Getting Nervous

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#1 Post by **missing_tooth** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:21 am

Anyone get nervous before getting braces. Dont' get me wrong, I am excited about getting this done. But at times I get nervous and start to question all the decisions I've made. Things going through my head like, Did you really need to do this?, You know, that missing tooth of yours doesn't look that bad, This is costing a lot of money, was this really a responsible thing to do?

I do believe I am doing the right thing though. One, my impacted tooth may not come down if I wait. Secondly, I will most likely loose a couple teeth if I wait. Can it wait a for while, yeah probably a good while. Lastly, for my looks, tired of hiding my smile.

I'm sure I'm not alone. It's probably pretty normal. Probably wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't joining the unemployed next month. What is your story of nerves?

- Missing Tooth -

Website · #2 Post by **Kell** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:07 am

I'm very nervous. It's all I can think about. My questions are, should I do this? Is it worth the money? Am I going to regret it once they are on? Is it really that bad to have crooked teeth? Shouldn't I save this money for my kids to get braces since we don't have orthodontic insurance? How am I going to feel about the way I look with them? How much is it going to hurt? Is eating going to be a big pain? I could go on and on. The good thing is that my husband is very supportive and he doesn't seem to question the need at all and isn't worried about the cost. That helps me so much because if I had to justify them to myself and to him I'd really be struggling.

I'm going to be so nervous next Thursday morning when they put them on. My stomach is going to be in knots. I felt sick to my stomach just waiting for the consultation appointment.

Website · #3 Post by **Kell** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:14 am

This board is definitely going to be my lifeline in all of this. No one else I know would really understand. I'd much rather ask people going through similiar things my questions than just ask the doctor or his assistants. It's always nice to know you aren't alone.

#4 Post by **Flora2006** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:50 am

Getting braces is a really important matter to consider. Unlike a lot of people on this board, I didn't have much time to think about it because I never considered getting braces...ever. I went to my dentist last month and that's when it all started. Originally I wanted to just get cosmetic surgery because of one dental crossbite that i have...that was the only thing that was really bothering me but then my dentist said that getting braces would change a lot of things and would make my teeth healthier in the long run. So i decided to do it even though the whole idea was a nightmare for me.

I've had braces since monday and I still hate it...i don't like the feeling, i'm also really really self-conscious about them...I can't bite at all because the bracket on the tooth that has the crossbite touches my lower tooth so i basically have to wait until that tooth is aligned in order to be able to bite down and chew more than mash potatoes...

But in the long run...even with all the second thoughts and the bad times and the stress of having / getting braces... it will be worth it... keep that in mind

#5 Post by **Gel** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:25 am

Don't sweat. I was really nervous too. I think that as I look back on the reasons I got braces, it makes me really happy that I have them.
Before I got my braces I was always trying to hide my smile. Now I find myself smiling at everything. I am so happy that my smile is straightening up I can't hide it, so I don't even try. I smile all the time and I love it!
Good Luck and as KK says, deep breathing exercises. She sure helped me a lot when I got my braces!

#6 Post by **missing_tooth** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:25 pm

I'm going to be so nervous next Thursday morning when they put them on. My stomach is going to be in knots. I felt sick to my stomach just waiting for the consultation appointment.

Looks like were in the same boat. Thursday morning for me as well.

#7 Post by **dena** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:58 pm

I was totally nervous. Besides the time and money commitment (which are really big deals!), and the fear of being an adult with braces, it's a big change. I was always so sensitive about my teeth, and the week before I got the braces, it really hit me that this was going to change my life forever--how I think about myself, how I see myself, frankly a bit of my identity... All of that was going to change. I think it's a little overwhelming. I hope I don't sound overly dramatic, but I know if I had to list 25 of my most prominent characteristics, my teeth being crooked would have always been on that list...the fact that that's changing really gave me pause.

What's really cool is that it's a big relief once it's done!

#8 Post by **missing_tooth** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:13 pm

Thanks to everyone for your stories and encouragement.

I know if I had to list 25 of my most prominent characteristics, my teeth being crooked would have always been on that list

Although I never thought much about the spaces between my teeth. My wife confessed that it was one of the first things she noticed about me when we first met.

#9 Post by **nvcarissa** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:12 am

Oh yeah, I was nervous. The biggest thing was the money...even with dental insurance...there is still plenty out of pocket.

