Metal Mouth Message Board

Hello there everyone, I'm new to these forums and have posted my info on the Brackets Club page.

I'm 32 and getting a brace on my top teeth in Jan 2006, my Ortho says this will be for 9 months to 1 year. I am getting used to the idea of wearing the brace and am determined to go though with it for the end result but I have one prob, I really hate people messing with my mouth, I've always been like it and I'm terrible in the dentists chair, he only has to lean over and I'm shrinking in the seat!! I think a lot of it is coz my gag reflex is really bad therefore I cant stand anything that I think will make me gag. Can anyone tell me if the procedure getting the braces on will freak me out, I'm not good with pain either!

Terrible aren't I!!

Welcome to the forum!
You sound a little worked up about the whole thing. It is not half as bad getting braced up as you would think. On the scale from 1 to 10 pain and discomfort, and fear, 1 being the worst, I would say:
1. tooth extraction
2. filling
5. cleaning
10. getting braced
As for the pain after the braces are in, well we all have it different. You can help that with painkillers and coming here to vent .
Hope it all goes well for you!

Hi there and thanks for the welcome

Wow, you have put getting the braces on at number 10 in your list, I'm really pleased to see that. Yes I have been getting a little worked up over the whole thing, it's just me, I've always had a fear of Dentistry which has probably been caused by not going enough! I'm one of the these people that hates it when someone or something else is in control

Well, luckily I havent got to have an extraction, the reason for my brace is a canine tooth on the left side that is pushed back and twisted, he wants that to come to the front and then I have a gap between my two front teeth that hopefully will close....yay!

How are you getting on with your braces?

I had to have four premolars out, all at once by my choice. Couldn't talk after that for an hour (imagine). Couldn't eat properly for a week
I am doing OK with the braces. First two days they were painfull but then the pain stoped and i got used to them. Also I had wire change this week so that was sore the next day, only got better quickly.

I do have up moments about them but also down ones too. I do not tolerate pain also and if I can do it I think you should be OK too. I found this painkillers PARAMOL, you can get them at Boots, they really work and you don't have to put up with pain.

If you ever have a low moment shout Kareeeeeeeeen! She picks me up all the time!

oh my word, you have really gone through it havent you, I feel ashamed now about my worries!

I've heard of Paramol, I'll defo check them out, one thing I will say is that I have found soluble tablets better, they work quicker on easing pain.

You have helped loads, I actually just popped out in my lunch hour and felt a spring in my step at getting my brace!! I'm reading about everyone on here and what they are going through and I know I can now do it too. The thought of having nice straight teeth with no gaps is gonna keep me going too

Hey I like the ticker thing you've got going on in your signature, I'll defo have to get me one of those, its a great idea.

My recommendation would be to start practising fiddling with your mouth yourself, and try and "desensitise" yourself.

Regarding the orthodontic treatment: if you are just getting a top brace on, it's all going to be done on the front of your teeth. They won't be reaching inside. You'll even have your teeth closed through most of it.

You get a big lip expander thing on which bares your teeth wide, then they just stick the brackets and wire on. Nothing gets poked inside your mouth except the saliva-extractor pipe which you can hold onto and control, as though it were a toothbrush.

You can also request for the chair to be a little more upright if the lying back thing makes you nervous.

But it's really not so bad, and the pain isn't bad putting it on, it's only afterwards it aches (but you can take painkillers, and it's kind of "good pain" - ie teeth moving!)

<B>NB: This is *really* weird: I originally typed "saliva s u c k e r" pipe, and it auto-changed it to "saliva inhale upon pipe". What a very odd piece of censorship, particularly as s u c k i n g is kind of relevant to mouth/dental stuff!

I understand your mouth phobia!

I didn't start losing my baby teeth until I was 10 years old, and it freaked me out. Plus, my family was quite poor so I NEVER went to a dentist until I was 19 years old. Amazing that I've never had a cavity, huh?

So because of these weird teeth occurrences, I've developed a huge fear of dentists and mouth things... the drill? AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

But I've managed to keep myself calm through all of my ortho treatments. I've even managed to handle the DRILL that the ortho uses to prime the teeth for the brackets (but if I ever get a cavity, I don't know what I'll do to deal with a filling!) One thing that might help you if you're really terrified of mouth stuff: ask your ortho to write a prescription for 1 Valium before you get your braces on. I know, that sounds really extreme, but it might get you through the anxiety.

Good luck on your journey.

I've always had a fear of Dentistry which has probably been caused by not going enough!

I can definitely agree with that! I REALLY hate going to the dentist, but I love going to the orthodontist! Maybe it's just because they're all so friendly and smiley, but I look forward to my appointments. As my pain/ discomfort scale, everything would be a 10 (super easy, hardly feelable) except for the molds, which don't hurt but feel like a huge mouthful (I'd say an 8 ), and getting your braces taken off, which is definitely bearable (maybe a 4 or 5). Hopefully your ortho experiences will end up better than your dental

Welcome to the board. Good luck and congrats on wanting to go through with it!