To brace or not to brace? UK Newbie 32 Fast Braces

[Ataerys14]

That is the question...
Hi there, boy am I glad I stumbled across this site whilst researching!! Who knew there were so many people in my position?
I'm from the UK, Female, 32 happily settled with my partner and daughter and there is just one problem - I hate smiling and never show teeth

For as long as I can remember - HATED my teeth, for most of my adult life I've been aware that I hide them, I don’t even face time
Their colour (yellow from years of smoking - now 7 days "smoke free" - go me) and failing to brush effectively due to over crowding
Their size - if they were straight and white they'd look stunning - but alas they are neither :(
Their wonkeyness (if that’s even a word)

Well I thought I hated them until a dentist told me I would almost certainly lose them...all in time if I didn’t do something to correct them and deal with my gums (found out I have gum disease pockets are around 3mm) and I sought so many darn opinions I'm pretty confused and terrified

My new dentist and orthodontist also has strongly recommended "fast braces" to ensure the treatment time is as short as possible so as not to exacerbate the issues but to straighten the teeth making them easier to clean. From the initial consultation she feels that they could be off in as little as 5-6 months and I would need to keep my hygiene visits up once per month in that time

I'm scared, of the extraction (lower right pointy tooth - sorry I'm new) as its way outta line, my upper right one is out of line too but she seems to think this one is "on the arch"
She also wants to "slenderise" the teeth which sounds just horrid instead of removing 3 other teeth
Nothing could be worse that the current bad breath, fear of losing teeth and embarrassment, well maybe except the cost £2950!! Ouch

I guess my question is rhetorical, I know what I need to do but am literally petrified, and I’m quite a nervous patient and a slight wimp also
I need to call my orthodontist in the morning to make the appointment...

Hoping any seasoned (or not) braced will offer some words of wisdom, or indeed a kick in the you know what to help me come to your senses

Yours sincerely
Unbraced scardy cat (Ataerys)

[Langers00]

Hi, and welcome. I'm a newcomer to all this and whilst I wasn't quite the scardy cat you are, the thought of extractions didn't make laying down in the chair all that appealing.

Having done it, the old adage of 'why the hell didn't i do this years ago' springs to mind.

Extractions where easy, the injections - meh, even they weren't that bad!

The worst part for me was waiting 4hrs for the anaesthetic to wear off. I felt sorry for myself and obliged to sit watching rubbish daytime TV, although Homes Under the Hammer was a nice surprise.

Your treatment time seems very short, I'm in it for the long run, 18mnths so mine must be three times worse than yours!! :0)

Make the appointment, focus on the long term and then just plough on through it. At the end you will not have to hide the smile and will probably be full of confidence.

Go on girl!

[Langers00]

Oh and buy a Waterpik Water-flosser. Makes cleaning the hard to clean teeth easy. Plus it's great fun. I can hit my cat from six feet away. (Joke- no animals where hurt during water flossing)

[Ataerys14]

Still lol
Thanks so much for your response - your so right I need to "man up" so to speak, the orthodontist is lovely and has explained everything fully. Was going to get yet another opinion but feel comfortable with her and think anymore will confuse me even more

I honestly thought I would be in for a long haul, I would class my teeth as badly overcrowded, my lips hide the canines (think thats what they are called) so I look like an extra from Alien vs Predator when smiling lol but its only on the right. Apparently these "fastbraces" move the teeth and the root gently but at the same time whereas normal braces move one then the other but keeping my mind open if that time is much longer

I have a week off work over Easter so was hoping to get them on then - but the more I think about it I should avoid Easter because
1) I love food....mmmm
2) I should aim to get back to work quickly or I will end up watching Jeremy Kyle feeling sorry for myself lol

Thanks again for the advice - I know you are right
Will let you know how I get on.....eeeek! :D

[Ataerys14]

LMAO
Just saw the water pick disclaimer... poor kitty
Good shout about the water pick though - thanks

[mmkay]

You should be able to safely bleach your teeth at the end to improve their shade.

When she says "slenderise" teeth, I presume that means IPR, which is common, but it's a question of degree.

If you have serious gum issues you may want to ask about a referral to a periodontist.

