Oh my gosh, I'm getting braces...

[msw]

So here is my braces story!

At 28, I realize that my teeth have shifted a lot over the 13 years since I got my braces off. My lower teeth have started crowding, my deep bite has come back (but somehow I still have a near-perfect class 1 molar relationship - how does THAT happen?), and the right side of my mouth (the cant?) has started slanting down.

So I speak with my dentist about ClearCorrect (like invisalign), and to my amazement the recommended treatment time is only 5 months! Come to find out, that would just make the teeth straight, but it wouldn't do anything for the bite or slant. Boo!

I went to an orthodontist for a consult on Wednesday, and he says I'm a great candidate for Invisalign. I do another happy dance! Then he explains that Invisalign would still leave me with about a 25% deep bite (it's now 60%) and that I may need braces for a few months to finish everything off at the end of my Invisalign treatment.

Well, if I'm going to pay $5800 for orthodontic treatment and deal with all the soreness and inconvenience, I want the results to be PERFECT! Also, I want the predictability that comes with braces, as well as the lasting results.

So I can't believe I'm saying/writing this but I'm going to call my orthodontist on Monday and tell him that I've decided to go with BRACES over Invisalign and that I want to be braced as soon as possible.

I've wanted to correct my teeth for so long (ever since they started going cray in college) and I've always secretly been jealous of the adults I've met and known who have been brave and confident enough to get wired up. I'm going to spring for clear brackets (top and bottom), but I have to admit that the thought of having braces again for 12-18 months makes me so NERVOUS!

Once y'all decided to get braces, how did you tell your friends, family, and coworkers? Nobody except my husband knows that I've even been considering orthodontic treatment, let alone that I've made the decision to get all braced up. How do you get used to people immediately looking at your teeth as soon as you open your mouth? I'm in a job that requires me to meet lots of important people and convince them to give me (well, the non-profit I work for) money. How will I get used to doing that with a mouth full of braces - clear, but still very much noticeable - for the next year and a half?!

Any advice and encouragement would be very much appreciated! I'm excited but at the same time can't shake my insecurities and nerves.

[plugnickel69]

Actually, you don't have to notify anybody and no one else will really care.

[WiredOldLady]

I made the decision to get braces at the ripe old age of 49. My bite had gotten so messed up that my lower canines were hitting the insides of my upper teeth. Went to the orthodontist and he said he could fix pretty much everything. My "sentence" is 15-18 months and then permanent retainers on the top and bottom front 6 teeth.

I don't give a hoot what anyone else thinks. This was a personal decision. My only doubt was in job interviews (since I'm actively looking for a new job), but so far it hasn't been a hindrance at all.

[FireFinder]

I'm in them for the THIRD time, got the lowers on October 9th, and the tops done on the 22nd. I haven't told many people, obviously my boss, and a few colleagues know because I was out of the office when some stuff we support tanked (not our fault, someone got carried away with SQL Management Studio) getting the tops done.

My teeth "look" straight, but my bite is all catty-wompus. No idea how long I'll be in them, but for $6500, they aren't coming off until I am satisfied, I am not doing this again when I am 60.

And, I wore my retainers religiously for 12+ years after the last round of treatment, so either the last doc did a bad job, or ..... ?

I don't care what anyone thinks, my wife and kids don't care, and I'm sure my friends won't either.

Bottom line is it is YOUR mouth, YOUR bite, and if you can deal with the inconveniences of braces, then it really shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks.

[samoorelaw]

I'm 32 and since I've had my braces, not one person in my professional life has made any comments on my braces, and I'm in a profession where talking is very important (I'm a lawyer). The few people who have noticed had nothing but positive comments, and they only noticed after being within very close proximity to me and they always said "oh, when did you get braces?", and months after I had them installed.

[JumpTheDitch]

Good luck msw

I just wanted to say... 'catty-wompus' FireFinder ?? Was that your official diagnosis??

[ljms]

I didn't tell many people in advance.

I told my husband's family because I had to send regrets for a very important family gathering scheduled for the day after I had my extractions. The event was important enough that I felt the family deserved an explanation.

I told a few friends in advance but only if it fit into the flow of the conversation. Needless to say, orthodontic treatment doesn't come up very often so there were only two or three people who knew in advance. By the time I got the braces on, I couldn't remember who I'd told.

