After 12 years of waiting....I finally got braces!!!

[ladygal]

When I was thirteen, I was supposed to get braces but the ortho told me I was going to have to have 2 surgeries to correct my bite and gap. So my parents said, too expensive you need college instead. So 12 years later, I returned to the ortho just to see if anything had changed with my bite (gap still there..1/4 of an inch) and if science had gotten any better. It did, my new ortho said my bite wasn't that bad. I would only need braces for 12-18 months, and NO surgeries!!!!

After they did the records, they put in the spacers. WOW THEY HURT!!! The first girl coudn't do it, she had to go get the head dental assistant. 2 weeks later (today) I got my braces!!! I got all ceramic with clear bands. 12 on top/bottom. They had a rough time putting the metal bands on, again came the head dental assistant Yen and after much biting and some bleeding they finally got them on. They said I have small teeth with tight contacts. One tooth had to have a 3 1/2 size band (teens use size four).

I didn't have any real pain at first, but it's slowly coming. My 10 month old accidentally bumped his head into my mouth and then my 2 year old did it again later!!! OUCH! The dental wax is helping, I wish I could put it all over. My teeth are already trying to move; the 2 next to the gap are extremely tender; none of the others really bother me.

Has anybody been told not to overuse whitening toothpaste? I was told to only use it 2-3x's a week. And does anyone really follow that list of things not to eat??? After reading it I am wondering what's left that is good? Anything colorful seems to stain the bands. I'd appreciate if anyone has any comments on what they do.[/img]

[jaxxie118]

Wow, you had a long wait to get braces. Congrats!! Oh, I know what you mean about kids bumping your mouth. The first few nights or so, my nephew kept hitting me right in the mouth. It hurt so bad but just take some pain medicine and that should feel better.

I really don't know about the whitening toothpaste but about the foods... I was told mostly to aviod hard, sticky candy and gum, ice, and stuff that could break the brackets off. Yeah, if you have clear bands, they stain very easily. I would just say to brush immediately after eating.

Good luck!!

[perfectangel818]

I have a word of advise about things not to eat... chicken wings. lol I popped my archwire out on saturday. not so much fun!

[Lisa65]

Wow you have had to wait a long time for them! But it's good news about not having to have surgery. Hope the soreness goes away soon.

[ladygal]

Things are going somewhat better. I getting used to the feel of everything. Thanks for all of ya'lls encouragment and advice. Thanks especially to KK and the advice about the curry. I don't eat much curry, but I eat a LOT of tomato products (pizza, sphagetti, lasagna, goulash etc), and many other 'staining foods'. (My husband couldn't live without homemade pizza every week).

Also, I can't remember who suggested this but, thanks for the tip about the salt water. I'm going to try it

[Pirate Wench]

It is nice to see that you got your braces .

I don't follow the "no, no list" very carefully either. I eat hard candies....I just have to consiously not chew them, I have had toffee.....but I suck on it and let it melt so it doesn't get stuck in my brackets. My ortho assistant said to use my own judgement....I am an adult and I should be able to figure it all out.

I don't know anything about the ligs at all.....my braces don't require them....hopefully everyone else can help you out!

[nvcarissa]

Even before my braces, I wasn't much for sugary soft drinks or hard candy, or chewing gum. Popcorn, on the other hand...I love it. Same with tortilla chips and nuts. Nuts can be eaten if it is done carefully. Same goes for popcorn and tortilla chips.

Like many others here, if I can't brush I rinse and swish with water to help remove stuff. And I always have toothpicks on hand!

We are all adults, and though we may have some habits that aren't good for us, the fact that we are all coughing up a ton of money to make our teeth look better indicates that we probably are already people who are conscious of things that aren't so good for us and are willing to forego those things for awhile for a higher goal. You certainly sound like that kind of person!

[Yeatsmom]

Hello! Please give my love to Johnson City, TN ! I lived in Bristol TN/VA for about ten years--left eight years ago--and still miss it. Actually, I'm visiting my horse, retired to a friend's farm in Abingdon, next month. But gosh, I love east Tennessee.

Now then, onward to teeth! The only thing I can't eat from the "forbidden" list is corn on the cob ...the only thing I care about anyway. I do eat lots of curry, drink lots of coffee (lots and lots, with Starbucks on every corner in the Baltimore/DC corridor where I live), and red wine (husband's best friend is a wine merchant, and we both have a thing for reds). I do like bagels, but can live without them for the promised time frame (24 months; eight down, 16 to go). As for pizza....well, as a native New Yorker, I seldom reveal that I eat it with a knife and fork rather than folding it and chomping; this maneuver would probably get me banished for life from the Native New Yorker Club . Oh, well.

Good luck on it all. I have seen enormous changes in my teeth in the eight months. They were looking really funky before, a factor I noted when my now-husband took a photo to show his grown daughters a year ago. Yipes! I figured I could get those puppies fixed up before we got married, figuring a year or two.....and then, of course, we got married in January. Not crazy about the wedding photos with braces, especially since we are both over 50....ah, well.....but I'll be an old dame with a gorgeous grin !

Good luck to you,

Yeatsmom

[Kimber]

I think the only things on my "official" no-no list are corn-on-the-cob, tortilla or other hard, crunchy chips, hard bread crusts, chewy caramel and popcorn. I tend to go by my own, unofficial list of no-no's though depending on what I can or can't chew. Still can't really bite into anything and crunchy things aren't so comfortable. I bit down on a french fry last night thinking fries would be OK, but OUCH! hit a sore tooth on a crunchy part. Plus I'm always afraid of breaking that thin archwire for some reason. Like everyone else, I think we just use common sense and let our mouths tell us what's a no-no and what's OK. Good luck!

[lionfish]

Kimber, Yeatsmom (nice to see another person over 50!), I've found a way to eat corn on the cob. Before you get too excited, no, I don't bite the stuff off the cob. But if you apply very sharp knife to corn and shave it off the cob, you can eat it! And you can still smother it with butter. Almost as good as the real thing, hey?

[jenfire]

Congratulations on taking the plunge and getting braces, ladygal. My orthodontist gave me a care package w/mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, etc. The toothpaste is a whitening formula so I bet it's ok to use a mild whitening toothpaste.

I've had the same experience with the mouth pain. Nothing at first-but now it's starting to get worse. It is good that dental wax is helping you...hang in there! I just keep thinking about how great my smile will be after the process and that seems to keep me going

jenfire

[Kimber]

Hi Lionfish --

I've found a way to eat corn on the cob. Before you get too excited, no, I don't bite the stuff off the cob. But if you apply very sharp knife to corn and shave it off the cob, you can eat it! And you can still smother it with butter. Almost as good as the real thing, hey?

Yeah -- but it's just not quite the same though, is it? But, we make sacrifices for this, don't we?

Jenfire -- I love your avatar!