I was nervous that I would look weird, that my husband wouldn't find me attractive, that people would stare at me (none has happened).

I was nervous that I was being too self-indulgent...but my ortho and oral surgeon have shown me that this is far more than just a cosmetic correction of my teeth...it is a structural correction of my bite that will help relieve my headaches and jaw pain.

Now I am just biding time until my surgery, which is the next big hurdle. Once that is done I will feel like I am on the downhill side of treatment.

#10 Post by **missing_tooth** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:27 am

The biggest thing was the money...even with dental insurance...there is still plenty out of pocket.

Insurance, lucky you.

#11 Post by **bckydgardnr** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:59 am

I am coming up on my year anniversary with braces. When I look back at this time last year, I was REALLY nervous, felt guilty because of the amount of money I was spending on myself and thinking do I really need to do this. I am so pleased with my progress and the courage it takes to be 37, and be an educator in a middle school with 500 preteens and teenagers saying "You have braces just like me!"
It is totally natural to be nervous, it's huge committment, but so worth it!

gardnr

#12 Post by **jrbecca** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:44 pm

We are in the same boat, Missing Tooth! I can empathize with your feeling nervous--this is a huge step to take, both mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. What you must remind yourself is that the rewards far outweigh the costs. Imagine the many, many years ahead of you for which you'll be sporting a beautiful, straight smile. Imagine never again posing for a photo with your lips shut tight. Imagine being able to floss with ease and aceing your hygienist appointments. Imagine the confidence you'll exude when meeting someone for the first time. There are so many wonderful things to come, and all it takes is a little bit of patience and persistence.

That being said, your smile will never be the same again, which is as frightening as it is exciting. The smile you've flashed yourself in the mirror all your life will be gone--only a memory. What you've grown comfortable with will be no more. It's almost as if you're erasing a part of what makes you you--and that is a very scary thought.

With four days left until my braces go on, I am having these same scary, last-minute thoughts. You're not alone. My teeth have defined my entire adult life. It's hard to find a picture in which I'm giving an open-mouthed smile (not even my senior pictures from high school!). I've gotten used to my crooked teeth--have identified my "good" and "bad" sides based on my crooked smile. To think that in just two years, my smile will forever change. Well, it's almost sad.

But then, just two days ago, I walked into a job interview and smiled at the panel, only to have everyone look at my crooked teeth first, not the new suit I bought, or my well-teased hairstyle. It was that fleeting moment of shame and embarrassment that reaffirmed my decision to get braces. Soon, my teeth will not be a consideration of future employers, just an outward sign of my confident, warm personality. And so will yours.

#13 Post by **missing_tooth** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:15 pm

I understand the whole job thing. I recently had a job interview and well, did my best to do the closed mouth smile. I wanted my new Trump suit and professionalism to shine though. Now I get to do job interviews with braces, hoping colored ligs don't look immature.

In any event, I will be not be backing out. I got a good deal on my braces. I don't however believe I will be saying goodbye to the smile I've always known. I believe I will be saying hello to the smile I know has always been there. Impacted adult cainin, lost the baby cainin.

Sooo many changes coming this year, so many changes.

// When it rains it pours

- Missing Tooth -

#14 Post by **dena** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:04 pm

jrbecca--I totally hear you. I actually felt a little sad, too. I was definitely going through with it, but there are steps you take in life that change you forever. It's like taking a long trip--you know you'll come back a different person--probably a better person! But you can't help but miss that little part of yourself you'll never see again.

#15 Post by **ssfw** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 9:52 am

Hi Meryaten,

Yes, because of money being committed in the FSA, I knew I had to proceed with the ortho treatment. If it wouldn't have been for the FSA, I think there's a very good chance I would have delayed beginning ortho treatment and in the long run it may have turned into an indefinite delay, which means not going through with the ortho treatment at all. This entered my mind several times and I often told myself I was glad for this commitment to FSA because the sooner I begin ortho treatment, the sooner I'll be done, even if it does take 20 months.

Did you ever have similar thoughts?

ssfw

Meryaten wrote:I often wonder if I'd have backed out if it were not for money being committed in the FSA.

I think it's perfectly normal to be apprehensive about something like this - it is a big change in your life. But as you said yourself, it will certainly be worth it in the end.