I'm braced - the fun begins!

Message

#1 Post by **Skylark** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:17 am

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd let you know that my braces are on! Some of you will know that I've been dreading this day for weeks so I am very happy to report that it's been great so far!

In the last couple of days I managed to calm my nerves though I was still feeling pretty nervous when I got to the ortho's office. (His first patient of 2007!) He was great and put me at my ease. It took about 45 mins to get my ceramics on (am just having uppers) and the only uncomfortable bit was the lip spreader which didn't last long. In fact I smiled throughout and even had a laugh with him (I'm having clips instead of ligs to attach the wire and they kept pinging off - I've just found a couple down my jumper!) He was a complete star and I know he is putting a good deal of thought and effort into my treatment - it's a big help to know you're in good hands

.

My big problem with braces is how conspicuous they look but when I saw my teeth in the mirror they looked better than I thought. They feel rougher than I thought, but my mouth isn't as full as I worried it would be (but I'm only having uppers). From a distance you really can't see them, and close up they have the odd effect of making my teeth look a bit 'gappy' (which is odd as I have no space or gaps at all) - I can't explain it!

Anyway I left the office with a big smile on my face and haven't stopped smiling since - even now I'm home on my own! I didn't even have that 'what have I done' feeling that lots of people seem to have. I really did expect to spend my day miserable but have discovered that (as everyone on here says) there is life after brace day!

I'm currently pigging out on my xmas chocolate as the pain hasn't set in yet so I thought I'd make the most of it! I remember from the first time round how tender they get though so have stocked up on protein shakes, etc.

How are those of you who are also getting braced? Louis, your appointment's today too - let me know how it goes! And Cowlypso and Marie-Josee good luck, it won't be as bad as you think and I am so proud that I went through with it! Seriously - GO FOR IT!!

I'm so glad I went through with this and am not even dreading work tomorrow as much as I thought (that was going to be my big hurdle.) Am still a little nervous about comments but I'm going to grin and bear it.

Ps I'm just taking my day one pics so will put them on here when I get a min...

#2 Post by **minnie2** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:53 am

Congratulations! it's done. I'm really happy for you and it's a "reassurance" for us. Thanks for your support!
I have to wait 2 more days but , actually I'm more excited than nervious (at this moment) because your message help me very much.

Marie-josÃ©e

#3 Post by **Skylark** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 7:07 am

Hey Marie-Josee, like you I had such bad nerves

and now they've vanished it's a big relief. Look forward to Thursday, the wait will be over and you really will be proud of yourself!

What kind are you getting? Good luck and be brave, things will get better!

#4 Post by **Brunoise** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:09 am

Minnie2 and Skylark----I will be right behind you-----lets all not look back but forward!!!

Congrats Skylark----You did it!!!!

Minnie2 and Skylark----I will be right behind you by a couple of months or so if all goes well-----lets all not look back but forward!!! Excelsior!

Okay, so that is my years worth of exclamation points all in three lines.

#5 Post by **minnie2** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:13 am

Actually, my treatment plan is ceramic braces "upper only" for 1 years but, thursday i'll have the final decision (surprise.. but it's better like this, my ortho knows me). Thursday, I have my appointment for RX, mold and... braces! with an extra for friday... extraction premolar.

With courage one can achieve anything!... but honestly, i'm still a bit afraid!
I don't have choice, I have to wait until thursday! because it's my dream!!
Walt disney said: "If you can dream it you can do it"

I feel better with all greats messages

Marie-josÃ©e

#6 Post by **jc75** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:21 am

Congratluations on getting your braces from another UK member! I will have had my braces for two weeks tomorrow and I must say that it has been so much easier than I thought it would be! I just have my uppers at the moment as well as a nance button and palatal arch and I can honestly say that it has been completely fine and did not spoil my christmas and new year celebrations in the slightest. I am able to just get on with things as normal and have not had to take any painkillers or anything! I did secretly hope that eating would be a bit more difficult than it is so I could lose a bit of weight but it wasn't to be!

I must be one of the lucky ones but hopefully your experience will be as good as mine has been. Good luck at work tomorrow - you will be fine!

#7 Post by **SimInsomniac** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:28 am

Congratulations and well done for taking the plunge!
Make sure you're ready for when the discomfort sets in (if you get any, you may not!) with salt water rinses and painkillers.

There's not much left for me to say other than good luck and may there be lots of progress between now and your first adjustment.

Sim

#8 Post by **Skylark** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:26 am

Thanks for your replies! All still well and I'm talking normally. Have been making soup - but no pain yet so don't need it! (is that normal? I remember it hurting a lot first time round and if it hurts at least you know they're moving!)

Brunoise, good luck with getting yours on, hopefully yours will go as smoothly as mine!

And Marie-Josee, your treatment sounds similar to mine - ceramic uppers only. Mine only have to be on a few months, then invisalign to finish off. We are so lucky to have such a short treatment time! We'll have to keep each other posted on how it all works out.....

jc75 - it's nice to hear from other UK members! Sometimes I feel I'm the only one over here who's going through it...

