Ever wish you did it when you were Younger?

Message

#31 Post by **Davep** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:11 pm

I am now 51 and in braces over 8 months now. I really wish I had even known about this possibility. I have a class 3 underbite which is going to require upper and lower surgery. Every dentist I had since I was a kid I hold personally responsible as neither I nor my parents were told that surgery was ever an option. I only found out when I read an article in a magazine and checked with my dentist. I was referred to an ortho and the process started. I now am looking forward to getting this procedure done and finished. To anyone out there I would say go for it
Dave

Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:30 pm

I wanted them real real bad when I was a teenager. Not an option.

My dentist told me I should have braces when I was in my 30's mainly to pull down the impacted canine. (I was surprised that it wasn't too late then). Couldn't afford it.

Now that I'm almost 53, yeah I should wish I would have done it at least in my 30's because the canine might come down easier. However, if I would have had it done then I would probably have gone to the same orthodontist that my daughter used (friend of the family). Now I'm content that I am finally doing it and I picked the orthontist myself, and I like him WAY MORE !

Plus, back in my 30's there was no internet, so no Archwired ! Consequently, no friendly advice and support. So, no I don't wish I would have done it before.

Besides, how lucky am I? I get a whole new look in my 50's without plastic surgery !

#33 Post by **ssfw** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:19 pm

Yes, I wish I had braces when I was younger. But since I can't change that, there's no sense in dwelling about it. I'm just so happy that I took the step and went for an orthodontic evaluation and decided to proceed with getting the ortho treatment. I also think having braces as an adult has been a great learning experience for me - from doing all of my research, reading the posts on this website and asking my orthodontist questions, it has really been a positive experience for me. But yes, I wish I did get braces when I was younger. I'm just making the best of it for me - why not, my ortho treatment will be about 20 months plus retainers for life - so why not make it pleasant.

ssfw

#34 Post by **lionfish** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:33 pm

Very few kids had this kind of stuff done where I grew up, but I do believe treatment of some sort was floated with my parents when I was in my early teens. For some reason, it was neither discussed with me nor pursued at that time. My folks had previously rejected treatment for my sister because extractions were involved.

By the time I turned 18 and my wisdoms erupted, I knew my bite was in serious trouble. Through my own initiative, a visit to an ortho followed. He took one look and dismissed my case out of hand. Worse than that, he said my teeth would be destined for the graveyard by the time I hit 40 (that milestone has since passed and I'm none the worse for wear). It was a very bad ortho experience and it took me a while to recover from it.

I've thought about it on and off for decades and this website has been an invaluable resource. I don't blame my folks for not having done anything when I was a kid. I have a policy of never looking back and speculating about "what, if?" because you can't change history.

I don't know where treatment is leading me, but I couldn't spend the rest of my life wondering.

#35 Post by **drazda** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:37 pm

I'm 21 and I of couse wish I did it sooner. But hey... you're never too old for straight teeth.

#36 Post by **Brandyleigh35** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:56 pm

Sorta kinda, but honestly.....not really. Money was an issue. Parents could only afford braces for one kid and my brothers teeth were really bad. Plus at the time they told my parents that to correct my underbite they would have to break my jaw and wire it together for 8 weeks. Oh and that I would have to wear wire cutters around my neck at all times just in case I choked. As a teen....I was like NO FREAKIN WAY! I can chew I can swallow, that is good enough for me.

However, with the advances over the years in orthodontics, and in jaw surgery in general, I'm much more comfortable doing this whole process now than I ever would've been then.

I wish I had youth on my side, but truthfully I"m glad I waited til now to do this and that I DIDN"t do it when I was a kid.

Brandy

#37 Post by **jcdamon3** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:02 pm

I don't think I was aware of my bite problems until I was older. The bruxism got to a really bad point that my face hurt every day. This was really complicated by a really bad accident that I was in ten years ago in which I had some major facial injury. I didn't know how to separate out the facial pain of the injury from the facial pain of the clenching. In fact the clenching may have been caused by the facial trauma. It doesn't hurt any more, since I got braces which is amazing, but I think I had to get to this point. I don't have any regrets. There are alot of other things I wish I had done sooner though.

