*gulp* About to get braces!!!

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Elyse84
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:51 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

*gulp* About to get braces!!!

#1 Post by Elyse84 »

Hi everyone!

I'm very new here so I thought I'd tell you a little bit about myself to become more acquainted.

I am 22 and am about to get braces on Friday. I'm getting clear on top and metal on theh bottom.

I had braces when I was 8 for a year on my bottom teeth because my bottom right front tooth was at a 180 degree angle! It has slowly moved back, but it's not as bad as before.

I also have a gap in between my top front teeth and my canines are still baby teeth! The adults are up there and healthy, there's just not enough room for them to come down. So they're going to close the gap, pull the baby canines out and wait for them to come down. They're also going to snip the skin between my two front teeth to stop the gap coming back. THAT FREAKS ME OUT! Thank God that's not happening for another 10 months or so. The right side of my bite is perfect, but the left is 1mm off. So I have to lose another tooth to get it perfect...

At the moment I have spacers in which have been ok. My front bottom teeth feel a little tender because they're being pushed forward, but it's ok. I have been eating softer food than normal but last night one of the back bands broke. I can't get into the Ortho until tomorrow morning. I hope this won't set my treatment time back...

Being 22 and getting braces has been a little daunting, but it's good to know that I'm not alone. I work in a field where looks matter so I'm concerned about having holes in my mouth when I eventually get teeth pulled. :oops:
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Elyse84
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:51 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

#2 Post by Elyse84 »

Thank-you! It's great to know that I'm not going into the world of adult orthodontics alone.
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Epyx
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:44 am
Location: Melbourne, AU

Frenectomy

#3 Post by Epyx »

Elyse, I had a frenectomy performed about 6 months ago. It's quite a simple procedure, so simple in fact that it can be performed in the chair. The actual surgery consists of 3 incisions in a Z-shape, which takes about 30 seconds to do. I went shopping a few minutes later :)

Truth be told, the uncomfortable part was the injections but even that was over pretty quickly.

It took about a month to heal, and during that time I felt some discomfort if I moved my lips too quickly e.g. if I smiled broadly. 6 months later, I never even think about it.
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Elyse84
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:51 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

#4 Post by Elyse84 »

Thanks for sharing your experience. I really think I want to go completely under for this procedure, as I've never had any kind of surgery before and I am really scared. You sound very brave! I just hope this is an option.
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Epyx
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:44 am
Location: Melbourne, AU

#5 Post by Epyx »

You'll be fine. I was offered general anaesthetic, but that would have meant about $3000 in out of pocket expenses. The in-chair procedure cost me about $250 by comparison. You can see why I opted for the chair.

Looking back, I definitely made the right decision.
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acrobat
Posts: 87
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:54 am

#6 Post by acrobat »

Hello,
I'm also a 22 year old girl who's about to start braces and i can tell you i'm not exactly happy with it either.

I had a frenectomy when i was 12 and i remember the injections weren't much fun, but otherwise there's really nothing about it, really there's no need to worry too much about that, you'll be fine :)
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User avatar
Mart
Posts: 128
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:25 am
Location: south west UK

#7 Post by Mart »

how strange i'm also having a frenectomy thing done, i wouldnt have guessed it was this common. i have a tiny gummy nodule (cant think of a better word lol) hanging between my two front teeth, i guess they're going to remove that and some fleshy bit just above it to allow my teeth to come together and stay that way. They might do it when i have my wisdoms removed and i'd prefer to have all this done under local as its much safer i presume.

Mart.
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Whisper*Dior
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:00 am
Location: Canada

#8 Post by Whisper*Dior »

Hey Elyse84..

