Adult with braces and not as painful as people say

[76Haller]

I wanted to take this chance to let others know that getting braces is not the horrific feeling that I have heard others despair about on this site.

The basics: I am 32 and I have had braces for a week. I opted for ceramic braces and they are on my top teeth only. I had braces for two years as a teen. My teeth looked marvelous afterwards but a couple of factors contributed to my gradual disliking of my smile. (1) I didn't wear my retainer as fastidiously as I should have. (2) I was out of them by 16 and I was not finished growing. (3) I had a fake tooth adhered as a Marilyn bridge and I believe the force this exerts on the other teeth added to the shifting.

Anyways, like most other posters to this site, I didn't like my teeth for cosmetic reasons. I didn't like to look at pictures where I was smiling. I agonized over the decision for a long time, mostly because of the finances. I did a hearty amount of researching before making the decision. FYI: I like in the Midwest. I am paying approximately $5,000 to have the ceramic braces on my top teeth only. I have no braces on the lower teeth.

I read so many accounts on this site where people waxed on about how awful they felt after the bonding. I heard accounts of feeling like they were punched in the face, had a soccer ball kicked at their mouth, days of swallowing baby food, yadda yadda.

I want to clarify that not everyone will feel that way. And just as a note, I never considered myself someone with a high pain threshold.

I had my braces bonded in the morning. I took Ibuprofen all day, mostly out of fear that it would *start* to hurt, rather than need. That was the only day I took pills of any kind. It's been a week now and still no discomfort either.

The biggest problem is deciding what to eat that will be the easiest to take care of while in a work setting. That's about it.

There is one true thing that most people say and that I have found I agree with. I am SO HAPPY I am doing this. I used to see others with gorgeous smiles and bemoan my finances, but I am so glad I stepped up. I don't make that much money but some things are priceless. One should never be too embarrassed to smile.

[sdawdy]

I have to agree pretty much. However, after one of my appointments, when I got a square wire on my bottom arch....i did feel like i had been punched in the face for a few days....Oh yeah i know how that feels because of 12+ years in martial arts....and i have a pretty high pain tollerance.

[sdyck]

Three days ago I had upper and lower braces put on, the pain on my tongue is almost unbearable. I have three lumps on my tongue and because of the upper plate that is placed across the roof of my mouth my tongue is indented.

I have four sores on my cheeks that have now become raw. I was given wax when I left the dentist, but ran out the first day..because we are in a small town you cannot purchse it anywherre.

I am wondering if this is normal, and if anyone has suggestions for pain relief.

[76Haller]

I'm assuming it's a really heavy one? Were you near the end of your time wearing braces?

[opera^gal]

both bottom and top <all metal, said with a glinty smile> and I haven't experienced much *pain* at all. Some rubbed spots on the inner lips/cheek that passed and definitely some strange sensations as things begin to shift, but no real 'need for medication' pain.

Everyone is different in how they react and in how much movement is being attempted. Perhaps that is what leads to the stories of agony on the site. For me, I'm grateful <so far> for how I'm reacting.

Thought for the day: Smile big, even *if* your lip gets caught on a hook!

[*melissa*]

'Thought for the day: Smile big, even *if* your lip gets caught on a hook!'

LOL thats so funny opera gal... I have 4 "hooks" and my bottom lips always get caught... not fun!

[76Haller]

I had such a crazy experience. I ended up going to a concert with my friends and suddenly out of nowhere, I became so awfully self-conscious of my mouth. And really that's not even the best way to describe it. I just felt overwhelmingly vain for paying money for my teeth that were not *that* jacked up in the first place. I kept thinking how 100 people are in his crowd and they don't all have perfect teeth but they arent' shelling out thousands of dolalrs to fix them or committing months and years of their lives to the process. I was so uncomfortable. I am not that vain. I get my hair cut twice a year. I don't get highlights or pedicures or fancy spa treatments, but somehow i just felt so odd about myself.

Has anything like this happened to anyone else? I'm chalking it up to the fact that I don't deal with change that well. Plus it's been such an arduous journey from thinking about this for years to finally doing it. Maybe the realization is setting in...

[*melissa*]

i had tremendous anxiety about my braces. i had ceramic on the uppers and metal on the bottom. after 7 months, i decided i couldnt take it anymore and later on got ibraces on top and just ceramic on the bottom. you can tell i have braces on the bottom and thats makes me very, very anxious.

[*tap*]

in the first 3 days i felt like someone had knocked all of my teeth,and were wiggling them constantly lol, but my teeth arnt anywhere near straight as the ortho said and i quote "what are we going to do with you" filled me full of confidence. anyway as everyone says on here the pain goes after 3 days.