Braces at (almost) 49

[shekhinak]

I'm surviving on yogurt, cottage cheese, and lots of apple sauce. Pasta seems to be a good choice, and I'm finding that vegetarian meals in general tend to be soft. When I'm at work for an extended meeting they sometimes bring in lunch, usually sandwiches and chips. The sandwiches are hard for me to bite into, and they really gum up the brackets. So at the risk of coming off like an eccentric loon, I've started carrying a plastic knife and fork with me for such occasions. People may think it's odd that I'm eating a sandwich with a knife and fork, but they never say anything. And when they bring out the trays of brownies and cookies for a mid afternoon snack, I just bypass them, as it's just too much trouble to have to brush again afterwards. That's also fewer calories I have to worry about burning off later

I now carry around a travel toothbrush, two sizes of interdental brushes, wax, floss with floss threaders, and a signal mirror. The signal mirror is small and indestructible, and I can do a quick check to see if I have anything caught in the braces after I eat. At first I felt sheepish about brushing my teeth at work and in airports when I travel, but I've become adept at finding out of the way restrooms. I also just stopped worrying about what anyone might be thinking.

Wearing braces has proven to be much more of an ordeal than I had ever anticipated, but I guess it's all a matter of adapting. I really wanted my teeth straightened, so like you, I'm focusing on the end goal. And I've found, I can adapt

[kamor]

well this morning i discovered that yet another bracket has come off my teeth, this is the third bracket in 3 days. Can't imagine why this is happening, as i had soup for dinner last night. I don;t think i am doing something unusual to dislodge the brackets, has this happened to others? I will have to visit my ortho again tomorrow, to have the offending bracket re-attached. They did tell me to expect that some brackets would come off, but i did not expect this. Wonder if others have had the same experience?
I discovered that pancakes make a wonderful, soft breakfast. Although i was not a big fan of pancakes before, I do see now that they will be a staple of my diet. I too have created a travel dental kit with floss, threader, wax, chapstick, mouthwash, mirror, toothbrush and paste. UGGGHHH, what a hassle. But i try to keep thinking about the end result, not the process. Usually i am very process oriented and not product oriented, but in this case, the process is a pain, and all i want to focus on is the end result. A different view point for me, for sure. I am trying to embrace this journey i am on, and make the best of it. I will be going on vacation next month, and am grateful that i will have full time access to a kitchen. The thought of going to restaurants the entire time is a bit daunting. I never thought that eating was going to be such a pain.

[tomrsvee]

I pretty much stopped biting 'into' anything, including pizza, burgers, sandwiches, etc., using a knife & fork. I haven't had a real sandwich since the start. Whenever I go to a restaurant that wants to put things like fish & chips in a basket, I ask for it on a plate, with utensils. On the bright side, my bread intake is way down, which is good for our age group. Eventually, you'll find you can eat almost anything, and of course, brocolli and spinach and bean sprouts are not your friends. I still stay away from raw veggies. In the beginning, I snacked on goldfish by sucking on them till they were soft, and made things like quiche, and pasta dishes, etc. for dinner. I lost a few pounds the first couple of months, but then I began to eat fairly normally. Good luck, things will eventually even out. I think it's curious that you are having so many brackets come loose, I only had it happen a couple of times, once after having my teeth cleaned. I'm sure it's nothing you're doing.

[kamor]

thanks for the encouragement. i did find out that the brackets that are on my lower molars were difficult to attach to the tooth, because my molars are tilted inwards and the bracket was originally mounted to the filling, and very little was attached to the tooth. The brackets have since been re-positioned. I have not bitten into any foods at all, and like you i have to cut everything into small pieces, and then try to take very small bites. Takes a long time to eat, which is a good thing. I also find that i have not eaten too much bread or pastries, which is great. I have lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks, and hope to lose another 5 before i go on vacation in 4 weeks. I actually feel lighter and better and oddly enough am sleeping very well. My ortho suggested that since my jaw has been realigned ( i have been wearing an orthotic for a few months)my airways have opened up and am likely breathing better, which means i am sleeping better. This is an unexpected bonus.
My attitude is better now, as i have seen my teeth move, only after 2 weeks in braces! I try to ignore the negative feelings i have about the experience and instead focus on the long term benefits.

