Hello from another newbie from the UK

[elpi]

Hello!

I've just joined up a second ago and have been trawling about to get more info about braces...

My background, I'm 32 from the midlands, I am seriously thinking of getting braces. I went to my first orthodontist appointment last week and he says I need 4 pre-molars out and braces for approximately 18 months. The problem with my teeth, apart from being a little wonky and having prominant canines is that since my wisdom teeth have come through one of my front teeth has gone askew and I'm having trouble closing my lips fully without making a conscious effort and it's *really* bugging me! Me and my hubbie refer to it as my demon tooth especially when I see it poking out in photos, haha..

As I'm having to go private I've been thinking of cermaics v metal. At first I was keen on having ceramics but now I think I want metal cos I'd rather take the bolder choice and be proud of having braces than try and be discreet. I'm a student anyway so I think metal ones might be more in keeping

I'm mostly very keen to get going and yet a bit nervous too, especially about the tooth extraction bit, I'm frightened, in I'm guessing mostly irrational way, that I'll be left with gaps forever I'm also wondering how many x rays I'll need to keep having, I'm hoping they're not too much a regular thing as I don't like getting zapped!

Thanks for reading

[martinboyce]

Hi Elpi,

Im from the midlands too (leicester) im 27, also have massive prominant canines, i am going for cemerics top and metal bottoms, bottom teeth being less shown than top teeth and cemerics generally being unsuitable for bottom teeth due to them being more brittle and more likly to be broken when you bite.

I have not yet had my brace on, it sounds im the very next stage of you. Up until about a month ago i had never been to the dentist so in this past month ive had 4 fillings, and more recently 2 extractions, with 2 more to go.

If im completely honest the tooth extracting phase is not as bad as i had bigged it up to be, i thought it would be hell, but once your all numbed up its litterally no more than the dentist wiggling and pulling it. After pain was less and i was surprised too, half expecting a ton of pain, when in reality its more of a dull ache for a few days nothing some nurufen didnt sort.

I was worried about the gaps but after seeing peoples progress on here i can see gaps reducing all the time, so now i worry about that less

Check out my story page, i put some photos of my most recent extraction ( im having the molars out, there the big teeth behind your premolars, big rooty mothers!)

Dont worry yourself, they say this is the hardest bit, if it is then i can handle anything. With the exception of a yucky hole in your mouth where food gravitates to its all easy peasy.

Big hug!

[elpi]

thanks for the welcome I'd just been reading your story! I'm up the road in Derby.

At least with the tooth extraction thing it gets done at the start, but now I feel like I've decided to have braces, I want the teeth out immediately so I don't have time to dwell on it, but the orthodontist has given me 2 weeks to mull it over so I know I'm making the right decision but when I came out his office on Thursday I totally knew in my gut that I was going to go through with it!

[davidspd]

Welcome elpi,

I'm another newcomer from Manchester, and i wish i'd found this forum before i'd had any work done. This week i've had 4 extractions and a top brace fitted !!! I've posted on the "Stories" section with some pics - I also have a demon tooth.

I chickened out of having the extractions several times before i finally went through with it, and they weren't half as bad as i'd expected - two done at a time, local anasthetic, wait of about 10 mins, about a minute of tugging and pressure but no pain and that was it . My ortho said that they make a concious effort to close any gaps left by extractions so don't worry about that, and if they're overcrowded anyway i'm sure you'll have plenty of teeth to fill in the gaps.

I decided on tooth coloured with similar wire and ligatures, but now wish i'd gone metal due to the staining problems - no curry allowed until i go for my next adjustment. Also, i'm still slurring my speech slightly and if i'd had metal it would be more obvious that it wasn't cause i'm drunk .

Don't worry too much about the x-rays (i'm a radiographer, but don't do dental) it's all a case of risk versus benefit - the ortho's got to know what needs to be done.

Anyway, good luck and hope you go through with it (i wish i'd had it done years ago), and good luck with the studies (i was also a mature student).

[elpi]

Hiya!, yep my teeth are totally overcrowded, especially since my wisdoms came through so I think everything will fit better with a few removed. I had assumed that if I was going to need teeth out it would be my wisdoms, it was quite a surprise to hear that I'm keeping them and losing other ones, I'm glad because I understand it's a bigger job having wisdoms than pre-molars but it seems strange having other teeth out, that happen to be perfectly healthy and straight!!