[Ataerys14]

Thanks for the response mmkay
Yes she has mentioned I can go for the teeth whitening at the end - which will be fab
Yes IPR - couldnt think of the naming when posting, she says by a few mm but will get exact's at my appointment on Tuesday

Your last comment is the one thats got me - I have been told that my gum issues are very serious by a peridontist who wanted to charge £150 just for a chat with no treatment who also told me that she couldnt refer me to hospital, then by others that I do need a regular hygienist visit to keep ontop of things, but that if I keep my appointments to monthly from now on I can revert back to 3-6 months post braces - I've had so many opinions on the spectrum of "serious" I'm confused and scared

[Ataerys14]

Oh and Langers00 - I've only gone and done it - appointment to "get braced" on Tuesday 15th pics (and potentially self pity) to follow - thanks for the support :)

[mmkay]

It's a way off, but you can go for the cheaper/slower/less convenient route of home whitening without dentist involvement (same product just not as strong so takes longer to bleach). Your dentist may try to sell you some profitable chair-side and/or take home kit.

I'd think a periodontist might have something to contribute with regards to questions such as whether orthodontic treatment should be delayed until your gum disease is brought under better control (to the extent it can be given your crowding). If I were you I'd feel more comfortable with their approval to proceed with orthodontic treatment.

[TheKT]

Just do it! Don't look back!

[Langers00]

Yay! Good job on making the appointment. Simply put, you will never regret doing it.

Although i dont buy into all of this mumbo-jumbo, i try to live my life by two 'phrases'. PMA - Possitive Mental Attitude (tough to adhere to this ALL the time!) & ' It's nice to be nice'

So keep possitive, take a deep breath and it'll be over before you know it.

[Ataerys14]

Thanks for the responses guys - feeling very positive today, even though I've had to push my bracing back a week - boo due to work commitments I cant get out of. I have though managed to get an extra hygienist appointment in before then which makes me feel much better - having another deep clean before they go on
I've also invested in a nice new SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM toothbrush and water pik to follow

You are both right TheKT and Langers00 - I dont think I can regret it, but what I would regret is not having taken the opportunity to do this when I could, so with that said I am actually feeling positive

MMKay - thanks and agreed more than one peridontists opinion has been sought, except they havent entirely agreed The first one I saw said my gums were terrible, tooth loss, surgery etc without so much as an xray. The other one I saw was supported by my orthodontist and hygienist and was of the opinion that unless I correct my overcrowding no amount of deep scaling or debridement (which I havent had to have as yet and hopefully not) will improve my situation as the gums are bad / worse in the area that has the crowding predominantly

[Ataerys14]

Oops I obviously missed the newbie note not to add brand names into posts - sorry Admin

[parsleysage]

Well I for one am just as confused as you! 3mm pockets are within the range of health as far as gums go. At a recent exam after many years of neglect, my entire mouth was between 1-3mm except for three teeth which were between 3-5mm and I only needed the latter debrided. Do you have any gum recession? Unless you heard the measurements incorrectly, I am certainly confused as to why a periodontist told you they were concerned about bone loss which can begin to happen at 5mm.

Now, all that said, if you DO have gum disease, I cannot imagine that you would be put in braces without a deep scaling. Gum disease means your gum tissue is infected. Braces move your teeth within the gum tissue... braces while you have gum disease could cause your teeth to fall out! You would need to remove the tartar that is irritating the gum tissue before beginning treatment. Not to say that your dentist is wrong that overcrowding is probably exacerbating the hygiene issues, it will definitely help to straighten out the teeth for that, but you would still need a deep cleaning before you get started with the braces. That's IF you have gum disease!

[Ataerys14]

Hi Parsleysage - tell me about it LOL
I have had what they call a "complex scale" previously every 3 months, I missed one and then when I advised hygienist I wanted braces she upped complex scales to 1 per month (currently in second month) with the next one next week. I definitely have gum disease unfortunately this I know - I had my first hygiene visit in March last year (first ever in my life after some years of neglect like yourself - naughty I now know)
My hygienist was quite calm and confident that we'd caught it early and that regular complex scales would stop it progressing and improve gum health. I didnt have any gum recession at that time but I do have the beginnings now on my front lower teeth

It was the dentist (and orthodontist) who I heard saying 3.1 etc and the nurse was putting it into a chart. The peridontist did use that same probe thing but didnt say anything except my gums were really bad and that I should privately consult with her....wishing I had asked all these questions of her now