[Marigold]

Hello 40-50-somethings! It's always nice to commiserate with people my age.

I got my braces at age 46 and I'm 47 now. I've had them 9 months now. The pain part hasn't been unbearable. My bite problems have been the hardest part to deal with. My bite is so screwed up that I can't chew anything properly. Eating isn't enjoyable anymore. I'm in a constant state of picking food out of my teeth, and that is the most annoying feeling. EVERYTHING gets stuck in there. (Tip: partially opened paper clips work in a pinch.) I tend to avoid public eating now whenever possible, and that can get tricky at work. I still feel self-conscious but am getting used to it. I've noticed that the minute I talk to someone I've just met, I see their eyes travel to my mouth and I know what they're thinking. I wish they'd just ask about it instead of saying nothing, you know?

So there are my biggest gripes. It hasn't been torture or anything, but I sure will be happy to get them off.

As for brackets coming off, I only had one fall off after eating a Lemonhead candy. I fessed up to my ortho and promised not to eat any more of them. If they're coming off frequently with no effort I'd say there's a problem with the adhesion. I know they don't stick as well to crowns. So far mine are holding in there.

Good luck. It will be worth it in the end (I know, yada, yada).

[shekhinak]

Hi Marigold!

Oh heavens, thank you so much for that post! It is SO nice to know that I'm not alone! The messed up bite is really getting to me too.

The orthodontist told me I would have to brush every time I eat anything... and I was skeptical of that at first. By the end of the day, I was no longer skeptical. Disgusted, but not skeptical. I can't believe how much stuff gets snarled up in the brackets and wires! Nice to know I'm not alone in shying away from eating in public. I really dread it when I'm at an extended meeting at work and they say, "We'll provide lunch!" I'd much rather hide in my office for lunch, and then immediately after dash off to a bathroom in a dark corner of the building to brush my teeth. And I cringe when my spouse says, "Let's go out to eat!"

I only have the top braces on, but to me it's "obvious" that I'm lisping and that the braces are showing. I've confessed to a few people that I'm wearing braces, and they almost always say they hadn't noticed them. Yesterday a junior engineer said that he noticed I was pursing my lips (which I was doing to hide the braces), but otherwise he didn't notice. My experiences so far reminds me of a psychology experiment that was done some years ago.

In the experiment they had college age women come in, and a makeup artist put on a horrific scar across their cheeks. They were shown the fake scars in the mirror and then the artist just did a little more "touch up" work. The women were told to go about their normal day, and were asked to report if anyone treated them differently because of the scar. At the end of the day the women came in and they all said, "People treated me very differently, and they were just looking at that dreadful scar the entire time! No one said anything about it, but I felt so awful!" The women were then given a mirror, and they immediately saw that the scar wasn't there. Turns out that when the makeup artist was supposedly putting the final touches on the scar, he was actually removing it.

The scar experiment is just food for thought, as maybe we're just self conscious about the braces. Maybe. On the other hand, maybe our perceptions are dead on Once I have the lower braces on, I'm sure EVERYONE will notice them - and my secret will be out.

I am so dreading Thanksgiving and Christmas, just given how much food gets tangled in the braces, and the difficulty in hiding the braces. My siblings will have a field day with it if (when?) they discover my secret. And I'll really feel embarrassed if I have to have the extractions before the holidays.

[kamor]

thank you, thank you to the 2 prvious posts - i could have written them myself - they are EXACTLY how i am feeling and what i am experiencing! What a comfort to know i am not alone in this journey. Although my spouse and daughter had braces ( when they were teenagers) , and they are very supportive, its still not the same as having braces as an adult. I don't think anyone can relate to this experience, until you have been through it yourself.
As for the eating, i keep a supply of protein shakes in my desk , along with packages of dry oatmeal and cup of soup. These seem to help, if i have to eat at work. I just am honest with my co-workers and tell them that i brought my own lunch ( again).

