7 years ended in a few clips and tugs

[BonoVertigo]

I posted earlier in the week about how my braces were to be removed this Friday, which was today.

I was super excited the entire day leading up to the appointment, we even celebrated at school with various foostuff and whatnot. I arrived at the office and I kept fearing that the orthodontist would take a look at my mouth and decide not to take them off. However, the assistant began tugging away and within a matter of seconds they were off and I could feel the layers of slime coating my teeth. They polished up the teeth and shaped them properly, and I finally got a good look at my teeth for the first time in 7 years. I must say, I was somewhat disappointed. My teeth were slightly discolored around where the brackets used to be, and my jaws don't line up properly (I knew they wouldn't since my jaws were formed incorrectly, it's just a lot more noticeable without braces) perhaps it is just me who thinks this, because everyone else said that it looks great. Anyhow, I have a retainer now that is similar to a mouth guard and it is impossible to talk, it is supposed to non surgically align my jaw and retain my bite (if any). Did anyone else feel kind of let down when they looked in the mirror the first time? Perhaps it just takes some getting used to...

[rockexrolloh]

Aw, I'm sorry you didn't get the results you were hoping for. But I'm sure your teeth are just great!
As for the discoloration, I'm sure some whitening strips or a cleaning at the dentist would work.
Your post makes me pretty nervous, though. I'm getting braces soon and I hope that I don't wear them for 16 months just to be let down. eek.
I hope things get better for you. I'm sure they will.

[paw655]

I'm sorry for your disappointment. It must have really been a letdown after so many years.

I remember feeling the same way, though. For me I remember thinking "All those years of braces and that's what my teeth look like???" Now I can look back and realize that what I wanted to see -- nice white, straight, tight, well-formed teeth -- were never going to be that way, because my teeth had a few problems of their own such that no braces, or even hours of whitening would ever give me the beautiful, white, toothy smile I thought I wanted.

I think I got so used to seeing all those "before and after" pictures on web sites and stuff where the people had nice, shiny, white, well-formed teeth after their braces, so I thought I should too. In reality, those people probably had nice, shiny, white, well-formed teeth before braces, which I didn't, so realistically braces wouldn't give that to me, I just let myself make the association that braces would somehow "automatically" lead to beautiful white teeth.

BTW, I am an adult in my 40s now, facing braces again, so let's see if I can get the expectations in line this time.

Even if you aren't thrilled with your teeth, if they are better than before (and others seem to think they look good), I hope you can take pride in the fact that you got through it, and are on to the next part of your journey...

[mtbrncofn]

Man. All you guys that are posting about being unhappy with your results are really starting to scare me! I feel bad for you that you're not happy with the results. Hopefully you can find something that will help you out.

I know my own debanding is coming up soon and I am really starting to get nervous after reading some of these things.

[Chris]

Everyone hopes for the best going into braces. There are no guarantees with anything in life. Its good we hear all different outcomes on this website. This is especially good for those who are on the fence needing to decide if they should go ahead with treatment or not. You really have to make sure you understand that you have to live with the final results, even if its not what you expected.

Even if the results are disappointing, try to keep it in perspective, we are not the summation of our teeth. Life goes on. Stay positive.

[MadeIn1984]

That's a fantastic attitude, Chris, and I agree wholeheartedly.

It is unfortunate, though, after so many years of being braced that someone would get less-than-satisfactory results, so I can totally empathize.

[Chris]

Perhaps our expectations are too high sometimes. We see so many lovely before and after photos of gorgeous perfect white smiles. Yeah, we all want it but it isn't realistic...well, there's always the "veneer" route. Got a bank?

P.S. So far in my treatment, I've been disappointed myself and its not over yet. I have a few months to go and still wonder how much can be fixed given my situation. People looking at my smile say "wow it looks great..how much more to go?" However, I SEE the imperfections because I live with my teeth, I FEEL the bite. Its ok to vent with people who are going through treatment like on this site, everyone here usually understands but other people just don't understand, best to say nothing.

I hope for the best and live with the rest.

[ingyandbert]

I think we all need to take a step back and realize perfection is not the standard. When I look at my teeth and see how much better their aligment is than 2 months ago, I'm pleased. The chance of them looking absolutely perfect in the end is not good. But the chances of them looking 100% better at the end of treatment than they did before isn't even a chance -- it's a fact.

[dena]

i'm sorry you were disappointed. i hope that its one of those things that just such a big deal that you can't quite take it in. maybe in a few days, when you really begin to live again, braces-free, it will be a bit more easy to get excited.

[Missingorigin]

Man. All you guys that are posting about being unhappy with your results are really starting to scare me! I feel bad for you that you're not happy with the results. Hopefully you can find something that will help you out.

I know my own debanding is coming up soon and I am really starting to get nervous after reading some of these things.

I agree with you. I am getting all depressed now.