#9 Post by **Drama Queen** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:57 am

Hey,

Welcome it is nice to hear from another UK Member, as you say sometimes I also feel like I am the only one in the UK going through this.

Congrats on the braces finally being put on, and time will fly. I have ceramic uppers and lowers and have been given an estimated sentence of 18 months and I am now 5 months into the treatment.

Just take one day at a time, some days are better than others.

Good Luck

Lau xx

#10 Post by **LadyTr0uble** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:05 pm

Congrats!!!

The pain factor is an individual thing.

my coworker has me terrified for the longest time, so much that I almost canceled my appt with my dentist. She still tells me that it hurts after adjustments. Then there was my best friend who was like "yay! you're finally going to get braces?! oohhhh, but it HUUURRRRTTTTSSSSSS!" I am sure many of you can understand how scared I was at that point.

I have to admit that that first couple of days sucked A LOT. Couldn't eat well, and I was sore. The first adjustment didn't give me as much a twinge of uncomfort (my darn dentist even told me after that adjustment "it may not bother you now, but it might hurt the second or third day; it's normal. if it gets bad, take a pain killer" darn guy had me scared!). My second, however, had me sore for about two days. My front teeth still feel "funny" when I try to bite into something, but they do not hurt.

It also depends on what your dentist/ortho is trying to accomplish too. One would figure that I would be sore after my second adjustment since he had put a spring in along with a rubberband thingy that is attached to the two brackets next to the gap. Dentist's words:"double the force to close the gap."

So no pain is good... congrats again!!

#11 Post by **Skylark** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:42 pm

Thanks Kiwi, it was positive posts like yours that helped me to change my attitude - this site is amazing

.

Had my first day at work today (training day, kids come back tomorrow) and it was fine. No one appeared to notice except for my colleague who was the only one I'd told - and it took her all morning of chatting to me. She said she could hardly see them! I had a couple of glances, but no staring! Then this afternoon, the cleaner immediately noticed them from right across the room! Maybe they are noticable if you bother to look at my teeth (which most people clearly don't!) I do feel a little self conscious and am not smiling as widely as usual but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

Also, I'm slightly concerned as I still have basically no pain! (You should be happy, I hear you cry! But I'm a bit worried it's not working

) I have eaten normally - pizza, toast, everything with no probs (apart from things getting stuck). The two most crooked teeth are a bit tender if you push on them but (apart from ulcers) things feel fine - is this normal? Last time I had them it was so painful for a few days - but my teeth are less crooked this time so maybe that makes a difference? Also I'm only having uppers, maybe that helps. Just want to know it's working....

#12 Post by **manglemouth** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:16 pm

Hi, I was thinking about you and was wondering how your first day went

Glad to hear you had no problems. I don't have my braces yet so I sure can't give any advice, but I know I would worry too if my teeth were not hurting. Now I know everyone's gonna say that is just fine and it doesn't have to hurt. In fact my future ortho's website says right on his site that "you dont' have to be in pain to gain"...but knowing me, I still would be bothered by it. I too had braces before (well it was a retainer, but as close to braces as I ever got when I was a kid) and the pain was bad when they adjusted it...so I guess I would just expect to feel that pain again.

But I am sure everything is working just fine and you are just one of those lucky cases who can give us, who are still waiting for their braces, some hope and courage. There are enough "omg, the pain is so bad" stories out there, yours was a relief to read

#13 Post by **ssfw** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:02 pm

Hi Skylark,

Congratulations on getting your braces and I'm gald your appt. went smoothly. I never had any pain from my expander, braces or elastics, yet. So, don't think everyone that gets braces has pain. The only thing I have felt is pressure when they are changing the ligs, powerchain or wire. I think having an orthodontist that you get along with is so important and makes the ortho treatment so much more pleasant. There are 2 brothers at my office and they are both so wonderful and the other staff that work there are just as great. Nobody has ever made me feel that I'm asking too many questions or bothering them if I need to ask them something. Sounds like you have such a great attitude about your braces and don't let it bother you if people see your braces because you are doing something good for your teeth.

Keep us posted.

ssfw

#14 Post by **Skylark** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:09 am

Hey Meryaten, yes they are indeed Mystiques with Neo-Clips. I love them, they are very translucent. And I have a white wire for now, though I think that will change when I need thicker ones. What colour wire do you have?

The clips are fine so far, though I read somewhere on here that they ping off really easily! (They did when he was putting them on!) Am trying to be careful. If they don't work I'm going back to ligs (ortho didn't seem too sure how good they are).

Kiwi - my smile is on its way back to normal size today, still getting used to the fact that braces are actually no big deal, especially to other people!

Had my first day teaching today. One girl said 'Wow, teacher's got braces' and was most impressed, the others appeared not to notice at all. I can't get over how little people look at your mouth! (because despite being really clear, they are still visible and a bit chunky).

#15 Post by **manglemouth** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:44 am

I quote KK:

"If you see a person talking, and they're constantly putting their hand to their face or hiding their face ... what do we instinctively try to do ... easy one I know ... but it's all about us being a curious people ... we want to know why!"

so true! Image of KK hopping up and down, trying to outsmart the hand and get a glimpse