One thing i did discover that is very helpful: a magnifying , cosmetic mirror. This has made flossing and cleaning my teeth so much easier, since i can not actually see what i am doing. Along with having braces in my late 40's, i also have failing eye sight, and as a result was trying to wear my reading glasses to clean my teeth. This was not working well. My daughter ( bless her heart), suggested i use her make-up mirror. What a difference this makes, so much easier to floss with the threaders. I'm not poking around in my mouth, hoping to thread the flosser through the wires, I can actually see what i am doing. Although seeing my teeth that close up is a bit frightening right now, but i hope it will get better. Now if my ortho can just deal with the wrinkles, i'll be set! lol

[Marigold]

Shekhinak, work lunches are the worst! First pondering the menu wondering what will be the least embarrassing to eat, then taking twice as long to eat while everyone else is finished, and then keeping the waitress from taking my plate before I'm done. Then there's the food in my teeth that I can't just freely pick out in front of everyone (except the co-workers I'm closest to ) That is an interesting experiment and I'll try to remember it next time I'm talking to someone. I do tend to smile more broadly now. You'd think it would be the opposite, but it feels more natural now, and my lips snag on the metal hooks otherwise. I have Damons so my mouth is ALL metal. Will you be getting bottom braces once your top teeth move? I had them all braced at once and had the molar buildups to keep from hitting my bottom brackets. Those were not fun.

Kamor, I keep oatmeal and Cup of Soup in my desk too! And I can so relate on having to wear glasses to floss! Because I hate leaning over the sink for an hour, I floss sitting on the couch. I lay a hand mirror against my knees, put on the ole reading glasses, and floss away while watching TV. Ah, aren't braces glamorous?

[kamor]

dear Shekhinak and Marigold - life with braces as an adult, is not something i had given a lot of thought to prior to getting braced.I knew it would be difficult, but had no idea that the eating and cleaning and flossing would be so time consuming and dictate such a large part of my life. It really forms the basis now for when i eat, what i eat, WHERE i eat, etc.
It is such a relief and comfort to know that i am not alone in this. After feeling so sorry for myself the first week, I made a decision to simply get over it and move on. I always tell my kids that they can choose their attitude, so now i have to lead by example. Some days are tougher than others, and my biggest irritant now are these darn cankers sores. I have been using Anbesol to numb the area, but i think i need a product that will cover and protect the canker sore so it has time to heal. Another trip to the drugstore and another item to add to my ever growing supply to braces paraphernalia!
Thank you both for the posts and replys - it really makes a difference for me.

[shekhinak]

Yes, I no longer look at a menu in a restaurant for what I want to eat, but for what will be the least likely to get snarled in the wires. And naturally, my family wants to go out to eat tonight... I think I'll just order soup.

I have my first adjustment for the braces in about a week, so I'll ask then when the bottom braces are supposed to go on. I was in kind of having an out-of-body-experience when they put the top braces on, so if they told me when I'm supposed to get the bottom ones, it didn't register. I did catch something about extractions, and I'm assuming they meant teeth, but perhaps I shouldn't be presumptuous.

I've got ceramic braces, and I suspect they stick out more than the metal ones, but I'm honestly not sure. My lip tends to stick to the front brackets, so that feels pretty weird, and after a month I'm still not used to it. I have to admit I was pretty clueless when I went in for that first appointment, but even if I had read up on the subject, I don't think I wouldn't have really known what I was getting myself into. It's kind of like what they say about Lyme disease: "You don't get it, until you get it."

Oatmeal? That's a great idea! I'll have to get some of that to stuff in my desk. I'm also glad to hear that I'm not the only one who needs to wear glasses in order to floss

[kamor]

i had an interesting experience at work yesterday, that i thought i would share with others, who very likely may be in the same position.

A co-worker noticed asked if i had braces, ( I've had them on for almost 4 weeks). He said he just noticed them and asked how i was doing. I mentioned that the braces are uncomfortable etc etc. He said that he noticed i had been very quiet at work lately and wondered if he had done something to offend me or upset me. I guess i have been so self-conscious about my braces that i been avoiding talking to people. My co-worker was relieved that he had not offended me and wished me well. No big deal really.

