Finally took the plunge at 31 - Matt's journal

[Zulu Tip]

Amazing forum here. I'm so glad I came across this. Great to read all the stories of others who are going through or have gone through the same things I am experiencing now.

I'm in my second day of braces and am still finding my way around eating and cleaning and all that good stuff. It's funny because I was so terrified of what others would think about me being an adult with braces that I almost chickened out and didn't get them put on. But now that they're on, I'm much more worried about what foods I can eat (and the ones I'll be without for a while), how to keep them clean, and whether my gums are bleeding yet, etc etc. I rarely give a thought to being embarrassed or self conscious. It's actually really similar to how I felt about my crooked smile before braces. What might be even more strange is not having to hide my smile after this is all over with - wow, just the thought of that is so liberating!

I look forward to sharing my story as I progress with anyone who will listen. Feels really good to share, even if I don't know who with! Good luck to everyone else going through the same thing, and if you're contemplating getting braces - go for it. The sooner the better. You'll be surprised at how relieved you'll feel after you get them on -

[msbee]

Hi Matt, Welcome!
Just like you, instead of being self conscious, the ironic thing is that I'm smiling wider than before so that my lips don't get stuck to the brackets!
Mr Bee says he likes the way I smile so widely now too.

[Zulu Tip]

thx msbee! I'll take your advice and try smiling a little wider instead of keeping my lips pressed together.
Now I just need to work on the speaking part - my "s" sound is a little off, sounds like I'm whistling! My brother says I sound like ben stiller in Something about Mary. I got a kick out of that one!

[Maggie Brace]

HI Matt
Congrats on the braces. I m also 31 and had all the same concerns as you did. I have them on about seven weeks now and i was really conscious/embarassed about them for the first few weeks. I dont really even think about them now except when i m having conversations with someone just after eating. I usually have bits of food stuck every where
Some of my friends live quite far away so i dont get to see them often. The grand unveiling of me age 31 in Braces will be next weekend at a friends wedding. If i survive that i ll get through the next 18/24 months.

It is great though that once these braces are off we will never have to be worried about our crooked teeth smiles again

Good luck with the rest of your journey
Maggie

[cosmo]

congrats on takign th plunge Matt you will no regret it.

I have had mine for a bout a month now and sometimes I forget about them it's not a big deal. No one ven notices and when i think they are looking i say oh i got braces and people seemed surprised and confused because they weren't even looking or think about my teeth lol. Its just me being a tad insecure at moments.
Today I saw a 40+ man in metal braces and it made me so happy to know there's other people doing this and honestly his looked great and I cant wait for my teeth ot be straight so the wire isn't all over the place.

I'll be sure to follow your posts and put some pics up. I haven't noticed a difference to be honest but i could feel it and the wire at the back is poking out which is a great sign.


WELCOME TO THE BRACE WORLD!!

[sdilley]

I'm also a 31 year old male. It's nice to hear of others my age getting braced. I have always been plagued with really crowded front teeth. About 2 months ago I got braced. I was very anxious about letting everyone know about my braces, but to my surprise, everyone has been very supportive.

The one piece of advice that I can give from my experience is to keep informed. There is a wealth of knowledge on the internet (this site in particular) and it pays to be informed. My orthodontist is a friend of my dentist, who is a friend of mine, so I trust him completely. But be sure to have your questions prepared, because for me adjustments are pretty quick, and time goes by fast.

[Zulu Tip]

thanks for the posts everyone!!

Sdilley - good call on the questions. My dentist is also my ortho and he is a dear friend of mine, so I trust what he says. But still, I have a lot more questions now than before I got them put on - so I'm bringing my list with me to the first month adjustment!

[Lewick]

Congrats on getting your braces put on and starting your journey! I think you'll be surprised by how fast time flies by, and you'll be used to your metal sooner than you think

[Zulu Tip]

Been awhile since I updated this. Just got my second adjustment yesterday, and teeth are very sore this morning!! So far so good though. Time is moving pretty quick and it is really cool to see the teeth move. Many of them have been crooked for so long that it's dramatic when they move even a little bit. My tongue is sore from playing with the teeth so much - I can't stop!!

My use of wax is way way down, although I notice that i seem to have a couple permanent ruts in the side of my cheek where the bottom wire seems to rest while I sleep. It was sore for a bit, but now it doesn't bother me at all. I've been pleasantly surprised at how little issue I've had with gum irritation due to the braces. When I first got them on, I thought for sure I'd be going through 2 lbs of ortho wax a week!

Next adjustment in 2 weeks - can't wait!!