Another New Member :0)

[Jendz]

Hi Everyone!

This site has been so helpful in the beginning of my journey toward braces. I've been periodically checking the different forum topics and I have learned so much. I finally decided to take the plunge and join in- thank you for all of your helpful information, it's made this process much, much easier reading others stories.

I had my x-rays, impressions and photos taken on November 11 th and received my treatment plan about three weeks later. I will need to have 3 teeth pulled and straightwire appliances top and bottom. I am excited and nervous at the same time. My initial appointment is December 11th and then on December 16th I will get my bottom row of teeth braced and then a week later the top teeth.

I ordered a dentakit from the website so that I will be all ready when the big day comes my way. Are there any recommendations of other items I will likely need?

[Jendz]

Hi KK and thanks for the warm welcome.

I have my appointment on Tuesday of next week- they will be putting braces on my upper teeth and arranging for my oral surgery. The following week I will have my lower braces put on... I am getting nervous and excited at the same time. I can't believe soon I will have braces!! I received my dentakit and I honestly can't wait to use it .
Wish me luck!

[LateStarter]

Hi Jendz

I understand what you mean about being excited and nervous - I had to have one tooth extracted, and before that I was feeling the same as you are, but now I've had the tooth pulled and it's getting closer to db-day, I'm just excited (well, maybe a tiny bit nervous too, but mostly excited!)! I can't wait to get started after so long putting it off.

Good luck with everything, I hope you'll keep us up to date with your progress.

LS

[wiredgrin]

Okay, now we can start sweating bullets?

At this time tomorrow I will probably already have been called to the treatment room after arriving early and fretting some on the way to the orthodontist no doubt! How are you feeling Jendz at this point? I hope you are prepping. My seven spacers have been giving me a few tense hours but that will change soon. I dont know what happened to Lilfoot our other buddy who takes the plunge tomorrow. Hope she is allright. You took an earlybird appointment and I report after work so the question about how you will handle people seeing you happens quick for you! I have a major meeting with two supervisors the following day that I am concerned about. I have heard there is often difficulty speaking to deal with and that might not be fun in front of coworkers but thats the way the cookie crumbles I guess? Just about 24 hours to go! I know they use the chairs in the treatment room to stage patients and so far I have had two rides on the very left and my records taken on the very right but tomorrow I need to be prepared to be in the thick of it, front and center looks like. Get your lip balm ready and be happy! Remember our questions for the First Day in Braces story we want to do for the board here. Think of any others? Differences between male and female brace wearers might be one as far as the reactions go?

[Jendz]

Hi Wiredgrin,

I am getting nervous a little over 12 hrs to go for me... eekk. I have been preparing my list of questions for the dentist, I have my dentakit ready and I visited the drugstore yesterday and purchased some Peroxyl and some Orabase (I get a lot of canker sores), I also purchased some mint flavored wax and a rather inexpensive powered toothbrush (on sale for $4.99). I can only imagine that the dentist (my braces are being put on by my dentist) will give me a few things/samples of items he recommends, but at the same time I also want to be prepared.

I didn't have to have spacers- at least they weren't mentioned to me. I wonder if he will say anything about them tomorrow? I guess we will find out soon enough.

Best of luck to you Wiredgrin and Lilfoot!!! Tomorrow we will be braced

[KateinCO]

Hi Jendz (and WG and Lilfoot) --

I hope that your experience has been as pain-free as possible! I got my braces last Thursday, and today I feel almost normal again .... it just takes a couple days to get used to the equipment. Just remember that at the end, you will have a lovely smile and better dental health!!

Cheers and best wishes!
Kate in Colorado

[Jendz]

My braces update:

Well I arrived early to my ortho app't and was all ready for those top braces to be put on, he tried to put the bands on my molars- and no go. My molars were too tight and the bands wouldn't fit, one of the bands he tried slipped out of his hand and went half way down my throat (not a good way to start the morning) I truly had no idea that I would be going home with spacers instead of the much anticipated top braces.

I feel as though I have been punched in the jaw on both sides of my mouth, I realize that spacers serve a purpose, but right now my mouth is saying otherwise. This has to be the most miserable I have ever been (including the removal of my wisdom teeth). I have taken a few advil since the app't with no relief, so I have a call into the dentist's office and I had to leave work because of the pain. I know I probably sound like a baby, but spacers are quite a unique and uncomfortable pain. This morning the dentist said "take some advil and you won't have any problems chewing or eating and you shouldn't have any pain"- the grumpy part of me thinks that I'd like to put some spacers between his molars and only give him some advil for the 'no pain'.

*Sigh* I guess my brace day will be postponed until next Monday.

