Metal Mouth Message Board

o.k im on day 2, i can finally eat a little bit so i feel better! lol... i get cranky without food! i know all this is worth it, and in the end i will be sooo happy! im 24 and i have wanted straight teeth forever my parents just never had the money so im grateful i have it now to be able to do so! so, i really shouldnt have any negative thoughts! lol.. pain wise on a scale of 1-10 10 being the worse its about a 5, just stocking up on tylo....thanks to everyone for your words of wisedom! i appreciate all of the comments!

I'm finally on week 5 and I know exactly how you feel. I felt like I couldn't even talk right...and then when I did talk, the insides of my mouth were raw and it hurt so much. I took the advice of many on this website about positive attitude. I practiced smiling and talking in front of the mirror...sometimes it feels like you look really stupid when you smile or talk...but it actually looks normal. That helped me a lot.

I have gotten used to hunger though...its incredible how much of my diet before braces were hard things..or things you bit into with your front teeth (sandwiches, paninis, etc).

One of the staples my first week was a chocolate/peanut butter/banana protein shake. I'd "inhale" them...they tasted so good. The recipe: 1/3 cup chocolate protein powder, 1/2 banana, 1 rounded tsp. peanut butter, 1 cup milk and ice....blend in blender and enjoy!!!

I still find that I hardly eat when going out to parties (it seems that a lot of party food is either hard or hard to eat...anyone try crab balls/cakes with braces??? the crab gets EVERYWHERE!!!)...so I eat well before going...and going out to restaurants I usually order fish or something softer. As a result, I've lost 6 lbs! That's a positive!!!

Keep your chin up...once you've made it over the hump, you'll be in it for the long haul...I remember after one week, I still had some pain and I thought there was no way I was going to take them off because that would hurt more! In a weird way, that helped my resolve to keep them on...now, I'm just going to do it...

Hang in there!!!

i'm 20 years old, had braces since febuary of '06 (over a year now) and I know exactly how you feel.

the initial pain is something that only lasts a few days, then goes away. nothin to worry about there.

in my experience i never really "got used" to them, they're always there, attatched to my teeth. sometimes it can be annoying but i always try to stay focused on the end result.

also due to my age, braces have changed my personality, a little bit. i tend to be a bit more reserved... embarassment that i'm an adult with braces, probably. but i know i'll be smiling wider than anyone else the day i get them off, and i'll never have to worry about my crooked teeth again... cuz they're not crooked any more.

having braces for a year and a month and having great teeth for the rest of your life is better than living life with crooked teeth. thats all.

When I got braced 4 weeks ago I was asked if I wanted to look in the mirror. I couldn't - I felt like I was going to cry and was so worried about how they looked. When I did look at them properly I was shocked at first but I have grown to even like them over the weeks and my mum said the other day she really likes them too.

It is strange at first and they feel odd and uncomfortable but you really do get used to them. You are probably feeling hormonal because of the pregnancy too and more sensitive so make allowances for that, you have alot going on and its bound to take time to adjust., but given a few weeks and I'm sure you will feel happier.

Good luck with your brace and your baby.

Sarah x

Don't worry too much about your back molars not touching. It will drive you crazy for the first few days, but after that you will get used to it and will be able to eat almost anything like normal. Then before you know it, your back molars will be touching again as your teeth begin to move.

Cheer up! (hugs)

Kristin

Aw, you poor thing.

I felt pretty ugly when I got mine.

I can say from the "other side" that the result is worth feeling ugly for a little while.

Hang in there.
Keep posting here.
It gets MUCH better.

You are not alone!!!!