Another adult to be braced before xmas!

[Patrick]

So here I am. For the second time. I am 36 and going to get braces. Holy cow....I told my wife I need to hurry up and get them on before I change my mind! (Seriously) I keep going back and forth on whether I should do this or not, but it looks like I HAVE to do it.

I went to see my soon to be Orthodontist today and the prognosis was not as bad as thought other than the fact that she wants to use these metal braces that do not require ligatures and I will have to have a heavy elastic stretched from one side of my mouth on the upper jaw to the other side on the lower jaw. Nice. Not to mention the usual elastics top to bottom front to rear. Atleast those are less visible. Oh, and did I say I have to wear these full time throughout the 18 months which will certainly turn into 24. Nice.

Enough being negative, I am sorry. Atleast I am not getting some of these other appliances like the expanders and head gear. I never knew adults wore head gear. It must be a night time wear thing. I guess that wouldn't be so bad. Although she said she would use a TPA?? I didn't understand that. I'm afraid to put it in the search!! I also don't need to do the jaw surgery like my former orthodontist 15 years ago wanted. I'm pretty lucky, I suppose....!!

So tomorrow I get the cepa...whatever they are called, X-Rays. She did the molds today, she wants my wife to come in with me for the consultation and the banding appt. though I don't know exactly why. I thinks she wants her involved..... She's (wife) happy to do it and actually wants to, so what the heck. (heh, heh, maybe I can get the Orthodontist to do an impromptu evaluation to close the gaps between her teeth....revenge will be mine!!)

This is all happening so fast.......I know I am going to look in the mirror and see these HUGE silver things and wonder what I have done to myself, but if I don't, all of my upper teeth are going to push this one tooth in behind them and i will continue to crush my molars at night! So I'm stuck.

I have vented. Thank you.

Back and forth, now I'm O.K. with it. It's like an emotional rollercoaster.

I will post again when I can be more positive and less up and down.

I have spent four hours on this website. Wow. VERY good website and informative.

Presently at this stage:


Soon to be here:


-Pat

[calley03]

Patrick, good luck with your braces. I get mine on in a couple weeks, I am excited, and scared at the same time. How long will yours be on? Hang in there time will fly by, I hope. Kelly

[Patrick]

Thanks, Kelly.
It is turning out that I can not actually begin until Jan. 10th. I would prefer to get it started now while I'm good with this program. I guess I have to wait in line.

I went today to get all of the X-Rays. Wow! That was very thorough. I was literally being photographed for an hour straight. Things to bite on, things lining up with your ears, laying on a table taking 20 some pics of my mouth. I get the impression that this Orthodontist is very thorough and does not play around. Unfortunately that will mean a longer treatment time. But, I want this done right and I am intent on making it that way, period.

I asked some more questions at the Doctor's office and I was wrong about the TPA. She was telling me that this is what I had before (I described it to her) and that she was not going to use it.

I was right about all of the elastics including the one all the way across the front of my teeth like a VOLVO emblem across a grille. She said I need to wear it 12 hours a day minimum and not all day (unless I want to.) Well, I would, and I may, but as of right now there is NO WAY I can greet my clients with an elastic stretched from top to bottom and side to side like that! I will do the upper to lower on the sides 24 hours, but that one gets put on only after everybody goes home and on the weekends 24 hours.

So she wants to use bands on my molars due to a few crowns and also wants to do the banding/bracketing in two phases. I talked to the office staff about this in depth to find out if this is for their sake or mine, because if it is for mine, do them all at once!! When I did braces as a younger person they put them all on at once. It was three hours, but it was done!

My back and forth is still occuring, but I have talked to so many people I know about the fact that I am doing this that I can't back out now. (I may have done that sub-conciously) Right now, I'm ready. Then I'll go brush my teeth and look in the mirror and say "No way" and shake my head with a grin.....

I'm still trying to figure out whether I should pay for this up front and take a 5% discount or just give her a chunk and make the monthly payments. My wife's dental insurance only pays 1k for those out of their network, and she does not participate an any insurance networks. If she's as good as it appears, I don't blame her a bit.

O.K. That was long winded, sorry!

-Pat

[Patrick]

Thanks, KK. I appreciate the kind words!

I told my wife that she didn't have to go as it would affect her work schedule, but she is intent on going.

The roller coaster is leveling out, I hope. Now I keep pressing my tongue on my teeth that are being crowded inward toward my mouth and think...I really have to do this, it's not just for looks although that is the reason I started this journey. I never thought I would actually do it...wait...Am I going to get braces again??? NO!!!!!!!!!! (Here we go again!!)

I'll bring the lip balm, but I don't know if I can do the saltwater rinses....I might gag. I'm very sensitive to what I put in my mouth.

Anyway, thanks again to Lynne and all for this wonderful website! I remember that I found this site about two years ago when I was searching for information on some type of a retainer with a spring device or something like that to just slightly push this one tooth out a hair. I figured then I could go to an orthodontist armed with this information before they could even say the "B" word. I never did find anyting about that and I don't think it exists anyway. It doesn't really matter as I am far beyond that now and that sure wouldn't do anything for my midline issue.

Thanks again!

-Pat (Patrick)

Hi and welcome Patrick!

Great that things are getting started for you and that you've found our awesome orthodontic paradise for adults ... don't know how we'd cope without it!

Interesting that your ortho is requested your wife's involvement. My hubby doesn't like dentist's, so am grateful that my ortho wouldn't suggest such a thing, as I'd have to tell him that the poor guy wouldn't be able to make it!

Don't worry about the emotional rollercoaster ... it's totally normal! Focus on the end result you're having this treatment for and hopefully that will get you through any 'cold feet' stages!

Also remember that wax, lip balm (put plenty of before your banding appointment, as well as after), warm salt water rinses, healing mouthwashes and TLC will help you get through those first few weeks of treatment!

Good luck with your appointment tomorrow!

[Marzipan]

Patrick, sorry to hear your banding has been put off, but I'll write up my own after it happens - 12/5/05 and then 12/20 - and you can read about that and see how it went. They want to do two stages with me so I can get used to it over two weeks.

The whole idea of braces is scary and it took me awhile to really make my decision. I emailed back and forth with the ortho and she advised me that if I felt even slightly uncertain, she would recommend not commencing. But I got up the nerve and now have separators between my molars. It's not fun but it's not awful either. She was very thorough with x-rays, photos, description of procedures, etc. It sounds like your ortho is thorough and I think that's a very good sign. I like to discuss things with medical professionals - I don't sit there and let things happen to me. I need to be involved!

Make the decision to suit yourself, and don't let fear get in the way (more than necessary, anyway). Clearly, others have gone before us and lived through the pain, and they are all saying it was worth it.