I hope Lf and WG are doing well. Did you pick some fun holiday colors or are you going with clear ligatures ? Did they give you a welcome kit with dental goodies? Thanks for listening to my grumpiness!! Let us know how everything goes.

Latestarter, when is your B-day? Is it coming up this month?

[wiredgrin]

Sorry about the false start Jendz. I am about to walk into the orthodontist right now. Thanks again for the well wishing! I will be back with plenty of stainless steel showing if all goes as planned for me. I may need a habit appliance as well, it depends I guess. Wow, I am thinking about you and your false start. Sorry, sorry, sorry! It will get better from here, hang in there! Here I go to check in Cya!

[ekin]

Hi Jendz,

This is day three for me in braces. I hope the spacers go okay for you. I hear they are the worst part of the journey so that will be over for you soon. Yesterday the inside of my mouth was sore from rubbing but I've been doing the salt water rinse and today I'm okay - no soreness, just my teeth in the front ache.

KK, does the "full" feeling in your mouth go away? I've been told that within a month I won't even know they are there but that's hard to imagine right now.

emily

[LateStarter]

I'm sorry to hear about the delay, Jendz, especially when you psych yourself up for it to happen. I can also completely relate to your pain with the spacers. I've had mine in since the 6th, and was very sore for the first few days. As of yesterday, my teeth are feeling completely fine. It still feels weird to chew, but there's no longer any pain. Here's hoping that your pain disappears even faster!

My b-day is tomorrow (13th). I'm getting a bit nervous, particularly as I keep coming up with questions that I'm worried about the answers to. But I'm sure all will be fine - it has been so far!

I hope your pain is gone soon... just eat lots of soup, smoothies and ice cream (not all together, of course ), and you'll be fine in a couple of days!

[Jendz]

Hi LS,

I bet you are so excited about your B-day tomorow, especially after the preparations involved i.e. spacers, and the mental anguish But the super duper thing is that tomorrow the spacers will be out and you will have those braces you have been waiting for, yippee

I can't wait to hear about your experience tomorrow- what it feels like, the first person to see you in your braces, will you get the top and bottom braced tomorrow? Will you get colored ligatures or clear?

We will be thinking about you tomorrow!! You've got lots of support behind you

Thank you for the words of encouragement, I've done some warm salt water rinses (thank you KK!!!) and I've been drinking some smoothies- the pain is only half as bad as it was earlier. I am jealous you get your spacers off tomorrow- what a relief I am sure.

[LateStarter]

Hi Jendz,

I am excited, definitely! I'm trying not to think about the things that are making me nervous, since I'll have time to ask about them beforehand and there's no point getting myself worked up over it.

I'll be getting the top braced tomorrow, as well as some of the lower teeth. I can't get all of the lowers done due to the nature of my bite (my upper front teeth point inwards, so if I had the front lowers done, I'd just chew the brackets off). I'll be getting the rest done in a few months.

As for ligatures, I'm not sure whether I'm getting entirely self-ligating brackets or not. I'm still trying to decide (yes, I know the time for that is getting a bit short! ). I'll be having Damon 3mx on the lowers and some uppers, but for the front 6 upper teeth, I'm not sure whether to get 3mx on those as well, or ICE clear brackets. I'm not sure what colour ligatures my ortho has, so that's another question for tomorrow.

Thanks for your encouragement, I'll definitely let you know how it all goes!

[Jendz]

Hi KateinCO and ekin,

Thank you for your encouragement!! It really does help to know that there are others that know the pain and excitement of orthodontia!

Ekin- congrats on day three of your braces. How was the procedure for you? Did you have to have spacers, what type of braces do you have? Have you tried to use any wax or orthosil for the rubbing against your gums- I have heard that can help. KK recommends the warm salt water rinses, so it's good that you are keeping up with that.

KateinCO- it is so encouraging to hear that you are doing so well and in such a short time, I think you mentioned just since last Thursday!! Have you had to use wax for irritations? Are you able to eat more normal foods now or still sticking the soft stuff? I think Dannon yogurt smoothies and chocolate pudding are my new best friends

Thanks again for your words of orthodontic wisdom!!

[lilfoot1112]

Sorry to here That, that so sucks that your Othro did that I wish you the best with the spacers. I wish you had my Orthro he uses buccal molar brackets he did my uppers and lowers on Tuesday morning so I'm full metal mouth. Have you tryed {Tylenol extra strenght rapid release gel} that help a lot when getting hit in the mouth w/a softball feeling kick in and so did the warm salt rines to help a lot from kk I wish you the best & good luck keep me posted.

Lilfoot/Michelle