Six month smiles UK

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DaisySmith
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:31 pm

Six month smiles UK

#1 Post by DaisySmith »

Hi, 42 year old female from Warwickshire on day four of six month braces (or more like seven to eight months according to my dentist). Had I experienced how dreadful day two was going to be before I them put on, I never would have gone ahead! I even contemplated returning to the Dentist and demanding he rip them off. It is wasn't for the fact I would have lost my deposit, I would have.

However already things are much better. Basically the tightness of the wire I could cope with, it was mainly the nasty spiky feel of the plastic brackets; not being able to open and close my mouth without snagging my oh so tender lips on them and the horrible tender sores that developed overnight inside my lips and cheeks. When you have sores that are constantly rubbed by by bits of wire or plastic brackets you can't help but feel like you're experiencing some kind of torture device. (We've come so far with technology, how come we can't straighten teeth wirelessly???) ;-)

However, Nurofen and dental wax have helped enormously and despite the fact I still feel like I have two picket fences in my mouth, my lips have already adjusted to a new opening and closing routine. Thankfully I have also stopped drooling so much and spitting over everyone when I speak. Two days ago I was in tears thinking there was no way I could manage six days of this, let alone six months but already the improvement is enough to make me breathe a huge sigh of relief.

On day two I read some reassuring posts that the pain and discomfort really does subside and at some point you even forget you are wearing them. I remember thinking that is impossible! Now I am thinking, well I'm looking forward to it!

belle37
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:01 am

Re: Six month smiles UK

#2 Post by belle37 »

Hi

I am just beginning the process og having cfast braces fit - Im guessing theyre something similar to 6 month ones? I have an appointment for xrays and measurements next thursday - I am excited and a bit nervous - Im dreading the pain of the first few days!! Glad to hear its easing off already! :jump:

DaisySmith
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:31 pm

Re: Six month smiles UK

#3 Post by DaisySmith »

Hi Belle and welcome. Good luck with your treatment, you'll be fine. I'm actually keeping a diary of my experiences in the thread 'Our Braces Stories' if you want to have a look. I did find the first few days uncomfortable but it soon gets better! I am really glad I made this decision, so should you be. Don't be nervous, just be excited. X

belle37
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:01 am

Re: Six month smiles UK

#4 Post by belle37 »

Hi Daisy

Thanks for the welcome! Will go and have a look on the other thread too :-) Looking forwards to reading everyones experiences, nice to know Im not alone! :jump:

kribbo
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 5:41 pm
Location: England

Re: Six month smiles UK

#5 Post by kribbo »

Hi all, I'm Clare, I'm 30 and I'm also in the UK. I'm having my Six Month Smiles braces fitted in 2 weeks and I'm really nervous about it and already having second thoughts! It sounds like this is quite normal though and I can't really back out now so I suppose I'd better strap in for the ride :|

Glad it sounds like you get used to them quite quickly. I'm just dreading going to work in them, my colleagues will quiz me about them non-stop and I'm going to have pretend I need them rather than just wanted them for cosmetic reasons or I'll never hear the end of it! I texted one of my friends about it today and they said: "please don't tell me you're getting braces for cosmetic reasons". Made me feel so vain and awful! I've been bothered by my teeth for the last ten years and don't like showing them in photos so I decided to take the plunge. Just hope I don't regret it!

Will be reading your experiences Daisy, thank you so much for posting them and helping others out. And yes Belle it is really good to know there are others out there in the same position.

DaisySmith
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:31 pm

Re: Six month smiles UK

#6 Post by DaisySmith »

Hi Clare, and welcome! I'm now just over two weeks along and I've been keeping a daily diary in 'Our Braces Stories' you might want to read that. I know I wanted to read every scrap of six month smiles experiences!

Don't be ashamed about having braces simply for self-improvement. We're only here once and you're entitled to feel nice about ourselves. I think most people being dismissive about your decision are simply trying to demonstrate they think you're great as you are. My mum and mother-in-law both said they didn't know why I was bothering. Well I know why and you know why and that's what counts.