It's definitely a consideration, the staining issue, I like to eat curry and berries and things that stain a fair bit, with all the food restrictions I'm going to have I don't want to add any more, hmmm....

[Britlaw]

Hi Guys,
nice to see so many of us from middle england! (geographically speakin lol). I am from Herefordshire and work in the smoke in Brum. I have had 4 extractions (2 molars top and 2 premolars bottom) and have clear ceramics so far on top. Had first adj last week and a new wire (which is hurtin a bit but no pain no gain ). Bottoms on next adj 17 March. Cant believe how much my teeth have moved in 5 weeks!

- this is before. Crowding on top with an 11mm overbite and crooked bottoms together with a biteous horriblus.

I'll get a pic up to show the diff but I have to get around to charging the batteries on my digicam lol. Be warned if you are crowded, when the teeth move you'll expose bits that have never been exposed before (eek lol). I have a spot of decay where the dentist couldnt get to before - on the side of a lateral next to front incisor. Luckily just a tiny dot and he'll fill in about a month when he can really get to it. So guys, keep up your dentist appts!

The clear brackets dont stain but the clear ligs do. I dont eat curry but tea and coffee will do it. I keep water on my desk and after tea and coffee swish and swallow with that (colleagues have gotten used to my funny habits lol). I also have 2 electric toothbrushes one at home and one at work. The one at work I just use to clean brackets after eating (overbrushing can damage gums). I may not eat curry but I have spiced food with paprika etc. I find if you clean straightaway its not bad but whatever you eat, after 4 weeks you are stainy lol. Spoil yourself to a curry the night before adjustments!

-----> waving from 'almost wales'

[fitchick]

Hi Elpi,

Greetings from the sunny south coast! I'm right behind you in your decision to get braced. My initial consult advised 2 extraction which I dreaded, but I'm almost 2 years on and they now don't seem necessary at all due to the way things have gone. And I began with a 13mm overjet! I only had the x-rays at the start too. I really hope you take the plunge, if you are anything like me then you won't regret it. Welcome to the boards.

Fitchick

[mikecl]

Elpi

Another fellow Brit here and just wanted to wish you all the best with your orthodontic treatment.

I had overcrowded and crooked teeth and expected to lose the wisdom teeth but as they looked strong and healthy the ortho proposed something different.

So I've only had one tooth extracted (lower front) but the gap completely closed within 5 months or so.

I've got top and bottom ceramics and never had any problems with them but everyone has to go with what works for them. I also like currys and yes the ligs have stained a bit but they are so small and changed so frequently that I've decided I can live with a change in colour

All the best

Mike

[cosmicgirl]

Hi and welcome Elpi!
Another Brit in London and an oldie too!
I have ceramics and they're fine. I've not had too much trouble with staining, but as someone else posted, the ligs are tiny and get changed frequently, I wouldn't worry too much.
I slosh a bit of Colgate Peroxyl around every other day and that seems to keep yellowing ligs and teeth at bay.
Otherwise you could get coloured ligs...
Good luck with your treatment! At times it can feel as if the end will never come, and at others you'll be thrilled at how much movement is going on. Every day brings a new surprise!

[elpi]

Hi Elpi,

Greetings from the sunny south coast! I'm right behind you in your decision to get braced. My initial consult advised 2 extraction which I dreaded, but I'm almost 2 years on and they now don't seem necessary at all due to the way things have gone. And I began with a 13mm overjet!

thanks for the reply but I'm a bit confused lol, do you mean the teeth weren't necessary or the extractions weren't necessary?

[elpi]

Thanks for everyone's feedback I really appreciate it I'm glad I found this forum because without it I think I'd feel a bit lonely in the world of adult braces.

I've told a few people about how I'm planning on getting braces and the reactions are kind of interesting, ranging from "but you've got nice teeth" "doesn't it bother you losing healthy teeth!!" to a sort of bewilderment in a "well if it troubles you that much it's your money" I can't quite work out if people are being nice, they're suddenly self conscious about their own teeth or maybe to everyone else my teeth don't seem crooked?!!

