Hello Everyone,
First post and will be quite a short one.
I'm 34, and getting braces to correct an 11mm overbite (protruding top incisors) tomorrow. I'm a wish I'd started treatment years ago, but I'm here now.
I'll put some photo's on tomorrow (pre-brace and brace).
Spacers went in last Tuesday and have been OK. They were fine for the first 12 or so hours. They were put in (pretty tight!) in the morning and the dental nurse said I'd probably feel them by the evening. No pain in the evening - 'Ah I must have a high pain threshold'.........yeah right.....woke up at 5.30am the next day and felt like I'd been kicked in the mouth. The discomfort cleared up after a couple of days though and was only really annoying when eating. Painkillers helped alot - just remembering to take them at least an hour before eating was an issue!
I'm getting braced up at 10am and going straight back to the office afterwards - cacking myself.....
Perth Lad - Braces Story
Moderator: bbsadmin
Hello Perth Lad and welcome to AW 
I think a lot of us wish we'd started treatment years ago so you came to the right place 
Don't you just love those spacers? I felt the same way... "Oh this isn't so bad, I can handle this" and then in the morning I felt like a teething child lol In fact I found one of the the things that worked best for me were baby teething tablets! Anyhow can't wait to follow along with your story - do you have a brace day?
I think a lot of us wish we'd started treatment years ago so you came to the right place Don't you just love those spacers? I felt the same way... "Oh this isn't so bad, I can handle this" and then in the morning I felt like a teething child lol In fact I found one of the the things that worked best for me were baby teething tablets! Anyhow can't wait to follow along with your story - do you have a brace day?~Nikki~
23 year old brace face and proud of it!
My story is well under way! Follow along in my thread.
23 year old brace face and proud of it!
My story is well under way! Follow along in my thread.
The Photo's
Here are the photos....
Pre-brace:
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Brace Day!
[/img]URL=http://img505.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... ay1fn4.jpg]
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Thanks for the welcome Nikki! Good luck with your brace day - I checked out your story and it looks like it's today too! I'll check out your post soon - I'm really interested to find out how you go too.
So today was my brace day! The procedure itself wasn't too bad at all, no pain that's the main thing. The gaps between my teeth still hadn't really opened up well with the spacers so my Ortho had to use the grinding wheel tool and a bit of muscle to get the molar bands on. The worst moment was when he accidentally dropped one of the bands from his pliers and I almost inhaled it....cue some very unglamorous choking and coughing-up said band. He was really apologetic. At least I didn't end up with having the Heimlich manoeuvre performed on me.
First impressions....Wow! How much hardware is in there? It feels huge to my tongue and lips. I guess I'll get used to it. Returning to the office was OK. I'm pretty self-conscious about them at the moment, but people were really good. My first meal was a bit of a nightmare - it's really difficult to use my molars to grind as the brackets on the lower fronts clash with the inside of the top fronts
Here's hoping I adjust to that....luckily I went nuts in the soup isle at the weekend and have plenty of choices for the next few days. I think I'll be getting the blender out too.
No pain yet....but then again I remember last week and the spacers....I'll be sleeping with the painkillers on the bedside table tonight.
My first adjustment will be on the 30th July - new wire and spacer spring removed and bicuspid band installation!
Will post again soon.
Perth Lad.
Pre-brace:
[/URL]Brace Day!
[/img]URL=http://img505.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... ay1fn4.jpg]
[/URL]Thanks for the welcome Nikki! Good luck with your brace day - I checked out your story and it looks like it's today too! I'll check out your post soon - I'm really interested to find out how you go too.
So today was my brace day! The procedure itself wasn't too bad at all, no pain that's the main thing. The gaps between my teeth still hadn't really opened up well with the spacers so my Ortho had to use the grinding wheel tool and a bit of muscle to get the molar bands on. The worst moment was when he accidentally dropped one of the bands from his pliers and I almost inhaled it....cue some very unglamorous choking and coughing-up said band. He was really apologetic. At least I didn't end up with having the Heimlich manoeuvre performed on me.
First impressions....Wow! How much hardware is in there? It feels huge to my tongue and lips. I guess I'll get used to it. Returning to the office was OK. I'm pretty self-conscious about them at the moment, but people were really good. My first meal was a bit of a nightmare - it's really difficult to use my molars to grind as the brackets on the lower fronts clash with the inside of the top fronts
Here's hoping I adjust to that....luckily I went nuts in the soup isle at the weekend and have plenty of choices for the next few days. I think I'll be getting the blender out too.No pain yet....but then again I remember last week and the spacers....I'll be sleeping with the painkillers on the bedside table tonight.
My first adjustment will be on the 30th July - new wire and spacer spring removed and bicuspid band installation!
Will post again soon.
Perth Lad.
Hey brace buddy, lookin good in those things! You have elastics already? 
Wow! That must have been fun coughing up the molar band lol After the brackets were on and drying my ortho told me to keep breathing through my nose and not to move so they could set up and then he would come by and pinch my nose... I almost gagged on all the spit in my mouth but it was all in good fun
Do you work with the public? I just ask because I was not self-conscious around my co-workers but I work with the public and that makes me nervous.