Trust me, once everyone at work has had at look they'll soon get bored of them. No-one is as interested in our braces as we are! Don't be nervous, be excited. It can be challenging but I have no regrets, I'm so excited about my new smile. Good luck and keep us posted!

kribbo
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 5:41 pm
Location: England

Re: Six month smiles UK

#7 Post by kribbo »

[quote="DaisySmith"]Hi Clare, and welcome! I'm now just over two weeks along and I've been keeping a daily diary in 'Our Braces Stories' you might want to read that. I know I wanted to read every scrap of six month smiles experiences!

Don't be ashamed about having braces simply for self-improvement. We're only here once and you're entitled to feel nice about ourselves. I think most people being dismissive about your decision are simply trying to demonstrate they think you're great as you are. My mum and mother-in-law both said they didn't know why I was bothering. Well I know why and you know why and that's what counts.

Trust me, once everyone at work has had at look they'll soon get bored of them. No-one is as interested in our braces as we are! Don't be nervous, be excited. It can be challenging but I have no regrets, I'm so excited about my new smile. Good luck and keep us posted![/quote]

Thanks Daisy, that's so reassuring. I actually couldn't sleep at all last night because I was so worried about it but I've calmed down a bit today and that post has really helped. I've been reading your diary and it's extremely helpful and well written. Just glad everything gets easier within a few weeks, I'll be looking forward to the time when they're not all I'm thinking about (and this is before they're on!). Good luck and thanks again.

DaisySmith
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:31 pm

Re: Six month smiles UK

#8 Post by DaisySmith »

Oh no Clare, so sorry you didn't sleep! How annoying for you. I think it's normal to worry although completely pointless because it achieves nothing, it just wears you out lol. Glad you're feeling calmer today though. I understand though because it is s big thing but if you think about all the young kids with braces... I mean they manage ( I keep reminding myself that!) but ultimately it's about the end result and it will be SO worth it.

kribbo
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 5:41 pm
Location: England

Re: Six month smiles UK

#9 Post by kribbo »

Hi Daisy, thanks for the continued encouragement! I've had an email saying you've PM'd me but apparently I'm still a "new member" so I can't read it yet! Need to post a few more times before I get all the "privileges"...bit strict eh?! Will do a few today to get it up to the quota.

I'm still very up and down about the pending scaffolding :| One minute I think "I know I can get through it, it will be fine", and the next I just feel like I'll be wishing my life away for 9 months (predicted time) and that it may just be best to get on in life and enjoy myself with slightly wonky teeth. I'm always one or the other which is so annoying.

The most worrying part for me is the self-consciousness. I'm already quite a self-conscious person and the thought of becoming anxious whenever I speak or laugh is so unpleasant. I'm in a job where I often have to have face-to-face contact with hospital patients - if they were staring at my teeth the whole time I'd be so put off! I've got 5 days off after I have the braces fitted but I'm worried it's not enough time to get more used to them.

My teeth aren't that bad, but I've been thinking about improving them for years. My worst nightmare would be having the braces, taking them off and still not being happy. That's another point of anxiety! Can you tell I'm an anxious person? Ha! :-+

This is the worst limbo period - I can still technically get out of doing it now and I'm so tempted to. Reading your diary is helping me to think it may be worth a shot though, so thank you!

DaisySmith
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:31 pm

Re: Six month smiles UK

#10 Post by DaisySmith »

Clare, one of the most important things I have learned in life is, people are much more concerned about what other people think about THEM than what they think about other people, which means this cuts both ways. The other people who come into contact with you, will not be scrutinizing you, and making judgements about you or your braces. If you are generally a kind and smiley person, what will probably happen is they will have a feeling about you being the type of person who has a nice vibe and they will like you. Anyone who already knows you won't care about your braces either way, they will just be pleased for you that you are doing something for yourself and anyone who doesn't know you, as I already said, will judge you on how you make them feel about THEMSELVES, because humans are intrinsically self-absorbed by nature! ;-). Smile at people, be your naturally friendly, warm self and forget about your braces.