Im 22 as well and just got my braces last monday. I felt the exact same way as you. I was so friggin worried what I was going to look like with braces. I work as a fitness trainer as well as in promotions at a radio station. I also compete in many beauty pageants. So when the ortho made my appointment to place the braces, that whole weekend when I was just about to get them I wanted to back out. UGH. I just wanted to say basically "screw it". Honestly ive only had them for a week and its been awesome. They have been really comfortable, and I actually have the metals on the top and ill be getting the metals on the bottom in about 4 weeks. I always thought I would NEVER go out to a bar or restaurant until i got them off. I was so wrong. I went to a bar last weekend for my bfs brother birthday and its funny to say, but I was still hit on LMAO. Didnt matter I had braces. AND at work, I wear no makeup, my glasses AND braces which i thought I would NEVER do. I thought I would always wear my contacts. LOL...honestly being the exact same age as you I know how you are feeling because I did feel the same way. But now I have them Im just like "whatever they are there, Im going to have perfect teeth soon enough, and I kind of like my new glasses/braces style" It isnt going to last for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!..just enjoy it. Its a new chapter in your life!
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Whisper*Dior
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:00 am
Location: Canada

#9 Post by Whisper*Dior »

Hey Elyse84..

Im 22 as well and just got my braces last monday. I felt the exact same way as you. I was so friggin worried what I was going to look like with braces. I work as a fitness trainer as well as in promotions at a radio station. I also compete in many beauty pageants. So when the ortho made my appointment to place the braces, that whole weekend when I was just about to get them I wanted to back out. UGH. I just wanted to say basically "screw it". Honestly ive only had them for a week and its been awesome. They have been really comfortable, and I actually have the metals on the top and ill be getting the metals on the bottom in about 4 weeks. I always thought I would NEVER go out to a bar or restaurant until i got them off. I was so wrong. I went to a bar last weekend for my bfs brother birthday and its funny to say, but I was still hit on LMAO. Didnt matter I had braces. AND at work, I wear no makeup, my glasses AND braces which i thought I would NEVER do. I thought I would always wear my contacts. LOL...honestly being the exact same age as you I know how you are feeling because I did feel the same way. But now I have them Im just like "whatever they are there, Im going to have perfect teeth soon enough, and I kind of like my new glasses/braces style" It isnt going to last for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!..just enjoy it. Its a new chapter in your life!
Top
Whisper*Dior
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:00 am
Location: Canada

#10 Post by Whisper*Dior »

Hey Elyse84..

Im 22 as well and just got my braces last monday. I felt the exact same way as you. I was so friggin worried what I was going to look like with braces. I work as a fitness trainer as well as in promotions at a radio station. I also compete in many beauty pageants. So when the ortho made my appointment to place the braces, that whole weekend when I was just about to get them I wanted to back out. UGH. I just wanted to say basically "screw it". Honestly ive only had them for a week and its been awesome. They have been really comfortable, and I actually have the metals on the top and ill be getting the metals on the bottom in about 4 weeks. I always thought I would NEVER go out to a bar or restaurant until i got them off. I was so wrong. I went to a bar last weekend for my bfs brother birthday and its funny to say, but I was still hit on LMAO. Didnt matter I had braces. AND at work, I wear no makeup, my glasses AND braces which i thought I would NEVER do. I thought I would always wear my contacts. LOL...honestly being the exact same age as you I know how you are feeling because I did feel the same way. But now I have them Im just like "whatever they are there, Im going to have perfect teeth soon enough, and I kind of like my new glasses/braces style" It isnt going to last for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!..just enjoy it. Its a new chapter in your life!
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Elyse84
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:51 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

#11 Post by Elyse84 »

Thanks everybody for your support! It's good to know that the frenectumy isn't a major procedure.

I'm in Public Relations, so I'm always out at events with the media etc. So it's important the way I look. The braces don't worry me - it's more having my baby canines removed.

My orthodontist has already explained that we're going to do the extractions and the frenectumy in the same procedure, and that we're not going to do that until my front teeth have come together (it's harder to move teeth through scar tissue) and there's enough room for my canines to come down (so I don't have holes for any longer than necessary). But that being said, canines are right at the front of my smile!! They're already loose so my adult teeth are ready to come down, so they may even fall out before they have to be extracted.

I'm going to post some pictures up when I get a chance to start on the braces story forum, so I can mark my progress etc!

Let the journey begin!
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