What do you think of the pain now? It sure hurts like h*ll but I still don't think it's as bad as the spacers!
Wow! That must have been fun coughing up the molar band lol After the brackets were on and drying my ortho told me to keep breathing through my nose and not to move so they could set up and then he would come by and pinch my nose... I almost gagged on all the spit in my mouth but it was all in good fun Do you work with the public? I just ask because I was not self-conscious around my co-workers but I work with the public and that makes me nervous.
What do you think of the pain now? It sure hurts like h*ll but I still don't think it's as bad as the spacers!
~Nikki~
23 year old brace face and proud of it!
My story is well under way! Follow along in my thread.
23 year old brace face and proud of it!
My story is well under way! Follow along in my thread.
Braces - 4 days in
Hi guys - thanks for the posts and welcome messages.
Nikki - Strangely (luckily!) I've not had any pain since the braces have been fitted. A couple of teeth have been a bit tender, but a walk in the park compared to the spacers. It actually made me a bit worried that maybe the Ortho forgot to tighten something up.....but then again as jt2lang said maybe I wouldn't feel any pain.....Well I'm not complaining anyway!
No I don't work with the public. It's strange what worries different people isn't it? I'm really not bothered about what someone who I've not met before may think about my braces but I am/was worried about what friends and colleagues would think. However, I think I'm slowly getting my head around that one and so far everyone has been great.
Eating is still a challenge with the lower brackets clashing on the upper canines when I try to chew. Ok if I take it slowly with soft food, but this could be one of my biggest challenges over the treatment time.
I took my braces to the pub for a few beers after work on Friday. I think the evening has helped toughen up my mouth as I was laughing so much at some of the guys stories that the brackets gave them a pretty good working over. They were sore when I left and got straight into the saltwater rinsing when I got home which helped loads.
Catch you all soon,
Perth Lad.
Nikki - Strangely (luckily!) I've not had any pain since the braces have been fitted. A couple of teeth have been a bit tender, but a walk in the park compared to the spacers. It actually made me a bit worried that maybe the Ortho forgot to tighten something up.....but then again as jt2lang said maybe I wouldn't feel any pain.....Well I'm not complaining anyway!
No I don't work with the public. It's strange what worries different people isn't it? I'm really not bothered about what someone who I've not met before may think about my braces but I am/was worried about what friends and colleagues would think. However, I think I'm slowly getting my head around that one and so far everyone has been great.
Eating is still a challenge with the lower brackets clashing on the upper canines when I try to chew. Ok if I take it slowly with soft food, but this could be one of my biggest challenges over the treatment time.
I took my braces to the pub for a few beers after work on Friday. I think the evening has helped toughen up my mouth as I was laughing so much at some of the guys stories that the brackets gave them a pretty good working over. They were sore when I left and got straight into the saltwater rinsing when I got home which helped loads.
Catch you all soon,
Perth Lad.
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LongInTheT
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:59 am
- Location: U.K.
- Contact:
Congratulations on your braces! It sounds like you are settling into all the hardware well. It was great that you didn't have any pain (I didn't have any either, which was really good, but strange after all the warnings.).
You seem to have a positive, get-on-with-it attitude, maybe part of the Aussie laid-back thing? I'm saying this partly because I'm an uptight Brit but have a lot of Australian relatives who sometimes come to visit. They like their beers, but not our warm (lovely) bitter.. Anyway, my uncle emigrated to WA and I have cousins in the Perth area. I want to visit them sometime, so felt nostalgic in advance when I saw your location..
Expect you are getting used to the eating thing by now? Good luck with the braces!
You seem to have a positive, get-on-with-it attitude, maybe part of the Aussie laid-back thing? I'm saying this partly because I'm an uptight Brit but have a lot of Australian relatives who sometimes come to visit. They like their beers, but not our warm (lovely) bitter.. Anyway, my uncle emigrated to WA and I have cousins in the Perth area. I want to visit them sometime, so felt nostalgic in advance when I saw your location..
Expect you are getting used to the eating thing by now? Good luck with the braces!
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DaneAnthony
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:23 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Contact:
Heya fellow Aussie,
Good on you for getting the braces!!!!! It's a big step and takes a bit getting used to. I got braced at 25 years old in February. When it comes to eating, for me, food just isn't the same for a very long time but you do get used to it.
It does feel like a hell of alot of hardware in your mouth at first but you will really get used to it very fast (you will hear that alot though). When I first got braced I had these two spring coils in my mouth which felt HUGE (they were pretty big actually, but they felt double what they loooked like, lol) but I did get used to them after a while. Even the self-consciousness subsided to a degree as well.
Best tip ever, drink loads of water. I got dehydrated at night and would wake up with a dry mouth...let's just say that a dry mouth and metal wires embedded into a dry cheek, followed by a great big yawn is comparable to rubbing a cheese grater inside your cheek...so yeah, water ROCKS!!!
Looking forward to watching you progress!
