New Member

[Crimsonjonas]

Hello everyone. My name is Jonathan, and I have been braced since Dec. 10, 2009. I have just found this website and after reading a number of the stories from other members anxiety and excitement of getting their braces on to reading the stories of members getting them off, I am really excited about having my braces now for almost 6 months.

I tell everyone that my braces were my Christmas gift to myself! LOL!

I am 32, and wow, what a difference having them already has made for my self-confidence in my smile, and in me. When I was 13-14 the dentist wanted me to go ahead and be placed into braces, but at that time Dad was not financially able to do so. So, the years passed and eventually I just forgot about it until last summer when one of my molars started to bother me.

After finding a dentist that accepted my insurance, I was back in the dentist office and getting my teeth cleaned, and after a few months of brushing and flossing, like I should have been doing all along, I finally got the nerve to ask them about braces.

A couple months later on Dec. 10, it was "Braces Day" for me. It was cool at first because I was the only patient in the office that day, and the two ladies that put the brackets on me were so nice. They even high 5'ed one another when I had my brackets on. "They said, dude, you're wearing brackets!" I looked in the mirror and sure enough I had the hardware on my teeth, truthfully it felt like spikes on my teeth. I was amazed a bit. Then the rest of the process was complete and I drove home.

It was interesting seeing the metal in my mouth when I parted my lips. Sort of like the "Jaws" character from the James Bond movies. LOL! Then reality hit me as to what I can eat and what I could not eat, plus the pain of trying to eat a bit for those first few days afterwards. Of course the dental wax was a must for me for about the first month.

Now, I dont use it as my mouth has gotten used to everything and I hardly notice them. Helping me along was my boss. He had just gone thru the whole process and had his braces taken off as I was just going into mine. He kept telling me that the 18 months will fly by. Here I am right at six months later, 1/3, of the way finished and he's right.

During the first week or so I kept wanting to just rip them off at night, especially when I was trying to sleep. That foreign feeling in my mouth just made it feel weird, but eventually you forget about it.

I know that in the end it will all be worth it and I am glad that I decided to have this done. I look forward to sharing my story with other members here and making a few "brace faced" friends on here.

[amy2u]

It's nice to meet you! Thanks for sharing your story. I hope the next 12 months go as fast for you as your first 6 have gone.

I just got my braces a week ago today, and I'm already looking forward to the day the come off. lol

[NikkiC87]

I would recommend taking as many pictures as possible. I have had my braces on for 1 week and 2 days and it had been the best choice I have ever made. I'm glad your excited, and probably pretty anxious about seeing changes. Good luck!