It made me realize that the braces were making me behave in a manner that was not consistent with my personality. I am by nature a gregarious and outgoing person, and the difference in my demeanor was quite evident. I made a decision to simply get over it and move on and not let the braces hold me back from being my true self. It bothered me that my very kind and sweet co-worker would think i was mad at him. It made me think about my braces in a very different way. More accepting somehow, and made me look at this experience from a different perspective.

Anyways, hope this helps someone with their journey.

[SueAsh5]

Thanks for the humor and laughing (which hurt my mouth!) as I just read through these comments. I´m ten days in with my top ceramics and on day four with the bottom, also ceramic. I´m an American (age 54) living in Spain so am heavily relying on this website to help me survive this rather unreal experience. Yesterday I felt like I was on the border of some type of nervous breakdown as the reality of being braced suddenly hit me. I can´t take these things OUT!

I am also determined to act like myself and smile and laugh like I always do rather than try to hide my mouth. Although I admit that I have found myself covering my mouth sometimes when I talk. Gotta get past that. Today I skyped with my son in the U.S. for almost 2 hrs. and the inside of my mouth is just scraped raw. Gotta get some wax. NO neat dental supplies sent with you here but it is available at the pharmacy.

Keep up the chatter. It helps me get through the day.

[shekhinak]

Glad to have you with us, SueAsh5 It really is nice to know that we're not alone in going through this, and it definitely seems that adults have a much different experience than teenagers. The vast majority of teens seem to get braces these days, and they all seem to just take it in stride. With adults, it does seem to be a bit of a jarring blow to one's normal routine.

I had an appointment for my first adjustment today, and I went in armed with two questions: 1) When am I getting the bottom braces, and 2) Will I need any extractions? I even wrote them down on my iPod, lest I forget them when I got into the office.

I went into the office, sat in the chair, and suddenly I was 5 years old.

They asked me if I had had any problems, and I shook my head like a preschooler. They shoved pliers in my mouth, removed the original arch wire, and put a new one in.

Then they asked me if I had any questions, and I shook my head "No" - again, in preschool style. I'm surprised that they didn't give me a lollipop for being such a good patient.

The staff was very nice to me, but I just "froze." I have no idea why I did that.

I reverted to being middle age when I made into the office, but I still didn't have the presence of mind to ask the questions I went in with.

The people in the office told me that older people do seem to have a more difficult time with braces because with adults, the teeth have been in place for many years and they're just a bit more stubborn about moving. They also said they recently had a patient who had the braces put in on a Friday, had a meltdown over the weekend, and then had them removed on Monday. I'll admit that I thought about doing that, but after all I had emotionally invested in getting braces (not to mention the $$$), I never seriously considered it. But apparently an adult patient can say, "Lower the draw bridge, I'm leaving!" - and opt out.

They also gave me a tip for when I have to give talks, which I do at scientific conferences a few times a year, and where I can't risk speaking like a half-wit with a sock stuffed under my upper lip. They suggested putting a bit of Vaseline under my lip, which will keep it from drying out and sticking to the brackets. Afterwards, the Vaseline can just be brushed off.

[kamor]

Ok... good to know that i am not the only adult that has had a meltdown and wanted to have my braces removed after only 3 days! I did hang in there and for the first time in 4 weeks, i got a glimpse of my new smile! Woot, Woot.

My two incisors have turned so quickly that i can now see what my smile will look like once the teeth are straight. The teeth are still moving, but in the right light and with the right angle, and with the right mirror, I can get a glimpse into what i can expect. So exciting, and now so worth all the pain, dis-comfort, etc etc that goes along with braces.

I still find it amazing that i have changed my way of thinking about my braces. 4 weeks ago I was miserable, now things are looking up. Hang in there everyone, it will be worth it.

[shekhinak]

So three days after the second arch wire went in, I can see a dramatic difference in my teeth. I had a terrible gap between my two front teeth, but now there is only about a 1 millimeter space there now, and the orthodontist said that an elastic band will close that up in no time at all. My eye teeth had been folded in, but they're now inline with the rest. I'm now looking forward to the bottom braces going on.

I've lost 5 lbs due to not being able to eat junk food, or not wanting to have to disentangle crap from my braces if I have a snack. I may try to lose another 5 lbs, but anything more than that and I'll start to be a bit too thin.

OK... I think I can cope with this braces routine