Braces in the New Year---Hallelujah!

[Brunoise]

I have been lurking here for about a month----gathering info and all from you guys!! Have to tell you, at both of my consults I knew just what to ask and to stick up for what I wanted thanks to all of your comments / posts.

I am 37 and finally finally finally getting braces! Can you tell I'm excited? When I was nine, my family started the process of dealing with my crowding and bite by having two lower teeth taken out but then my family life became really chaotic and braces went to the bottom of the survival list. When I was 18 I had my wisdom teeth out and have lived with the resulting bite and crowding ever since then.

I have to wait until my dental insurance starts in January, but I just wanted to post quickly and say hello. I have an amazing overjet (as my husband said, "Wow, that's a whole centimeter!" LOL when I told him what the ortho said. I also have moderate crowding on top and just a smidge of crowding on the bottom. I also have an ugly front tooth that is yellowing due to an old injury but that is going to be all fixed up and pearly too when this is done.

My ortho wanted to do ceramics as "most adults like ceramics as they are less noticeable...." and I said no. I want metal ones, please. I told him I didn't care if they were purple metal ----louder the better! YIPPEE! I asked, but aren't ceramics more expensive and work just a bit slower and he said yes that's correct. I also said that I wanted passive ligation braces (learned all about that from you all!!!) and he said fine, I love the 3M Uniteks and that's what we'll do. After we do a couple extractions on top and take care of old corn tooth (I am paraphrasing the last bit, he didn't actually say corn tooth LOL.)

In any case, I am joining the club soon and I couldn't be happier about it. Thanks for all of your great posts, ideas and sharing your experiences so that I would know what to expect. The ortho says I will be in bondage for 18 months and I can't wait.

[joney]

Hi Brunoise

Great that you're getting your braces in the new year. I got mine today!

I too have a big overjet, I think the ortho said 12mm so it will be strange for me when that starts shrinking. I've become used to it in my nearly 42 years.

Good luck with the extractions, I had 2 teeth extracted last week.

It's good that this site has armed you with so much knowledge. I didn't even know how braces worked until I started coming here.

Look forward to reading more about your story.

Regards
Joney

[Brunoise]

Joney! Today!
I didn't know how braces worked either until I came here----the last time I even thought about it I was 15 and it was really different then.

I am used to my teeth too but its really funny when you tell someone else that you are contemplating it and they say, "Oh, yes. It will be great!!!" And you think, yikes, my teeth ARE that fugly. LOL.

My only teensy concern is that I will sound different and I will have trouble talking and singing (I am no professional so that really isn't a loss) but I will adapt hopefully. And I will miss nuts!!! And giant submarine sandwiches. Oh, well the price of health and beauty, right?

[ghostmyimag3]

Funny you should say your excited about having braces. My orthodontist told me i was the first of his patients to be so eager to get them. I do not regret getting them on, i just hate my sore tongue!! But its all in the sacrifice. Pain=Beauty

[Brunoise]

Thanks for responding, everyone. Only one bah humbug so far----told a friend of the family and she said, "Why would you do that? You are old and married already."

Erm, 10 - 9 - 8 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - Deep breath,

"Because I want to have a beautiful old lady smile when I have purple hair and a cane that I will use to beat you with."

No, didn't say the part about the cane, but thought it. Otherwise everyone has been really great.

Glad to hear that submarine sandwiches are manageable-----there is a sub shop here in Chicago that makes the best Italian meat and cheese with oil and vinegar----that would take tremendous will power to give that up even if it is only 18 months.

Thanks again for all the info. I just made my first appointment for January 2---records and molds. Happy New Year and new Flex Spending!

[sneakers321]

Hi, Brunoise!
I only just found these boards this morning, and I just had my records done today. I have to save the money for the down payment, so I asked that I not start until the new year, also. (Need to get Christmas over with). It will be so neat to go through the entire process with others. I need an extraction, expansion and then braces, and was told that the entire process should be about 24 months. I can't wait until I start seeing a difference. I hope I don't have to wait too long for that!!
Nice to meet you, and can't wait to hear more!!

