Braces at last aged 51
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Braces at last aged 51
Hi,
I've always hated my teeth - overjet of 6mm - and I finally got braces two days ago at the age of 51. I had one tooth removed last week and I've got ceramic braces on top and bottom with white arch wire and a big elastic band where the tooth was removed.
I cried when I got home from the orthodontist's because it all looked so huge and obvious inside my mouth and I can barely close my lips over the whole lot! I can't believe how painful my teeth are and the inside of my mouth is already shredded. I can't eat at all and its too painful to speak. I know its early days but I wasn't really prepared for this...
I've always hated my teeth - overjet of 6mm - and I finally got braces two days ago at the age of 51. I had one tooth removed last week and I've got ceramic braces on top and bottom with white arch wire and a big elastic band where the tooth was removed.
I cried when I got home from the orthodontist's because it all looked so huge and obvious inside my mouth and I can barely close my lips over the whole lot! I can't believe how painful my teeth are and the inside of my mouth is already shredded. I can't eat at all and its too painful to speak. I know its early days but I wasn't really prepared for this...
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Re: Braces at last aged 51
Hang in there! Things will get more comfortable quite quickly.
Use plenty of lip balm - I find my lips get really dry and applying lipstick is a) hard and b) tends to make lipstick go all over the brackets.
Use plenty of lip balm - I find my lips get really dry and applying lipstick is a) hard and b) tends to make lipstick go all over the brackets.
Re: Braces at last aged 51
Thanks for the words of encouragement BellaBraces. Its day 5 now and the pain is slightly better. Just wondering - how long was the inside of your mouth sore with ulcers etc? Are we talking weeks or months?
Re: Braces at last aged 51
Hi, Just know that you're not in this game all alone. I am 62 and just got my braces on Jan.31st this year. A major adjustment for sure, but I have no regrets as I have wanted this all my life. My back molar teeth were beginning to fracture and break and my dentist strongly encouraged me to get braces and improve the alignment, otherwise any restoration work would be futile (crowns and re-fillings would all break and I would be spending a small fortune to continue repairing my teeth, or - the alternative would be dentures (no thank you). Braces then became the obvious choice for me. It was surreal at first, not believing that I could actually go through with this, but I am glad I did. It is difficult, but it is like you read on these blogs, it does get better with time. I didn't have a difficult time adjusting so much to the actual brackets, it is all the other apparatus, such as spacers, molar bands with cleats, springs, elastics etc (and who knows what surprises lay in wait for me down the road?). Just be patient and pamper yourself as best you can....use your wax, I didn't use this in the beginning as I thought I wanted the scar tissue to build up so I wouldn't get canker sores...but they eventually came my way anyways, so I use more wax now; warm salt water and mouthwashes (no alcohol) help too. I found Colgate Peroxyl is good, but I use it sparingly as it is expensive. As for how you look, don't worry about that, I find after the initial novelty wears off, your colleagues and friends rarely notice, nor do they care. They have their own issues to concern them. In fact if people don't notice and comment, I usually feel compelled to tell them - a great conversation starter (don't yet know why I do this!). Most, if not all people will admire you for doing this and wish they could, if they themselves have dental issues. That's when you can pat yourself on the back. People will all tell you the time will fly by and we know this is true, but I can relate with you - it sure doesn't feel like it right now. I am coping much better now, eating well (albeit a learning experience). You will survive and see that as the weeks go by, you will be feeling much better. This site is great for support and comraderie....so check in often. Take care, many are thinking about you
Re: Braces at last aged 51
Back to work tomorrow for the first time since the braces. I's sure everyone will notice because even though they are ceramic, they're really obvious. I feel really anxious about it.
Re: Braces at last aged 51
Hi - Yes, that first day back at work is difficult. I remember all too well the excitement and anxiety you are feeling now. Just go with it and know that people will be curious, surprised and a couple may even blurt out stupid comments; however, it is a novelty that soon wears off, as people will relate and tell you stories about how "when they had braces or their kids had or have braces, or better yet, how they wished they had braces or had the nerve to do it. Then it quickly becomes all about them and not really about you. People won't laugh or say anything mean, they will be quite the opposite, saying how much they admire you for doing this. It will be on the most part encouraging. So stay positive, you don't have to justify why you are doing this - but if you feel compelled to do so, just simply tell them "it is your time to invest in you . It gets easier, there is still the times when you meet a colleague or external client...and you will divulge your new look. I usually tell them before they try to figure out what is different about me. I actually rather enjoy the reaction. I've never been self conscious, as I thought I might be. One of the advantages of being older I guess - you don't really have to give a hoot about what others think. Good Luck and let us know how it goes for you. Remember. we've all been there too.
Re: Braces at last aged 51
Hi, Well I got through the first day back at work - and it was OK mostly. Lots of my colleagues were interested and curious, someone said I was brave - not sure how to take that. Some people said they didn't know why I was doing it, that there was nothing wrong with my teeth. I've got a 6mm overjet, so I don't know how they didn't see that! I suppose it just shows that other people don't notice your teeth as much as you think they do.
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- Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 10:14 pm
- Location: New York, NY
Re: Braces at last aged 51
At first it may feel like you'll never get used to them but you will. I got braced last August at 40 (lowers only) and for the first couple of weeks I kept asking myself what I had done. A couple of days in I was eating and promptly took a layer of skin off the inside of my cheek. I thought the irritation would never go way. It finally settled down by my second follow up 12 weeks later. 2 1/2 months ago I had them added to my tops as well and suprisingly I only went through a few days of extreme discomfort and within about a week it felt like I've always had them.