Dane
Good on you for getting the braces!!!!! It's a big step and takes a bit getting used to. I got braced at 25 years old in February. When it comes to eating, for me, food just isn't the same for a very long time but you do get used to it.
It does feel like a hell of alot of hardware in your mouth at first but you will really get used to it very fast (you will hear that alot though). When I first got braced I had these two spring coils in my mouth which felt HUGE (they were pretty big actually, but they felt double what they loooked like, lol) but I did get used to them after a while. Even the self-consciousness subsided to a degree as well.
Best tip ever, drink loads of water. I got dehydrated at night and would wake up with a dry mouth...let's just say that a dry mouth and metal wires embedded into a dry cheek, followed by a great big yawn is comparable to rubbing a cheese grater inside your cheek...so yeah, water ROCKS!!!
Looking forward to watching you progress!
Dane
Next Adjustment: August 20th, 2008 at 5pm
My Story:
[url=http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=24942[/url]
My Story:
[url=http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=24942[/url]
Nice to see you have a sense of humor over the band boo-boo! Orthos are only human, and they drop things. I've nearly choked on a few things they've dropped down my throat too, but fortunately nothing as big as a band. Glad it came back up without incident!
Click on WWW to see my braces story.
August 16, 2007 - Braced on top
January 3, 2008 - Braced on bottom
August 16, 2007 - Braced on top
January 3, 2008 - Braced on bottom
Week 2
Hi Guys,
Thanks for the messages - it's nice to get them, especially in these early days!
LongInTheT.....I have to 'fess-up....I'm a Pom too! I've been here 5 years and can identify with your comments. I really love it here and think that I have adopted a more laid back approach to life since coming to Oz.
Eating has become a bit easier - I think though it's a case of me getting more used to the feeling of all the hardware in my mouth and identifying my limitations as to what I can and can't eat! I had a real challenge on Sunday night when I went around to a friend's house for dinner.....cheese fondu......yum!! Hey, glad I took my tooth brush with me though, you could say it was kind of sticky. A word from the wise though - avoid parma ham.....it gets stuck on the pegs on the molar bands and is really unattractive!
I've not been using the wax this week and have felt OK so far. Here's hoping my mouth is finally beginning to toughen up to the pointy bits.
As I get used to the braces, I find myself becoming impatient in wanting to see some visible movement. I'll take some pictures in a week or so. 4 weeks to go until my first adjustment (must get one of those counter thingys going).
Cheers,
Perth Lad
Thanks for the messages - it's nice to get them, especially in these early days!
LongInTheT.....I have to 'fess-up....I'm a Pom too! I've been here 5 years and can identify with your comments. I really love it here and think that I have adopted a more laid back approach to life since coming to Oz.
Eating has become a bit easier - I think though it's a case of me getting more used to the feeling of all the hardware in my mouth and identifying my limitations as to what I can and can't eat! I had a real challenge on Sunday night when I went around to a friend's house for dinner.....cheese fondu......yum!! Hey, glad I took my tooth brush with me though, you could say it was kind of sticky. A word from the wise though - avoid parma ham.....it gets stuck on the pegs on the molar bands and is really unattractive!
I've not been using the wax this week and have felt OK so far. Here's hoping my mouth is finally beginning to toughen up to the pointy bits.
As I get used to the braces, I find myself becoming impatient in wanting to see some visible movement. I'll take some pictures in a week or so. 4 weeks to go until my first adjustment (must get one of those counter thingys going).
Cheers,
Perth Lad
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Miranbrady20
- Posts: 415
- Joined: Mon May 26, 2008 12:46 pm
New Photos
Hi Guys,
I've not posted an update for a while but thought I'd put these photo's on before my next adjustment (2nd) next week on the 11th. I'm please with the progress so far, those top incisors are moving back in steadily!
Eating has got a lot easier - or I've got used to eating with braces.....probably the latter. I've also got my head around being an adult with braces on a lot more now which is good. I've had to do a number of work presentations and talking to the public over the last few weeks which was a bit daunting at first but no problem really. Any comments I have had have been positive and supportive which has been excellent.
Will try to post more often.
Cheers,
Perth Lad
Brace Day
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11 weeks in
[img]http://img354.imageshack.us/img354 ... .jpg[/img]
I've not posted an update for a while but thought I'd put these photo's on before my next adjustment (2nd) next week on the 11th. I'm please with the progress so far, those top incisors are moving back in steadily!
Eating has got a lot easier - or I've got used to eating with braces.....probably the latter. I've also got my head around being an adult with braces on a lot more now which is good. I've had to do a number of work presentations and talking to the public over the last few weeks which was a bit daunting at first but no problem really. Any comments I have had have been positive and supportive which has been excellent.
Will try to post more often.
Cheers,
Perth Lad
Brace Day
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11 weeks in
[img]http://img354.imageshack.us/img354 ... .jpg[/img]
![[img]http://img354.imageshack.us/img354 ... .jpg[/img]](%5Bimg%5Dhttp%3A//img354.imageshack.us/img354/1862/img0859rm5.jpg%5B/img%5D){kind=link}
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viciousgiraffe
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:24 pm
- Location: Bay Area