Here's a couple of pics of my teeth to demonstrate my problem though...

Face on my teeth are quite average British just a bit wonky!




But looking upwards (or side on though I didn't get that shot) you can see more clearly how one of my big front teeth is escaping and the ortho explained to me that now it is resting on and not behind my (sizable!) bottom lip, my lip is exerting a gentle pressure on it pushing it further out. Which I guess means that the bit of trouble I'm having being able to shut my lips together now, is going to get even worse unless I get it fixed. For me I really think that's a good reason to get braces!



My hubbie is totally supportive though, he says he likes my current teeth just as they are but if they're bugging me and I want them fixed then he's right behind my decision... bless him

I'm going for my second consult with the ortho next Thursday so hopefully after then I'll have a schedule for the work and I can start writing a "my story"

[sauerkraut]

But looking upwards (or side on though I didn't get that shot) you can see more clearly how one of my big front teeth is escaping and the ortho explained to me that now it is resting on and not behind my (sizable!) bottom lip, my lip is exerting a gentle pressure on it pushing it further out. Which I guess means that the bit of trouble I'm having being able to shut my lips together now, is going to get even worse unless I get it fixed. For me I really think that's a good reason to get braces!

You're doing the right thing! If ever I work out how to put photos on here I can show you a picture of how that front tooth would look in another 10 years if you left it - like I did . I can confirm that the closing lips together problem does indeed get worse!

My teeth looked a lot like yours 10 years ago and I thought about getting them fixed back then as the problem was starting to manifest itself, but various factors stopped me going ahead. Still I'm on my way now and looking forward to following your journey, too. It will be interesting to see how things might have been if I'd started this 10 years earlier! (I've ended up needing surgery)

Oh, and welcome from another Brit by the way, tho I live in Germany now.

[Traceymay]

Hi Elpi, another Brit here!!

Ive been braced for 6 months now and the movement has been fast. It is quite daunting being an adult in braces, but after a few months (especially when you can see changes) you'll know that you've made the right choice.

Iv'e posted a couple of pics so that you can see the changes that i've gone through



Day one with braces



3 months

I really need to take some more pics,

Good luck with your journey

[clairet707]

Hello fellow Brits

Ive been braced for 15 months now, it will get easier, I stopped taking nurofen before an adjustment after my third visit

I have always hated my teeth, to the extent that I dont have many photos from pre bracing

Here is one from just before I got braced - september 2005

http://hitched.photobox.co.uk/album/alb ... 7127&fit=1

I get married in July and was determined to have pretty teeth for my big day

I have ceramics on the top and metals on the bottom and have never had coloured ligs (well except when I have had curry )

I think I have only had about 3 xrays, the initial one, one before surgery and one last week after surgery

Yes in case you hadnt realised I had surgery last week on my jaw - top up and bottom forward

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clairet707 ... 851305829/

Im seeing surgeon on saturday (one of the advantages to going private I guess) and hopefully he will take the elastics off my jaw and then I will be able to eat a little easier. Seeing ortho in two weeks for a check up and hopefully he will say I have another month to go with braces...

The whole process has been fairly quick, my ortho told me I was going to need 18 - 20 months of braces, he told me the week after surgery that it would be another 8 -12 weeks so that would make it approx 17 months in total, Im amazed at how quick my teeth moved...

[Britlaw]

Awww Claire...{{hugs}}....the jaw surgery looks painful. I know its a means to an end but you are still brave for taking it on. You're gonna look just great for your wedding day - I recall smiling with my mouth closed for mine but that was in 1984 LOL.

I have to say that in this day and age where instant gratification is everywhere - including instant orthodontics with veneers etc. it heartens me to see people all over the world that are prepared to suffer to have 'their own' teeth/smile. My dentist is a cosmetic dentist and he said that he could give me the 'hollywood smile' that some of his clients my age (47) want, instantly. He knew I could afford it but he said "I know thats not what you want and anyway, if you were my wife, I would recommend orthodontics". Which is why I am here eating lots of mashed sweet potatoes and no curry with you lot lol.

Regards to all you Brits - its much harder over here!

Take care