Metal Mouth Message Board

So I just got my braces on this afternoon, and I am pleasantly surprised. I don't know what I expected to see when I looked in the mirror, but after reading a lot of people's post I thought I would look horrible. When my ortho showed me how I looked with my new braces I just started laughing. Everytime I look in the mirror and smile I just start laughing. I look so young, like a freshman in high school instead of a sophomore in college. I don't think I look horrible, but it just makes me laugh. I don't know what's wrong with me, lol. I guess that just the way I deal. Other than that it feels like I have train tracks running across my mouth, It doesn't hurt that much now, but I just tried to eat a muffin and...pain. Oh well, the first few weeks will prob be the hardest. I just have to tough it out.


How did u guys react when u first saw how u looked??

I was pretty shocked at how I looked and how they felt. I thought wow they're so big and I thought I looked really young and told my ortho I'm never smiling to which she said, "sure you will!" Fast forward 6 weeks....neither are an issue.

I didnt really care how i looked, I was prepared for that, however, I freaked right out when i discovered that thier were 8 metal brackets in my mouth.

I didnt really remember agreeing to the metal until I was home for a few hrs and sobered up from the ativan

( Yes, i took ativan to get my braces on... I gag easy and I just wanted to sleep through it all, I took it when getting my moulds done as well )

Later than night I then remembered that my ortho told me it was necessary to use the metal because those paticular teeth need the stronger braces because they need alot of force to move

But it was shocking because i was dead set against having any siver in my mouth... and when i looked in the mirror... there it was. I was horrified not because i cared how i looked, I just didnt like the idea of any metal in my body.

Looking back now i think its funny how I complied so easily while under the influence. I now even remeber saying, "umm yeah ok whatever you think is best" and then closing my eyes, and waking up metal mouthed

You sure had such a nice, easy going attitude when you first saw your braces on. I think that's just great! So, you want to know what the first reaction was? lol.....I really hate to admit this, but I was thrown into shock....lol. Took one look and I felt a nice warm wave of PANIC set into my system. I went home, found a mirror, checked out the new look, hit the panic button, then headed STRAIGHT back to the ortho's office to have them removed. (Never looked into the rear view mirror so much in my life.....and it wasn't to check out the traffic.....lol). The ortho had a nice talk with me, sent me home to "think". Well, it's over 6 months, and they're still on. I must say, they are not that bad at all!! That nice ortho of mine.....such a patient man he is.

Nice, I had the same response, as soon as the assistant handed me the mirror, i started laughing. My hand went up to cover my mouth, but I couldn't help but laugh. I laughed everytime I looked in the mirror that day, but the next day, I cried. Felt like I was kicked in the teeth! The rest of the first week was rough, but wax, water and Advil got me through it.

Today marks 4 weeks in braces. Today I had 3 teeth extracted.

Good luck to you!

Wow, I feel like some kind of wimp seeing that so far I had the worst reaction compared to everyone else......lol I have to tell you though, by that evening I was just fine. I only went through a couple hours of.........OH, who knows what to even call it.....LOL. I AM happy now though.

I was really 'teenager' about it (must be those braces making my brain younger as well as my looks....)
My ortho said, 'right, we're done here, have you got any questions?' and i said, 'can i have a look?'
He got the mirror out and handed it to me and my words were..'urgh, right, i'm NEVER smiling again'
Then i went home feeling sorry for myself.....
Now thinking back i think, oh that poor orthodontist he put all his hard work into my mouth and i was so rude! I did say thankyou to him though....i wish i felt how i do know which is, 'great, i'm finally getting my teeth sorted-yay!!'

My ortho gave me the hand mirror to look, I did a big cheesy grin and said "oh wow, I love them!"

I had the exact same response, niceteeth! I just giggled and giggled, and I swear I sprouted freckles as the brackets went on! I love my braces

My ortho actually didnt show me my braces after he had put them on. I got my first look as I was in their financial person's office getting ready to write a check for $5,000 (a very scary thing all to itself!). I noticed part of the wall was mirrored, so I bravely smiled, and I was like

Then I looked at myself with a closed mouth to make sure I still looked normal because the braces felt so big...then I looked at my open mouth again. And I giggled...then I pig-tailed my hair in my hands just to see, and I was really laughing by then!!! I looked like I was 13 years old!

then I got myself together before the financial lady came in and saw my silliness

My braces don't bother me at all now. Well..thats a lie..I still can't get used to spending an hour a day cleaning my teeth (before bedtime is my LEAST favorite part of the day because of my marathon flossing). But I'm not embaressed of them, and haven't been for about 2 weeks now.

lol, Ace the important thing is that u decided to stick with the braces. And Jenn I feel u on the second day pain. I woke up yesterday, and could have sworn that my sister had a go at my mouth with a baseball bat while I was sleep. So. Much. Pain. But I took a couple advil and that really help. My teeth didn't even hurt that much today. Just a little soreness in certain teeth. I'm pretty much use to how I look with them now. I just have to keep reminding myself that they don't look as big as they feel in my mouth, lol.[/b]

I remember looking at them and thinking "eek so much metal"
To be fair I didn't really get a choice of what kind of braces I got as I'm havng my treatment on the NHS.

I had damon braces, with tiny spots of colour on them which eventually went away.

I was very concious of them when I first got them as I was working on front line and I noticed people are looking at my teeth as I was talking!

When I first looked at myself in the ortho's office I was like "What have I done??" It was SOO scary...lol.. I just took one glance and that was all I needed. The brackets looked so uneven and the wire was all bent.
On my drive home with my mom I was telling her that I was never going to leave home. (Thank God I was on vacation from college). When I got home and looked in the mirror, I calmed down, slightly.
Fast-forward to today - 1 month and 2 weeks after - I can't stop smiling and looking in the mirror . I have grown to love my braces (especially since the wire has gotten A LOT straighter and I have seen some progress). I smile more now than before I had braces. I'm happy that I finally took the leap to get my teeth fixed and can't wait for the end result