness will start anywhere from several hours later to the next day. Be prepared. For me, it was just pain while chewing.
- You WILL have brackets and/or wires rub/stab your cheeks and lips. Everybody has their own way of dealing with this. For myself, I applied wax during the day, and used Rincinol and Carbamide Peroxide rinses to soothe the pain. (No wax at night to give my cheeks/lips a chance to toughen up.) It will be rough, and it will get better. You'll get a nice, thick, callus where the rubbing occurs.

While ceramic braces themselves don't stain, if they are not self-ligating braces, the ligatures (little rubber donuts) WILL stain. The #1 staining food is curry powder, but tea and red-wine are notorious stainers also. While these are changed out at every appt., they'll be stained until then.

[TheProfessor]

I was very nervous in the days up to getting braces. I literally had to force myself to drive to the ortho and get out of the car and walk in. The thing that helped me was to think about how my teeth were the worst that they would ever be and that my smile was only going to get better! Once I was in the chair, it wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be. The whole process was very calm. Just be prepared for when they hand you the mirror after the brackets are applied-the brackets will look and feel much bigger than you imagined!

Take some before pictures and keep them on your phone-then you can look back and remind yourself why you got braced when things are painful or annoying.

I agree with sirwired, eat all the forbidden foods you can! I'm a 'live to eat' person and the impaired eating is the worst part of braces for me. At a meeting the other day a colleague handed me a bowl of homemade ice cream. I dug in only to discover that it was full of toffee-coated nuts! So sad to have to throw away the best part....

My ceramic self-lighting brackets don't seem to stain. The assistant who told me about teeth brushing said to avoid tomato sauce, red wine, etc, and to use a straw for coffee, but my ortho had already told me that the brackets won't stain. I was really careful the first couple of months and then relaxed. I'm more worried about my teeth staining and having white squares when my braces come off. I drink hot coffee without a straw when I know I'm going to brush soon (like after breakfast), but I'll have an iced coffee with a straw later in the day and try to at least swish water afterwards. Red wine seems to be ok, but I choose white if it is available (I'm actually more of a beer person).

Good luck with your braces! Have courage and you'll be glad you did it!!!

[nicolie825]

Ceramic brackets themselves dont stain, so if youre getting self-ligating brackets then staining wont be an issue. If your brackets require ligs, then its the clear ligs that will stain, not the brackets. Good luck on your journey!

[touchofhiddencharm]

I'm on my second round of braces and I'm getting them off in December. Getting braces doesn't hurt. They dont apply too much pressure at the beginning. You can feel them putting the braces on your teeth. Follow everyone's advice about the chapstick lol you will def need it. Just sit back and relax. Maybe bring some headphones. Eat and brush before your appointment. You'll feel fine at first and you wont be able to stop playing with the braces but that night or the next morning is when you will feel the pressure and not even want to touch them. But hey, you could be one of the lucky ones like me. My entire treatment was painless. Even on my thickest closing wire with powerchains and elastics. I also think it helps if you think of it as a mental thing and not focus on the pain. My only advice is to eat normally. Let your braces adjust to your eating habits, dont change them for the braces. It feels weird when you eat while they're tender but the more you move your mouth, the more comfortable the braces become. I hope im making sense. Basically, if you eat like a bird for the first three days, you'll get stuck thinking about have to do that the week of every tightening and it will get old really fast. But i'll stop rambling now. Good luck on your treatment and keep your head up. Braces are cool and fun and whenever you're feeling down, think of how awesome your teeth will look. Oh and take pictures every month to remind you of your treatment progress.

[msbraceface]

Thanks to everyone who's replied. I am feeling a little more at ease after talking to some kids with braces over the weekend LOL! They assured me I'll be just fine and coming from a 9 year old I feel like I need to just suck it up already and quit being such a baby. I definitely remember seeing adults with braces growing up but I don't personal know anyone! I saw a woman in the mall with clear braces over the weekend and she looked really good with them. Hopefully I can maintain them well enough to keep them as clear as hers were. I'm planning on returning to work that same day they are applied because I work alone and think just keeping to a normal schedule will help me not to be staring at myself and touching them all day, and that night I can moan and complain all night :D I did just quit smoking and giving up that AND coffee will be quite the task but I am determined to keep these ligatures clear..if that is even possible. Are colored ligatures odd for a clear bracket? I think I will do clear for the first month and test them out...if that doesn't work out I will consider smoke color or silver maybe? Any suggestions or experiences with color ligature on a clear bracket? I just ordered my Waterpik! Yay.