[Brunoise]

Well all the insurance forms are in order the flex spending is set up ($4K - Wow!) and my first appointment is set for Jan. 8 for records and molds.
My ortho called yesterday to make sure I was on board and all set with insurance and ready for January---seems like a great guy and he was my friend's ortho and her smile is beautiful. It has been a treat reading your posts and seeing your pictures as those teeth move. It really is amazing.

So, one more set of Holiday picture of me "before"!

[hd2755]

I get mine on 1-2-07 in the cherry capital of the world traverse city, michigan
and i am scared, worried, and have the worst scorching case of the willies ever. i have a underbite and 6 missing teeth and a bridge. thanks to my employer home depot 1-1-07 my coverage takes effect for a savings of 2,000 dollars with a 500 down payment and doing the consult and records and doing bracing in the same day(so i do not back out of it) I am worried that after that I am going to chi town and have a taste for a vienna hot dog are these ok for the first day after braces are installed. how are salads with braces? hope i can still eat a personal pan pizza from pizza hut. flying is going to be a challenge i guess.. but enough for now as not to bore the reader more at 11 so to speak. look forward to the responses on this one.

louis

[Brunoise]

I am worried that after that I am going to chi town and have a taste for a vienna hot dog are these ok for the first day after braces are installed.

Hi, Louis
You are going to have to really cut that baby up. Chicago style dogs are just huge like all food in chicago.

Good luck on your brace day --- only one month away1

[vivi21]

congrats!!

[joney]

Hi Brunoise

I am used to my teeth too but its really funny when you tell someone else that you are contemplating it and they say, "Oh, yes. It will be great!!!" And you think, yikes, my teeth ARE that fugly. LOL.

My thoughts as well when people said "yeah Joney go for it".

told a friend of the family and she said, "Why would you do that? You are old and married already."

A colleague of mine said the same thing but he worded it that as I was married I didn't need straight teeth as bargaining power! I was gobsmacked. Another friend said similar and that only young people should worry about their appearance because they need to attract others!

So far I can now manage a sandwich without breaking it up but I look forward to a crunchy baguette! I am eating some nuts again so that's good news.

Good that you're doing so well.

Regards
Joney[/quote]

[Brunoise]

Hi, joney.
I am doing so well because I don't have them on yet! I will probably be complain and moaning with all the rest afterwards. It will be sometime in the new year---which seems a long way off. Right now I am becoming fixated on looking at people's teeth when they are talking to me and I wonder------have they, or haven't they? LOL



Thanks for the post!

[Brunoise]

Find myself looking at everyone's teeth and "diagnosing" issues based on what I have seen on the board! It is really funny.

Also looking at my teeth more closely as now I can see other things that I hadn't realised were happening in there-----crossbite on one side, one side "perfect", narrow upper arch, tilted back molar, etc.

The other thing I have noticed is that there is such a variation----for something that is such a standard part of being human ---- between different people. Its like we all have unique teeth like fingerprints. Who knew? I guess I should watch more CSI.

I am also wondering what my face will look like with my canines seen from the front and not on the sides of my arch----a wider set smile I suppose-----I hope I don't turn into Brunoise the big faced girl!! I already have a generous mouth shall we say so I haven't a clue what to expect but looking forward to it.

Thanks again to all of you for sharing your challenges and victories.

[Hawa]

[quote] Right now I am becoming fixated on looking at people's teeth when they are talking to me and I wonder------have they, or haven't they? LOL [quote]


I sooo do that now! and i havent even got them yet. Im am so fixated with ppls teeth im always comparing them to mine or thinking "oh they suit them smaller, or their space, etc etc" Its not good cos I end up looking at their teeth not their eyes/face when talking to them

All the best Brunoise, looking forward to hearing more from you!!

[Brunoise]

Had my molds done this morning before work-----no gagging, no dripping, no bad (any?) taste. It was cold and felt like gum in the trays but it was done in no time at all. The molds will be ready at my next appt on 1/29. In the meantime, I need to have X rays done. My next appt is my treatment planning appt so I will have better notes then and know exactly what to expect. My ortho also ordered my all metal , self-ligating braces today.

The assistant who worked with me was very very efficient and skilled. And fast! A++++ all around.