I think 1/2 through life we all need a good tooth reset. If you are lucky enough to do it younger, just wear your retainer is all I can say! I just hope my retainer is comfortable enough that I can wear it as much as possible.

#38 Post by **Leslie022** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:32 pm

My dentist never even mentioned braces until I was in my late teens. He NEVER talked to my parents about it. I always wanted braces when I was younger, but I've always been so self-consious about my teeth that I didn't even want to talk to my parents about it. Honestly, when I finally decided to get braces a few months ago, I never even told anyone. Really I'm just glad I am going for it now, at age 20-21, rather than waiting until I'm much older.

#39 Post by **snowbunny** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 1:28 am

YES! I remember visiting the dentist when I was about 13 and being told I needed braces and telling my Mum when we came out "no way!" I wish she had MADE ME have them. My son is having braces soon and even if he thinks the ortho is making it his choice, he is having them regardless! Mean mummy but he'll thank me for it. On second thoughts, probably not, ungrateful teens and all...
I'm glad I've got braces now and I can finally see an end to horrible teeth. I sucked my thumb as a child and that pushed the front ones out.
Ugly!

#40 Post by **tandi** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 9:21 am

i wish i had them when i was a pre-teen. in fact when i was about 10 i had brackets put on but i kept skipping my appointments so they where never fully on. what i will never understand is why my mother let me get away with skipping my appointments. my older sister had braces. once i was talking to my mother why she didnt make me get braces and she said she thought i was stronger than my sister and i could handle having buck teeth. she was so wrong. it bothered me my whole life.
i cant really say i didnt have the money when i was younger because i always found money to by other things i wanted. maybe i was just afraid of having what i really wanted. or maybe like in every other aspect of my life im more of a dreamer than a doer. i always expect good results to just magically to happen.
i even took the easy way out and had veneers put on 4 of my front teeth to close the gaps 7 years ago. it was one of the biggest mistakes i ever made. it just made the problem so much worse when i decided to get braces.
i thing i might be the worse case my orther has ever seen.

#41 Post by **catbutt** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:01 am

yeah i totally wish i had them when i was younger. my parents rarely took me to a dentist let alone an orthodontist. i got mine under my own insurance after i got a job after college. i really wish i didn't go through high school and college with messed up teeth. (sometimes mean remarks were made).

my sister had way worse teeth than me though. and she was going to get braces that my parents were going paying for when she was in college, but then she backed out for some reason (i dont really know why). and just got her few front teeth bonded later so they looked okay.

#42 Post by **Dodger(UK)** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 4:10 pm

Leslie022 wrote:My dentist never even mentioned braces until I was in my late teens. He NEVER talked to my parents about it. I always wanted braces when I was younger, but I've always been so self-consious about my teeth that I didn't even want to talk to my parents about it. Honestly, when I finally decided to get braces a few months ago, I never even told anyone. Really I'm just glad I am going for it now, at age 20-21, rather than waiting until I'm much older.

Pretty much similar to your story, only I waited a further 8 more years before I finally did something about it. I did have braces in my early teens, but they were removable, and stayed that way.

lol

#43 Post by **chrisd** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:44 pm

well i had braces as a kid and now have them again at 29. it is much easier now, and the new technologies have made it much more comfortable too
chris

#44 Post by **DizzyKitty** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:53 pm

Yes I wish I had them younger but I think I am more mature now at 36 and, with the money coming out of my pockets and all, I think I will take care of them better and wear my retainer until I die

I had the opportunity when I was 14...had the palette expander thingie...hated it and would rarely wear it then I would get yelled at by the mean ortho so that would make me rebel more. Eventually the insurance ran out for them so I was outta luck and I regret it.

My older sister had them as a teen and then again as an adult and did the jaw breaking/wired shut thing. She said she hated them but I am happy to have mine!

#45 Post by **Anticipator** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:54 am

I don't think I was ready for the increased hygeine regimen until the time I actually got braces.

Brushing and flossing were never priorities for me, and it took my general dentist nagging me for many appointments to actually improve my dental care. It was only with the decision: "I will be getting braces" that I've found the maturity necessary to keep my teeth and gums healthier.

I think my results as a teenager would have been compromised as a result.