Inspiration?

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#1 Post by **gunter8888** » Tue May 01, 2007 12:46 pm

My wife and I were watching the THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. playoffs last night (darn it, my Jazz lost!) with a couple we are good friends with and the couple began discussing the husband getting braces. I couldn't help but ask for the details. Turns out he had recently gone for a consultation, but was uncomfortable with the suggested treatment. Of course I recommended that he seek a 2nd opinion. As we talked his wife revealed that he had been thinking about for years but was unsure about braces as an adult until I got mine.

It got me thinking about inspiration. There is a gentleman where I work that had braces and jaw surgery about a year ago. Even though I never discussed braces with him, seeing an adult, professional male with braces got me thinking it would be okay for me, too.

How many of us were inspired by a friend, coworker or family member to proceed with orthodontic treatment? How many have been told that they influenced someone else to seek treatment?

#2 Post by **Gap** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:42 pm

Being in the US Army, it's totally free for us to get braces. I have two guys I work with that are in braces, and it always blew me away how they were still professionals in their own right, but with braces. Both of them are going to have to have jaw surgery. After watching them for a while, and realizing I'm really dumb for passing up this free opportunity, I decided to get braces.

April 16, I got all the brackets placed and my two front teeth wired/powerchained to bring 'em together...

... and today, the gap on my two front teeth had closed sufficiently for me to get all my teeth in the wire! So, May 1 - real B-day, and those two guys remain my inspiration. I know so far I've inspired people way higher ranking than me (and older than me) to think about even getting braces now. It's way cool to have that inspiration, and be the inspiration!

Oh! And I got LASEK eye surgery (free from the Army, woo) last Wednesday, so as I stumble around blind and healing right now... I hope that I can inspire a few more people to do good for themselves and be the best they can be. (omg, I sounded like that old Army commercial, yuck!)

#3 Post by **platinum** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:45 pm

Braces and LASIK free, wow!

In my country you get some money from teh giverment for LASIK if your "sight difference" in your eyes are bigger than 3, like -1.75 and
-4.75.

#4 Post by **Anticipator** » Tue May 01, 2007 2:08 pm

There are so many people that were inspirations to me both in real life and on this board that it would be hard to pin down anyone.

I remember a few times a number of years ago, long before braces were as common as they are in adults there were a few people that made my head turn and I was impressed that they were willing to improve themselves even after the then "typical" age.

So far no one has cited me as an influence. Hopefully I'm not a walking argument against adult orthodontia.

#5 Post by **dugsmom** » Tue May 01, 2007 2:09 pm

I should've gotten braces 10 years ago (couldn't afford them when I was a kid) but I was afraid of how I'd look!! I kick myself now because my teeth have only gotten worse through the years. It wasn't until about 3 years ago when I became friends with a girl who had braces. She looked great...and really cute and she was in her 30's. She was my inspiration!! I haven't gotten braced yet due to the fact that I have been out of town for a year. After reading everybody's stories have really gotten me excited about being braced...I can't wait!!!

#6 Post by **iBorg** » Tue May 01, 2007 8:17 pm

I can't say I've had one inspiration to get braces, but the people here who have had great success with surgery has inspired me to not run the other way when it has been discussed with me.

Tomorrow very likely is the day I commit to surgery as it will effect my future treatment.

Mike

#7 Post by **iBorg** » Wed May 02, 2007 4:57 am

I'll have to second KK's comments. I know of only three adults with braces, none which are male.

If I hadn't found this group and realized that I wasn't too old for this nor the potential benefits, I would have opted for a different treatment. I'm certain that my final result will be much more positive and have a longer effect.

As for inspiration......the people on this list.

Mike

#8 Post by **becks** » Thu May 03, 2007 5:49 pm

My son's 2nd grade teacher who is my age had braces. She had them at the beginning of the school year, she'd had them for nearly 3 years...she finally got them off this past January. Just seeing her with them helped me make the decision to go for it. Kind of like someone said above....if she can do it, so can I!

#9 Post by **swede** » Sat May 05, 2007 6:45 am

I was inspired by my 10 year old daughter. She had a pallet expander with prongs for tongue thrust put on almost two years ago. After the space was made, they put brackets on her 4 upper front teeth to bring them in. The process lasted 9 months. She'll need more braces after she loses all her baby teeth and the permanent are all in.

Anyway, she was soo good through the whole thing, barely complained about anything. She truly inspired me to do it.

Now, after having them on, I give her even more credit for how she dealt with the whole thing. I think that I complain about sore teeth more than she ever did. Of course. my argument is that I have full braces. Then her come back is that she had a pallet expander with prongs. I guess she wins this one

.

#10 Post by **iBorg** » Sat May 05, 2007 10:31 am

When you're both done, you both win.

Mike

#11 Post by **gracie381** » Sun May 06, 2007 7:32 am

I can't say that I was inspired by any individual, but I know that I had always been self-conscious about my teeth and wanted them to be straight. My parents couldn't afford them when I was younger, but after a few years at my current job, I realized that getting braces was very important to me. One day I woke up and decided "I want my teeth straight." I was 26 and knew now was the time! I made my first appointment and never looked back. Althought before actually getting my braces on and now having them on, I turned to this website for comfort. I had so many questions before being braced and everyone on here jumped in and gave me so much support. So, I guess my main inspiration was myself, but I couldn't have done it without all the support & advice I received here on archwired.com!! Love this place!!

Mon May 07, 2007 1:44 pm

Wow gracie that is aweosme

Mon May 07, 2007 1:46 pm

my inspiration was seeing al lthe people in my high school having braces. Made me realize that its not uncool to have braces anymore, when I was younger you were a geek, if you had glasses, braces, and a protractror haha, now In high school every person I see had braces.

And alot had to do with my graduation pictures. I wanted the perfect smile. Not what i had throughout my child hood. When you are introduced to adult hood you want to put it all in the past and have new beginnings.