Re: Braces at last aged 51
Hansencat - I think our "b-day" (braces day) is the same - 4/25/12
I felt the same way as you - serious buyers remorse. One week in and I still have some fleeting regrets, but things are looking up. Stay strong!!
I felt the same way as you - serious buyers remorse. One week in and I still have some fleeting regrets, but things are looking up. Stay strong!!
Re: Braces at last aged 51
Hi, CleoAZ- yes I did get my braces on the 25th. I still hate the look of them, but my big problem is with eating. I can still only cope with soup and yogurt. I'm seriously hungry!
Re: Braces at last aged 51
hansencat wrote:Hi, CleoAZ- yes I did get my braces on the 25th. I still hate the look of them, but my big problem is with eating. I can still only cope with soup and yogurt. I'm seriously hungry!
I am there with you - in fact I am thinking about going on a complete liquid diet for the next 20 +/- months.... and by liquid I mean wine
I just don't feel like I can chew anything substantial - not because of pain but because my molars now touch my brackets when I bite down. Beyond soup / smoothies / yogurt, I have had some success with things that don't require a ton of chewing and can be cut into small pieces. I had chicken the other night, and while I don't feel like I am chewing my food as much as I used to, it was more filling and satisfying than the soft diet I had been on.
Good luck!
Re: Braces at last aged 51
Good for you for taking the plunge. I got braced last September at age 50, so I do sympathize with your state of mind. I still look in the mirror some days and wonder..."what was I thinking!"
I got braced for similar reasons: my misaligned teeth were deterioriating, and there was really no other solution than to straighten them out. Leaving them alone would mean more grafting (already been there, done that), and eventually, a partial plate because the teeth would not last another 40 or 50 years (because I do intend to live to 100 or so)! My top teeth have straightened out in the front, but there are two still stuck way inside the biteline that will not be moved until the top arch is pushed out a bit more. My bottom teeth are pushed out at the moment to help give room to straighten a few very crooked teeth, but next visit I get elastics to pull them back and align the bite. (Lucky me! I get to attend my niece's wedding with elastics!)
I can eat most things now, but I eat slowly and take tiny bites. A lot of times I'm mashing food on the roof of my mouth with my tongue. I still get a lot of canker sores, so I use wax, especially at night when I tend to suck in my cheeks for some reason. The wax has helped a lot; so has mouth rinse, and the interproximal brush. I also see my dentist every three months just for scaling to keep everything as clean as possible.
The original estimate was 20 months. I'm not sure it's on track at the moment, as there is one very stubborn tooth at the bottom that just will not budge. Hopefully my ortho will be able to coax it to move soon, as it does seem to be holding things up a bit.
Do you know what your estimated timeline is? Really, everything will get better as the days wear on, and as you see changes you will see the positive side of doing this. It will be worth it.
Warm regards,
Redfern
I got braced for similar reasons: my misaligned teeth were deterioriating, and there was really no other solution than to straighten them out. Leaving them alone would mean more grafting (already been there, done that), and eventually, a partial plate because the teeth would not last another 40 or 50 years (because I do intend to live to 100 or so)! My top teeth have straightened out in the front, but there are two still stuck way inside the biteline that will not be moved until the top arch is pushed out a bit more. My bottom teeth are pushed out at the moment to help give room to straighten a few very crooked teeth, but next visit I get elastics to pull them back and align the bite. (Lucky me! I get to attend my niece's wedding with elastics!)
I can eat most things now, but I eat slowly and take tiny bites. A lot of times I'm mashing food on the roof of my mouth with my tongue. I still get a lot of canker sores, so I use wax, especially at night when I tend to suck in my cheeks for some reason. The wax has helped a lot; so has mouth rinse, and the interproximal brush. I also see my dentist every three months just for scaling to keep everything as clean as possible.
The original estimate was 20 months. I'm not sure it's on track at the moment, as there is one very stubborn tooth at the bottom that just will not budge. Hopefully my ortho will be able to coax it to move soon, as it does seem to be holding things up a bit.
Do you know what your estimated timeline is? Really, everything will get better as the days wear on, and as you see changes you will see the positive side of doing this. It will be worth it.
Warm regards,
Redfern
Re: Braces at last aged 51
My estimated treatment time is 15 months. My teeth are not in bad shape really apart from the large overbite.
I don't think I'll ever get used to looking in the mirror and seeing the brace, but I'm sure I'll feel a bit better when I see my teeth starting to move. I'm hoping the top bracket will feel a bit more comfortable once the teeth have moved back a bit.
I've got to attend a big family party next month and I'm feeling very anxious. A lot of people will be seeing me for the first time in my braces and somehow I'm going to have to eat in public! Everything I eat seems to get stuck in my braces and I feel very self-conscious about it. I'm sure there must be some trick to eating with braces, but I haven't found it yet.
I don't think I'll ever get used to looking in the mirror and seeing the brace, but I'm sure I'll feel a bit better when I see my teeth starting to move. I'm hoping the top bracket will feel a bit more comfortable once the teeth have moved back a bit.
I've got to attend a big family party next month and I'm feeling very anxious. A lot of people will be seeing me for the first time in my braces and somehow I'm going to have to eat in public! Everything I eat seems to get stuck in my braces and I feel very self-conscious about it. I'm sure there must be some trick to eating with braces, but I haven't found it yet.