Just wanted to say hello....

[chainreaction]

Hi , I'm new ..I've been checking out this forum for awhile now ...getting braces next week ! Looking forward to finally getting them but also very nervous at the same time (Im 51) ...can't wait for my "new smile " to begin...

[Marigold]

Hi there! I got mine 3 months ago at age 46. They have been a real pain in some ways, but the end result will be worth it. You just have to learn to adapt and ride it out. This board is great. It's comforting to know there's a friendly place to come and vent when you have gripes or concerns. Good luck!

[revelvia]

Welcome! How long are you expected to have them for?

[laura5535]

I was wondering -- Did you have to have any extractions for your brace plan to work? I was just wondering because I was told that the older we are the more likely it is that we will have to have extractions in order for braces to work.

[chainreaction]

Im supposed to have them 23-28 months ...so far no extractions ..time will tell..if my arch expands enough ....going with Damon Clear on top ...Damon metal on bottom ...

[lgee24]

Good luck, I have had mine on two months now and I had those moments right after where I was like really what did I just do?? Now i am kind of starting to see a difference and my teeth moving I have been taking pictures and the other day I was going through them I got so excited because I can actually tell a difference. Just remember it will be worth it in the end you dont have that long at all to wear them!

[flbeachgirl]

Hi....I just had my top braces, clear, placed on Friday (I am 42). It hasn't been too uncomfortable and the most notable has been not being able to eat a lot of foods. I am hoping that getting the bottom ones will be just as uneventful, although not until May. This is a great forum and answers a lot of questions....

[chainreaction]

Lots of support here to ease fears ..learning alot ...I am mostly gonna miss eating certain foods for sure ..I love sushi ..dont know how that will work out ..thanks for all of your input!

[flbeachgirl]

Funny you should mention sushi.... I will be trying that on tomorrow night!! I am thinking "knife and fork"...will let you know!!

[stepher7]

Lots of support here to ease fears ..learning alot ...I am mostly gonna miss eating certain foods for sure ..I love sushi ..dont know how that will work out ..thanks for all of your input!

I can comment on the sushi, as I also love it and had some a few weeks ago for the first time with braces. Once your bite feels normal again (it was about 2 weeks for me, different for everyone though) and you can chew again, sushi isn't a problem at all! The only thing I'd suggest is to make sure you have LOTS of water handy because the rice gets stuck and feels weird lol other than that, eat to your hearts content!! PS I also have Damon clear on top and metal on bottom and I think not having elastics really helps with stuff like rice being easier to swish out with water. Good luck!

[chainreaction]

OK ...Got" Braced" Tuesday morning 10am....wasnt so bad... the cheek retractor thing was killing my lips but that was the worst part ...never tasted the "vile"glue I was warned about ...for a little while it felt like my teeth were all broken on the edges but that passed ..after 2 hours I was getting used to the feeling but then again I wasnt talking too much or eating ..actually my teeth at that time kinda went "numb" I really couldnt feel them..kind of like you feel after snorkeling for a few hours and clenching your teeth .My lip kept getting stuck above the bracket on one side (my mouth was very dry )and I figured it would be really bad at night because Im a mouth breather and it always gets dryed out .Ate some eggdrop soup with fried rice in it ..was really weird I kept thinking I was gonna swallow my brackets or something metal ...gave up on that because the rice went everywhere under and around the brackets.Was starving and ate a banana cut up small .I had a headache since I woke that morning ..got worse but not sure if it was from the braces ..so I took 2 aspirin and went to bed .I actually slept rather good ..I was waiting for some pain to begin but it never happened ...my lip didnt get stuck and nothing felt too bad .Flossing was alittle difficult but that was about all as far as "maintainence " issues .So far so good !!!!!!!

[chainreaction]

thank you sushi eaters for replying and easing my mind ...I dont think I could live without it for 2 years !!!!!!

[chainreaction]

[quote="flbeachgirl"]Funny you should mention sushi.... I will be trying that on tomorrow night!! I am thinking "knife and fork"...will let you know!![/quote]
I think fork and knife is a great idea !!!!or only very small rolls.....

[flbeachgirl]

Just as a follow up.....sushi went well, although alot of rice stuck in braces, nothing a good "swishing" of water didn't fix. So far not so bad. Does anyone have the "clear" braces? and if so, do you see them getting discolored? I am faithful in brushing my teeth sometimes up to 5 times per day after drinking coffee or anything else that may discolor them, but I am seeing them discolor none the less. Any ideas?? My ortho said he would change them out if I didn't like them, but I don't know if I want to go through all of that....

[chainreaction]

Glad the sushi went well ,I have the clear braces on my top teeth ...although its only been 1 week ..havent noticed any color change yet ...I dont drink coffee ...have one cup of hot tea every morning tho ...we will see!