All of my family and friends have been very supportive. Only one person who didn't know in advance has said anything. That person is in my book group but I don't really consider her a friend. She's a bit of a busy-body and she's only one who has asked why.

I think you'll find that braces, especially clear brackets, aren't that noticeable. A couple of weeks after getting braces, I met some friends for beer and the one friend at the table who knew asked when I was getting them. I pointed out that I had them. No one had noticed. Admittedly, the lighting in the pub wasn't the best but we'd been there for two hours and none of us drink THAT fast. :)

Loyalty runs deep in our friends and family. They love us for who we are, not the hardware in our mouths. Business associates respect us for our talent and skill. They care about the job, not the hardware.

I wouldn't worry about what potential donors think. If your braces make a difference to somebody then they're probably too shallow to give to a cause anyway. Most won't notice. Those who do will be impressed with your self-confidence.

[Plumcore]

I've never seen or heard anyone say anything negative about braces ever...only kids, and in the end some of them end up having to get braces. I'm 25, been in braces for well over 2 years now, my sister is 30 and she got braces last month, none of us heard anything but positive reactions. In the end it is a treatment that most times is required so i doubt it will impact your work in a negative manner. If anything, it could actually help you!

[Stef]

I soooo get this! I didn't want to tell anyone just just because I didn't want anyone to try to talk me OUT of them. I'm a 30 year old business owner and I can't WAIT to get my braces in 11 days! I have to deal with the same thing you are talking about , getting business aka, money. My family and employees depend on it. I'm getting full blown out metal braces and I'm just not worried about what they think and I'm pretty self conscious.

[msw]

Thanks, y'all, for offering your perspective. I'm not so much worried about anyone saying anything negative. My nervousness stems from my own insecurities and having the confidence to do business with a mouthful of brackets and wires. I know that probably sounds really silly.

On the other hand, I am SO excited about fixing my crooked teeth and bite issues! These problems will only get worse if I don't do anything to correct them. And, for several different personal and professional reasons, this would be the ideal time for braces.

My orthodontist was really pushing me towards Invisalign, I think because he knew that's what I wanted at the time. But my wonderful dentist, whose got over 30 years experience and recently finished with braces himself, says that braces are really the way to go if I want to get my bite perfect.

At this point I'm trying to decide between Damon clear and the Inspire Ice braces. I'm leaning towards Damon because I won't have to worry about staining the ligs. I don't eat curry, but I'm a big iced tea drinker. (I mean, hello, I live in the south!) I also drink about 2-3 cups of Earl Grey every day.

So - Damon or Inspire Ice?

Thanks for all the input and encouragement! I'm so thankful for ArchWired and all the wonderful people who contribute to the forum!

[Lorianne]

good luck and have fun! I have had Damon on for 3 weeks now and no staining whatsoever (and I eat/drink everything, except I'm afraid to try red wine, my favorite).

[mmkay]

except I'm afraid to try red wine

What about a straw?. I just put it into google and there's even a specific product for wine:
http://www.winestraws.com

Of course it's likely just a marketing gimmick, and a standard cheapie straw will do.

Hardly ideal but if you are drinking chateau cardboard or something only marginally better then why not try it out.

[Lorianne]

except I'm afraid to try red wine

What about a straw?. I just put it into google and there's even a specific product for wine:
http://www.winestraws.com

Of course it's likely just a marketing gimmick, and a standard cheapie straw will do.

Hardly ideal but if you are drinking chateau cardboard or something only marginally better then why not try it out.

that's too funny! I might have to try that! (but only at home!)

[ljms]

I've had Damons for seven weeks. I'd say that they stain less than my teeth.

[quote="Lorianne"]except I'm afraid to try red wine, my favorite).[/quote]

I've cut back on red wine but I've haven't cut it out entirely. Lucky for me, one of my close friends is a sommelier and she's given my some white wine suggestions to substitute for red wine. But sometimes there is no substitute. ;)

[Lorianne]

I've had Damons for seven weeks. I'd say that they stain less than my teeth.

except I'm afraid to try red wine, my favorite).

I've cut back on red wine but I've haven't cut it out entirely. Lucky for me, one of my close friends is a sommelier and she's given my some white wine suggestions to substitute for red wine. But sometimes there is no substitute.

oh please! I'd love to know some white wine substitutes (for what it's worth!). I know what you mean.