Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey dudes,

Thanks for all the support i've had on this forum... I've finally plucked up the courage to post some pictures.

I woke up today after a goodnights sleep with the dread of starting day 2 with my metal mouth. I am having some very mixed thoughts at the minute, which mostly consists of my brain going round and round my decision process. I was in the shower holding my head thinking "Oh my god, what have I done!! and "will it be worth it" then trying to think a year down the line and hoping that it will be worth it. I had issues when i first showed some of my friends and they said "cant say I'd ever noticed your bad teeth"... this really hit my confidence and made me question the decision. To get over this I only have to look at the pictures below. How could they not notice? Is it years of me not smiling with my mouth open? Have I hidden it so well for all this time?
The ortho originally said 9-12 months which to me seems like a short time, but when i tell other people they seem to think "thats a long time... at your age"...




And i've just realised how hard it is to take close up pics of your own teeth...

What are your guys oppinions? Can you see why I am doing this? its not just me being over paranoid, right?


The brackets with the space for the wire. You can also see a bit of my bottom teeth in this pic, I have discussed them with my ortho and have decided to leave them alone. They are quite complicated and would need 2-3 years of work, incliding extractions and possible surgery. They cant be seen really when I talk and smile so i'll just have to be content with a straight upper set, which will hopefully make my smile better.

And also, the next procedure i'll have to get will be whitening of one of my front incisors. I'm not too worried about perfectly white teeth, but i would like them all to be the same colour. One is significantly yellower, due to having some root canal work about 10 years ago.

The wire and bands go on at 4.15 Uk time today. Think of me.

IB.

I think your teeth look like they could use braces. Alot of people will tell you that they didn't think you needed braces. Alot of us on this board have experienced that for sure! It is either that they are not very observant or don't want to hurt your feelings or you really were hiding your teeth alot.

Have you checked with your ortho that straigtening out the top and not the bottom will leave your bite okay? I would imagine if your bite is good now that it may not be a problem. I would ask him though.

I totally agree with jcdamon3, I think you need braces and I personally think that you should consider getting braces on the top and bottom. You might regret it later when the top braces come off and those teeth are pretty and straight but the bottom are not.

I understand if it is a financial issue, but if you are worried about the length of time you will have to spend in braces, just keep in mind the outcome in the end. It will be well worth the wait!

Hi IB,

I also went through the feeling of "what have I done" Don't worry it will pass. It is such a big change, and it takes some time to get used to everything.

As far as your friends not noticing your teeth, some people just don't pay attention to others teeth. I wondered if people would notice the difference too, but then I thought I am doing this for me, not for anyone else, and I will notice the difference. I will be able to have an inner confidence and feel that I have accomplished something that I have always wanted. I'm sure you will love your new smile and think it was all worth it when it's all over.

Best of luck to you,
Shawnie

You definitely needed braces, so don't question the decision. And as for the people who think 9-12 months is a long time in braces, they obviously have no clue what they're talking about. The average is 18-24 months. Forget what they say; you need to rely on your otho for the right information and on us for moral support.

Wow, you and I are in a very similar position. I've got a similar severity of upper crowding and a similar treatment time : 8 months. And yes I, like most people, went through the "what have I done?" phase shortly after getting braced, especially when people I know said they'd never really noticed my teeth or thought my teeth were that crooked. But as mentioned earlier, some people just don't look at teeth but then again many others do...

Anyway, the important thing to remember is that YOU are unhappy with them and it's certainly YOUR confidence which will benefit when you feel proud of your smile after your treatment. It WILL be worth it. The difficult bit was having the guts to go for it in the first place. It's all downhill from here, just wait until you see the changes!

My boss has said repeatedly that she thought my teeth look fine. My brother-in-law (who is in braces) didn't realize how bad my teeth were until we were comparing appliances! To some people teeth aren't significant, to others it's the first thing they notice.
I think you made a wonderful decision by going ahead with braces!

I agree that you have made the right decision in getting braces!

Yes, people will notice your braces, however, it is far superior in my opinion, to have people notice your braces than to have them notice a bad smile and think to themselves "why doesn't he/she do something?"

You will adjust very quickly to having braces, just give yourself some time -- don't worry if it is a pain the first few times you eat, drink, or try to floss, etc. All of these things become second nature after just a short amount of time.

I bet in a few weeks or months you will notice changes all over your mouth; teeth will start to re-align and your bite will improve before you know it. This will be a great motivator and validation that you have made the right decision.

Definitley take pictures along the way; you will be amazed at how your smile changes during this journey!

Remember: Braces are temporary; a great smile is forever!

Best wishes on your treatment, and again, you have made the right decision. Also, I am happy you have found this site; it is a great community and support system!

Best Wishes!

Hi IB,

Well Done on going ahead with your treatment. I agree with the other posts. I'm at the beginning of my journey and like you still have mixed feelings. All it takes is for me to look at the photos taken by my ortho to convince me I'm doing right. I think when you are all done and finished, and you look back, you won't hesitate in knowing that you have made the right decision.

I never really noticed other people's teeth until I began this journey, and now I notice them all the time.

I don't think you'll regret it for a minute. Thanks for posting the pics and I look forward to following your progress. Good Luck.

Julie

Well guys, went to the ortho yesterday and got the wire put on. Its much thinner than i expected.

My teeth are a little tight thismorning, but in a good way. As i mentioned in the previous posts i no longer have to worry about getting braces, cos I have one. I now have other things to worry about, like how to eat and keep them clean!

I still feel a bit embarrased because I have them, but I will only be embarrased for about the next 12 months, I had been embarrased about me teeth for the last ten years, and would have still been embarrased in another ten so its definately a step in the right direction.

I've had two positive responses already, one from my girlfriend (who i dont get to see very often). I sent her a picture on my mobile/cell phone with a big wide grin saying "My new shiney smile". Speaking to her last night she said it was propbably the nicest photo she'd seen of me because i am smiling with my mouth open. She admitted that you couldnt really see the brace anyway (yay for ceramics).

Also, i came into work today and the guy who sits opposite me said "c'mon then IB, lets see 'em!" So i gave him a grin and he squinted and said "Is it in? is that it?... He could hardly see it, which is good for the self confidence aspect.


Here's a pic of the wire, what do you think.....?

Also, i came into work today and the guy who sits opposite me said "c'mon then IB, lets see 'em!" So i gave him a grin and he squinted and said "Is it in? is that it?... He could hardly see it, which is good for the self confidence aspect.

That's a great friend!

I find that most people don't notice mine...even after a year and I teach in a middle school.

You're ON YOUR WAY!!!!!That wire will start to level out starting.... NOW!

Keep us posted, your teeth are already looking great!

Jenn