For when it overwhelms you...

[innocentsmile]

Hi!

I'm new to the forum, got braces over two months ago and so far its not half as bad as i thought it'd be!!

But reading some of the posts here its clear that some people let tiny little things bother them to the extent they won't smile, forcing themselves to be subdued and even unhappy. Some of the time I'm the same, convinced that having braces in college immediately makes people think I'm a nerd! But if everyone just posted some words of encouragement that get them through the tough times it'd amount to alot of positivity. We all need some hope, i know the first few days i had braces i felt so overwhelmed by it all. So my motto...

This is one thing and nothing else.
It's a quote from "The Alchemist" that really struck a chord with me. You know how some days you seem to spend hours in front of the mirror convinced one of your teeth is more crooked than before or that your lip now sticks out a mile?? Well forget about it, having braces is just one tiny aspect of whats going on in your life and every negative thing is just part of this one thing...

Anyone else got any advice???

[Flora2006]

I still have to think about a motto but I just wanted to say that I like this thread. We all need a good motto to get us through this

[Geri]

This is a great thread! I like to remember that teeth move in their own good time, so my motto is "slow and steady wins the day".

[tkais]

This hangs inside my medicine cabinet mirror-
Put it into perspective,
What do you hate more,
your current smile
or your braces that will make it perfect?
Hang tough!

[jcdamon3]

It is funny that you posted this because I just had an adjustment and asked the Ortho for an estimate to get these things off and he couldn't tell me. It was pretty disappointing.

This is the first time I have actually decided: Look - get over it. You are going to be in these things for however long and you might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride. The process is fascinating so why not just go with the flow?

I really kind of think I was in denial before. I mean my teeth were not that crooked, it was my bite that was really messed up. (Maybe that means my teeth *were* crooked). I'll probably miss these little buggers when they are gone

Oh, and by the way the process of having braces has made me realize a whole lot of cool things about teeth. I now have a sonicare toothbrush. How cool is that? I never even knew I could fall in love with a toothbrush! Or an interplak!

So my motto would be "Go with the flow". Or how about "Getting there is 1/2 the fun? HAHA

[PnkPrincess024]

yeea when i first got them i said to myself im never going to smile, but then i got used to it and smiled. then when the time came for my bottom teeth which were metal once again i said im not going to smile...im still having hard time with that bc i just got my first adjestment for my bottom teeth.

and also my teeth were not that crooked. when the ortho put the wire on it was completely straight, the only thing was i had a twisted tooth and some of my teeth were either gaps or crowded. so i thought that mine wouldnt take that long but no matter how your teeth are the ortho is going to say 1.5-2 years because they are not sure how fast your teeth will move.

[jennandtonic]

The first two days I got my braces I was miserable! I couldn't seem to adjust to having them in my mouth and talking around them. And any time I looked in the mirror I thought I looked so ugly.

Then I thought about it, and told myself that I PAID for these braces so I may as well get use out of them. So I smile any chance I get, I don't act like they're a big deal other than when I'm taking care of them. I haven't had negative remarks so far because I've been acting like they are no big deal, and have been positive about them when friends ask questions.

Also, after looking at the little bit of progress I've made in just three weeks, I'm very excited, and it seems like this 3 weeks has flown by. I'm hoping maybe this next two years will fly by, too!

So, I suppose that's my long winded way of saying: The more positive you are, the faster it goes.

[Brandyleigh35]

How about "that which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger" LOl....just kidding of course.

Personally I'm a firm believer that Attitude is Everything! You can decide how this journey is going to be for you. You can make the best of it and it will be tolerable, or you can focus on the negative and it will be awful. You decide! I like to keep my eye on the prize, which is the end results. In the big scheme of things....a year or two is such an inconsequential amount of time for a perfect smile and bite, and I have a lot that has to be done (pretty invasive stuff) like the SARPE, and eventual jaw surgery, oh and did I mention that I'm old (41.) Here are a few I like:

That which you focus on you will get more of.

It is wonderful how quickly you get used to things, even the most astonishing.

"You never see the bad days in a photo album but it’s those days that get us from one happy snapshot to the next."

There'll be two dates on your tombstone
And all your friends will read 'em
But all that's gonna matter is that little dash between 'em..."

Brandy

[Evelyn]

Great topic!

My favorite that has always helped me when I get so sick of these and have those hours in front of the mirror imagining what I'd look like without them is from a Barlow Girl song:

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Have I got it?
Cause Mirror you've always told me who I am
I'm finding it's not easy to be perfect
So sorry you won't define me
Sorry you don't own me

Who are you to tell me
That I'm less than what I should be?

It puts things into perspective, there's a lot more to life than looks, and just because your smile might be metallic doesn't mean you still can't be beautiful

Eve

[hannah164]

I love this topic! Everybody has given some awesome advice!

