Beckys Brace Story!

[bp88]

Hey guys, I'm new here.

I'm 22 from England and FINALLY getting round to getting braces to fix overcrowding and high canines. I had 4 teeth extracted a few weeks ago and get my braces on Tuesday morning. At first I was fully nervous and dreading it but after reading through a whole bunch of stories on here, I'm now just very anxious to get things going.

The only thing bothering me right now is I'm starting a new job soon, induction day is Thursday so I feel like I'm not gonna have enough time to get myself used to them. It's a retail position in a busy shop so besides the nerves of beginning a new job, I'm now gonna be very self-conscious of my mouth. :S

I'll get some pics posted of my teeth before and after my appointment.

Wish me luck!

[BaliGirl]

Welcome, Becky!

I know exactly how you feel. I just got my braces a week ago and went through the same nervous/dread and then anxious to get started feelings.

This is my second time in braces and getting used to them has been more difficult than I remember the first time around. Not hard, really, just harder than I expected. Here are some of my observations:

Stock up on wax, the silicone type. I needed it for the first 6 days while my cheeks got used to all the metal in my mouth. I still need it if I'm going to do a lot of talking because my cheeks are still adjusting.

Chewing may be hard for a week or so - everyone has a different level of discomfort (I hope you don't have much!) - just mentioning this so you can have foods on hand that don't require much chewing. My teeth are still tender but getting better by the day.

Plan for additional time needed to keep your braces clean - brushing and flossing used to take me 5 minutes and now takes 20-30 minutes. I'm getting faster every day, but it is still time consuming.

I would like to wish you the best of luck on your journey and look forward to future updates.
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My story: viewtopic.php?t=36907[/url]

[dredgos]

Hi Becky, and welcome!

Good to see that the stories and advice on here has helped to ease the initial nerves for you! I know everybody says it and that sometimes its difficult to not get self conscious but in my experience my self consciousness was far worse than what anyone else had to say. In my head i thought people would be constantly looking at my teeth but the reality was some people didnt notice, and those whole did only had positive things to say about the fact i had actually got on an done something about my teeth rather than just saying i didnt like them!

Hopefully you dont have too many problems with discomfort when you get them fitted, i had some for a couple of days and at the start it was quite bad but now i am 5 months in i have learnt to cope with it better and eat foods that are easy on my mouth when i have adjustments.

As for the job, i am sure that you will find it only takes a couple of days before you start to realise that actually the large percentage of people will treat you and talk to you exactly the same as they would if you didnt have braces! Just remember to have wax handy with you at work as a whole day at work with your braces rubbing can be a nightmare - i made that mistake once!


Good luck!

[NervousNewbie]

As for the job, i am sure that you will find it only takes a couple of days before you start to realise that actually the large percentage of people will treat you and talk to you exactly the same as they would if you didnt have braces! Just remember to have wax handy with you at work as a whole day at work with your braces rubbing can be a nightmare - i made that mistake once!

I was most nervous about my co-workers reactions but they are all very nice about it actually! People often ask me how my mouth and teeth are feeling, and even though it is a little embarrassing for me because I'm so used to hiding my teeth, it is quite kind of them to take interest!

I also made the mistake of not keeping wax at my desk... now I have wax in my desk, in my purse, in my car, in the bathroom, etc.

[poppy123]

hi becky, welcome to the club!

im from the uk also, am 29. ive had mine on for 6 weeks, have had no probs at all and my teeth have moved loads already. Ive got clear ceramic on just my top teeth. i was really suprised how little my braces bothered me once they were on. i was worried about going in work as i went in the next day and would have prefered a couple of days annual leave to get used to them, but after being in work 10 mins and showing the people i sit near it was fine and didnt think about it mcuh after that. once your first day at work is over you've done the worst bit. not only that you'll be suprised how many of your new colleques will say 'aww i need braces too' - it turned out not many people are happy with their smile. good luck, keep us updated. ive not posted any pics on here yet but am gonna put my story and pic on in the next couple of days.