I get braces tmw...here is my story;)
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I get braces tmw...here is my story;)
hey there! I am new here and have been lurking around for some time now;) This is a great website and I am so glad I find it! So much helpful info on here.
Anyways, here is my story. I used to have braces back in junior high...i had nasty open bite (due to finger sucking as a kid) and some crooked teeth. My ortho back then was great and gave me a wonderful smile. Over the years my teeth have stayed perfectly straight, but I have begun to have bite problems. To make a long story short I saw a dentist a few years ago who said i had 12 cavities (which I later found out I had NONE!), so he filled them and did a horribly CRAPPY job. I started clenching my teeth at night and having severe headaches. I found a new dentist who is great and removed my old fillings and re-did them all. He gave me an NTI device to wear at night (for the headaches and teeth pain from clenching), but that exacerbated the open bite problem that had relapsed a bit over the years. After I stopped using the NTI in December, the open bite has definitely closed up a bit over time, so that is great.
Anyways, so now I have perfectly straight teeth, but an open bite and some other tiny bite issues with my molars....so that led me to braces! I got a refferal from a great dentist to a wonderful orthodontist. I of course ONLY wanted Invisalign and in no way wanted to be wearing braces AGAIN at age 26! He told me Orthoclear MIGHT work somewhat (aligners don't work as well as braces for bite issues), but i would have to try it for 6 months to see how much it could do for me. Then if it didn't work move to braces. I swallowed my pride and decided to start with braces;) He recommended Damon 3's and said he could easily correct everything in 9-12 months (14 months worst case scenario).
Sooooo, tmw I get them put on! I am hoping that since my bite has been closing over the past 4 months on its own that my teeth will move fairly quickly with braces...and that I might get close to that 9 month mark;) Wish me luck!
Here is a pic of my teeth...I am not biting down all the way here, so the open bite space looks bigger, but it isn't that big;)
Anyways, here is my story. I used to have braces back in junior high...i had nasty open bite (due to finger sucking as a kid) and some crooked teeth. My ortho back then was great and gave me a wonderful smile. Over the years my teeth have stayed perfectly straight, but I have begun to have bite problems. To make a long story short I saw a dentist a few years ago who said i had 12 cavities (which I later found out I had NONE!), so he filled them and did a horribly CRAPPY job. I started clenching my teeth at night and having severe headaches. I found a new dentist who is great and removed my old fillings and re-did them all. He gave me an NTI device to wear at night (for the headaches and teeth pain from clenching), but that exacerbated the open bite problem that had relapsed a bit over the years. After I stopped using the NTI in December, the open bite has definitely closed up a bit over time, so that is great.
Anyways, so now I have perfectly straight teeth, but an open bite and some other tiny bite issues with my molars....so that led me to braces! I got a refferal from a great dentist to a wonderful orthodontist. I of course ONLY wanted Invisalign and in no way wanted to be wearing braces AGAIN at age 26! He told me Orthoclear MIGHT work somewhat (aligners don't work as well as braces for bite issues), but i would have to try it for 6 months to see how much it could do for me. Then if it didn't work move to braces. I swallowed my pride and decided to start with braces;) He recommended Damon 3's and said he could easily correct everything in 9-12 months (14 months worst case scenario).
Sooooo, tmw I get them put on! I am hoping that since my bite has been closing over the past 4 months on its own that my teeth will move fairly quickly with braces...and that I might get close to that 9 month mark;) Wish me luck!
Here is a pic of my teeth...I am not biting down all the way here, so the open bite space looks bigger, but it isn't that big;)
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Sorry
I'm sorry the replies are slow coming - I DO wish you well but...gosh, your smile looks so beautiful that it's hard not to be incredibly jealous! Honestly, your teeth are beautiful! But I know bite problems are serious and braces suck no matter why you have them. Good luck to you!
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Wow, I agree with flowertowngal, your smile is gorgeous already! But I know, there are more things that can lie behind a nice smile that are just as serious.
The first few days are gonna suck, I couldn't eat anything unless it was soft or pureed, but I've had them a week now and I am eating more and more "solid" food. Also your mouth will be very sore from the brackets rubbing against your tounge and insides of your mouth, but it's not too bad. It's amazing how sensitive your mouth becomes, but also how quickly it adapts to all the new metal in there!