I guess sometimes we just need a little push to get us through! I think this is one of those times! After 22 months out of a 4 year estimate, my ortho is finally starting to get things moving but the problem is that I'm seeing things get worse not better! Gaps where there weren't before and my bite is way out of whack! Kind of seems like we're moving backwards not forward, a lil' depressing!

Am I the only one who sometimes feels embarrassed smiling? I just feel lately that everyone is looking at my teeth when I laugh or smile! Maybe its just a temporary self conscience thing and I'm hoping I'll get over it! I haven't stopped smiling or anything I just feel really embarrassed about my smile when I do!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did the braces thing because my smile was, well still is pretty bad! Sometimes it just seems like you might not make it to that amazing smile in the end!

Just keep moving right along through 'til we all have that awesome smile!

~Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05
Last Adjustment was 2/1/06 where they bonded a bracket to my cuspid, which was impacted!!!! OUCH!
Next Adjustment: February 28, 2006

[hannah164]

I love this topic! Everybody has given some awesome advice!

I guess sometimes we just need a little push to get us through! I think this is one of those times! After 22 months out of a 4 year estimate, my ortho is finally starting to get things moving but the problem is that I'm seeing things get worse not better! Gaps where there weren't before and my bite is way out of whack! Kind of seems like we're moving backwards not forward, a lil' depressing!

Am I the only one who sometimes feels embarrassed smiling? I just feel lately that everyone is looking at my teeth when I laugh or smile! Maybe its just a temporary self conscience thing and I'm hoping I'll get over it! I haven't stopped smiling or anything I just feel really embarrassed about my smile when I do!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did the braces thing because my smile was, well still is pretty bad! Sometimes it just seems like you might not make it to that amazing smile in the end!

Just keep moving right along through 'til we all have that awesome smile!

~Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05
Last Adjustment was 2/1/06 where they bonded a bracket to my cuspid, which was impacted!!!! OUCH!
Next Adjustment: February 28, 2006

[hannah164]

Sorry about double post!

~Hannah

I love this topic! Everybody has given some awesome advice!

I guess sometimes we just need a little push to get us through! I think this is one of those times! After 22 months out of a 4 year estimate, my ortho is finally starting to get things moving but the problem is that I'm seeing things get worse not better! Gaps where there weren't before and my bite is way out of whack! Kind of seems like we're moving backwards not forward, a lil' depressing!

Am I the only one who sometimes feels embarrassed smiling? I just feel lately that everyone is looking at my teeth when I laugh or smile! Maybe its just a temporary self conscience thing and I'm hoping I'll get over it! I haven't stopped smiling or anything I just feel really embarrassed about my smile when I do!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did the braces thing because my smile was, well still is pretty bad! Sometimes it just seems like you might not make it to that amazing smile in the end!

Just keep moving right along through 'til we all have that awesome smile!

~Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05
Last Adjustment was 2/1/06 where they bonded a bracket to my cuspid, which was impacted!!!! OUCH!
Next Adjustment: February 28, 2006

[Billie]

Hi everyone,

Great outlooks!!!

Let's face it we all have good days and bad days---that's life!!

But thanks be to people who invent such forums as this were we can let it all hang out and support one another, I just joined and I have already meet so many nice people.

I really don't have a motto, but I have had negative comments, and I think alot of the way we deal with our situations has alot to do with age sometimes, I really try to fill every negative with two positives or more, it seems to help plus I have come to a point at my age, as I'm sure some can agree, that other peoples opinions don't change who we really are.

one funny thing is that at the church I go to their are over 100 youth between the ages of 13-19 and some of them have braces and when they saw me with braces at 35, they thought it was pretty cool!!! I always tell them I'm a 19 year-old trapped in a 35 year-olds body!!

[Lin]

I keep my motto in my signature here (take a look below).

The way I look at my own braces journey, it's a big personal challenge for me. I am one of those people with a low tolerance for pain and a lot of dental/medical-related phobias. I also have depression, and this can compound the other problems. I knew this would be tough, and the hardest part (surgery) is yet to come... but the way I see things, my life isn't worth living unless I take some risks, take on some challenges, and face my fears in forward steps to improve myself as a person, inside and out.

It might look like I'm straightening my teeth to others, but the truth is I'm straightening up a lot of other stuff inside me at the same time. I can either make the best of my life, or sit in a corner for the rest of it, wondering what could have happened if I had tried.

[Billie]

Dear Lin,

I'm sorry to hear about your depression, I know by your positive outlook that you probablly don't want sympathy, but I can sympathize as I have had post-partum depression with my first child, it is not easy, but your outlook is a great answer for many that suffer from depression.

Keep goin!!!!!!!