What might happen is people look at you behaving confidently in your braces and think 'if she can wear braces with confidence, then so can I' You could end up inspiring someone else even! X

kribbo
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 5:41 pm
Location: England

Re: Six month smiles UK

#11 Post by kribbo »

Thanks Daisy, you should seriously consider become a therapist...unless you are one already, in which case, your clients must be very happy! I think I'll be okay. As I say, I'm veering between the two at the moment, but I often have problems committing to plans and I should view this as something I can celebrate when it's over and feel proud of. Maybe it will be "character-building"?!

I have a friend who has had to have braces for years as he had serious problems that meant, without braces, he may have lost all his teeth. I do feel very lucky this is not my situation and is a much shorter sentence. He's been reassuring too, he agreed with the general consensus on the board that you DO get used to them and that at some point I WILL start to forget they're in my mouth.

I'll be keeping my eye on your journal and let you know how I'm getting on. Going to Dublin for a holiday at the end of this week, then braces the day after I'm back. Will try my hardest to enjoy the craic, forget about the braces and deal with them when they're actually on! x :-#)

belle37
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:01 am

Re: Six month smiles UK

#12 Post by belle37 »

Hi Kribbo

did you get your braces on? Just wondering how its going? I'm getting mine on Thursday and I am getting nervous now! Hope its all going OK?

kribbo
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 5:41 pm
Location: England

Re: Six month smiles UK

#13 Post by kribbo »

belle37 wrote:Hi Kribbo

did you get your braces on? Just wondering how its going? I'm getting mine on Thursday and I am getting nervous now! Hope its all going OK?
Hi Belle! I feel your anxiety, I was SO nervous before mine. But please try to relax - I can honestly say that getting them on and having to deal with them in reality was not as bad as the pre-brace anxiety!

I got them on both arches on Thursday. The process itself was painless, a bit uncomfortable and annoying and my jaw ached due to having to hold my mouth wide open for ages, but it was all fine really. I have a very low pain threshold so if I was okay then anyone would be. Are you having the filing (interproximal reduction) done for yours? I had a small amount of that (more to come) and was expecting that to be bad but again, it was fine, just slightly uncomfortable at the worst.

My feelings right afterwards were like most people's I think...just "ARGH!". They do feel huge and you will probably feel like your mouth isn't working properly - I found smiling and talking a real problem. 5 days on and it is still an effort to talk and smile, but I am feeling a little more positive about it and so many people on here say that it gets better, so I'm sure it will. I'm back to work tomorrow and that will be a true test for me, dreading it!

The good thing is that I haven't had any tooth pain at all yet. A few ulcers have cropped up, but wax and bonjela help a lot, especially at night. Pain-wise it has been fine, but maybe that will come with the tightening next month?! Eating has not been too bad, though I had to have bite blocks as when I bit down normally with the brackets on, one of my upper teeth hit a lower bracket. So my upper back teeth have been built up so that they are the only ones that touch. Now that is taking some getting used to! I can only really massage food rather than chew it properly so meals take a long time and it's amazing how much gets stuck in the braces - half the meal! So keep rinsing with water every few mouthfuls, this helps keep the debris down a bit.

Basically though, don't panic. I'm keeping faith that things will get better and the main issues for me at the moment are social ones like speaking and smiling - everything else is manageable. Cleaning is a pain, especially flossing (I've yet to work out how I'm going to do that as even the smallest interdental flossers don't go between my teeth and regular flossing is very tricky - plus it now shreds up due to the IPR making the surfaces rough :shock: ) but I think in time a routine will fall into place and everything will feel more normal. I am already sleeping better and generally feeling okay. Friends and family have been very supportive and that helps massively so don't be afraid to moan to them if you need to!

You will be fine Belle, good luck and keep us posted on your progress. This board has been a lifesaver for me in terms of preparing for the process - great to get things off your chest. :computer:

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