Good luck to you and be proud to be doing something positive for yourself! Keep us posted as to how your appt. goes tomorrow!
The first few days are gonna suck, I couldn't eat anything unless it was soft or pureed, but I've had them a week now and I am eating more and more "solid" food. Also your mouth will be very sore from the brackets rubbing against your tounge and insides of your mouth, but it's not too bad. It's amazing how sensitive your mouth becomes, but also how quickly it adapts to all the new metal in there!
Good luck to you and be proud to be doing something positive for yourself! Keep us posted as to how your appt. goes tomorrow!
I'm 32 and will be in braces for almost 2 years!
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haha thanks you guys;) Yea, it is weird how things can look great, but behind a great smile is a bad bite causing pain and other issues. I am VERY happy with my 'smile'...just want to get rid of these problems from having a bad bite;)
It is weird...now that I am so close to getting them put on, I have caught myself looking at other peoples teeth all the time...looking out for people with braces...even being more conscious of how often I 'smile with my teeth'..stuff like that. After I first decided to get braces I kept saying i wouldn't smile with my teeth for a year...but now after realizing how much I do that naturally, i definitely will be flashing a metal grin;) lol I am such a nerd;) Anyways, hopefully it will all go smoothly and I will post some pics after they are on!
It is weird...now that I am so close to getting them put on, I have caught myself looking at other peoples teeth all the time...looking out for people with braces...even being more conscious of how often I 'smile with my teeth'..stuff like that. After I first decided to get braces I kept saying i wouldn't smile with my teeth for a year...but now after realizing how much I do that naturally, i definitely will be flashing a metal grin;) lol I am such a nerd;) Anyways, hopefully it will all go smoothly and I will post some pics after they are on!
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Hi,
I am very curious to hear how you will solve the clenching issues once your bite is fixed. You obviously can't go back to the NTI device, correct? I am curious because I have the same issue. I was using an NTI device and then decided to go with braces. My plan was to go back to the NTI later, but it if opens my bite, that won't work!
You have a beautiful smile. You will probably be out of braces in 9 months. I am glad you went full braces. It is easier to fix an open bite that way.
I am very curious to hear how you will solve the clenching issues once your bite is fixed. You obviously can't go back to the NTI device, correct? I am curious because I have the same issue. I was using an NTI device and then decided to go with braces. My plan was to go back to the NTI later, but it if opens my bite, that won't work!
You have a beautiful smile. You will probably be out of braces in 9 months. I am glad you went full braces. It is easier to fix an open bite that way.
Braced on 8/05 - Braces off 12/06
Mid Forties!
Mid Forties!
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jcdamon3 - Yea, the clenching thing has been a long road for me...lol If you are having dental pain related to clenching, feel free to PM me and I can give you some advice on things to try.
No matter what I won't go back to the NTI. My Ortho said after braces he will most likely do a bonded retainer on the top and bottom PLUS give me some mouth thing to wear at night. I have no idea what it is called, but basically there is one for the top teeth and one for the bottom teeth....they have notches in them so they align correctly and lock together. There is a hole if you need to breathe through your mouth when you have a cold or something. The night thing purely to stop the open bite from coming back from what i remember.
No matter what I won't go back to the NTI. My Ortho said after braces he will most likely do a bonded retainer on the top and bottom PLUS give me some mouth thing to wear at night. I have no idea what it is called, but basically there is one for the top teeth and one for the bottom teeth....they have notches in them so they align correctly and lock together. There is a hole if you need to breathe through your mouth when you have a cold or something. The night thing purely to stop the open bite from coming back from what i remember.
Good luck! I hope that they can get your open bite corrected quickly. Your teeth will definitely be sore at the beginning. After a few days I could tell there was improvement every day after that. I was only miserable for a day or two.
That mouth thing you will have to get later doesn't sound like fun. I always breath out of my mouth so I could never wear anything like that.
That mouth thing you will have to get later doesn't sound like fun. I always breath out of my mouth so I could never wear anything like that.
Kelly
See my WWW link below.
See my WWW link below.
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