Buttercup22- I am curious about the fruit smoothies and chocolate also. Anyone know if berries in smoothies or chocolate will stain a clear ligature? Coffee I don't think I want to even take the chance, but we'll see! I used a straw over the weekend and I completely feel like my 2 front teeth are still being touched with liquids!

djspeece- Your confessions on the orthodontic sin page were too funny. I certainly won't be skipping anywhere....I will drive about 15 all the way (licking my teeth the whole ride) there and then drag myself in!

sirwired- Very informative, thank you!! :) Definitely not looking forward to spacers tomorrow! Eek!

touchofhiddencharm- 2nd round?! How and why does that happen?? I like the advice to eat normally. I am so concerned about the staining of the bands and breaking something that I will have to take that into consideration and just eat! I will absolutely take monthly photos. I gotta see it to believe it.

Is it possible to change you own ligatures between appointments in case of staining?

Any reason I cannot view peoples attachment photos? Or add a photo of my own yet?

Ibuprofen and chapstick in hand, Waterpik on the way.. I am ready to rock!

[msbraceface]

ALSO- Few other questions..

Did anyone have trouble fully closing their mouth?? I feel like there just isn't enough room in there for my lips to close normally.

Did anyone experience a lisp or speech issues with braces?

[ashgerg]

Good Luck!! I just got my ceraminc uppers a week ago and I LOVE them, as much as one can love braces haha. But I'm thinking of the outcome

I will be getting metal on bottom as well.

For me personally, It wasn't bad. The first day, my teeth were tender to the touch, but now, a week later, I can eat like normal!

[nicolie825]

You have to reach a certain number of posts before your username (seen on the left) turns green. Then youll be able to view and post pics. It takes 7 or 9 posts i believe.

I didnt have issues closing my mouth, but the first couple of weeks it was a bit difficult to rub my lips together when using chapstick. Now i can rub them together normally as if i didnt have braces. I dont think i had lisp/speech issues. It just took some getting used to feeling my lips over the brackets when speaking

[Buttercup22]

I just got my brackets put on today and for somebody who was very nervous, I left feeling quite relaxed. It was pain-free, each of your teeth are prepared and your brackets are glued to each tooth. It really is that simple and all you can feel is somebody touching your teeth. There were no loud noises. I had no difficulty breathing or swallowing except for when the stuff that tastes horrible was washed out of my mouth. That only lasted a few seconds until my mouth was dried out so you will be fine. Just concentrate on breathing normally if you feel uncomfortable.

My lips still close naturally. You might not think so after you close your mouth over your brackets for the first time but after a few minutes my mouth closed easily and naturally. I am however having difficulty rubbing my lips together after applying lip balm!

I have no lisp or speech issues but my wire hasn't been put on just yet so I feel that wouldn't be an issue until some pressure was applied.

I would definitely encourage you to go on with your day as normal after having them applied. You might think you will feel different after having them applied but if your experience is similar to mine then you will feel exactly the same. I know I don't have to worry about pain just yet because I don't have a wire but I don't think there would be any pain until the next day? Forgetting about the pain, I continued with my day as normal because I felt that if I took a day off to adjust, it would only get me thinking about what could possibly go wrong when I eventually went out and met people in public. In reality, braces are just a part of life for most people at some point so if you keep that in mind it might make things easier. It helped me today on my first day anyway! I hope this helps, good luck I know you will be just fine!

[GameChanger]

I definitely love reading these stories...I have my records meeting on Wednesday...I can't even begin to explain my feelings. This is something I wanted to do for a long time but have been so nervous. It's reliving to see that I'm not the only one who has feelings like this! I will begin documenting my story soon. Good luck to all the new metal mouth crew I'll be joining very soon!

[Buttercup22]

Welcome GameChanger! Glad to see somebody else on board, and somebody who has also delayed their decision due to nervousness! Good luck with your records appointment, it is very quick and simple - definitely nothing to be worried about. At least you are already at the records stage, if you read my first posts here you should be able to understand just how nervous I was when considering consultations and how much has changed since then. It really only gets better from there somebody on the board told me that making the decision is the hardest part and I definitely believe that now!

[plugnickel69]

Making the decision is the hardest part. It was almost three years ago, but I still remember the butterflies in my stomach as I signed the paperwork and made the appointment for installation. I went on with my life during braces same as before. Eighteen months later I was done. No pain except for the "pain" of flossing and keeping teeth clean. Never drank coffee or wine through a straw -- that's overkill. Brackets don't stain, the rubber ligs do. DON'T GET CLEAR LIGS if staining worries you. Do something like smoke (they look clear on but are more resistant to staining) or ask if they'll use wire ties on the front if staining bothers you or if you can come in to get ligs replaced if they get too discolored.

You will be amazed at how quickly you will see changes in your alignment and kick yourself for not making the decision sooner.

No one ever said anything negative to me during my time in braces. Ceramics top and bottom. Most people didn't notice, had to tell them.

I started at age 64, now am 67. Before you know it, you'll be done and wondering why all the worry beforehand.