50th birthday present?

[Gill]

I was 50 just over a week ago & today got braces, top & bottom, after years of dithering over it. in the meantime my always crooked teeth got even more bent. i really needed to do this but dreaded it.
Anyway, 8 hours in it's OK although i know pain might come later. Main problem is dry mouth.
Oh, how could i forget, one of my brackets (on the particularly crazy front tooth) pinged off after just a few hours. I've returned & had it stuck back on, but the orthodontist has said not to worry for now if this happens again.
Will check in again soon...

[catgyrl]

Hi Gill-

Welcome and congratulations!! My bracket popped off a few days after getting my braces, too. It was bonded to a porcelain crown and had to be re-bonded. Thank goodness the second one stuck, or else I would have had to get a molar band around that tooth, which would not have pleased me.

Surprisingly, I didn't experience much pain, either after getting them on. Some "tightness" and very dull ache, but never much actual pain. I've found I really need to keep well hydrated because I, too, have a bad case of dry mouth. When I wake up in the morning, I practically have to peel my lips off of my braces.

Will you be taking pics and posting your story? It's a great way to document your progress.

-Cathy

[Foxsong]

Hi Gill, I just got my own braces last week -- ten days after my 50th birthday! I haven't had a lot of trouble so far. Let's hope we both have smooth sailing.

[armadillo]

Good luck to my fellow 50-somethings! I'm 58 & 8 months in. Still have some real sore teeth when I get new wires, and my teeth are always somewhat tender. After all, they've been in their current position for 50+ years, so it's to be expected.

[Gill]

I love this website! How great to get encouragement from people going through the same thing.
It really cheered me up when I was feeling frankly shellshocked on day 1.

Cathy - I'm not sure if I'll be posting pics because I'm a bit embarrassed about the state of my teeth - they are madly crooked! Someone told me the braces really didn't make much difference to my appearance coz my teeth were already so crazy!

Anyway, Day 6 and still no pain, just the beginnings of a bit of looseness I think, as a tooth begins to move...

Best wishes all fabulous 50's
Gill

[Foxsong]

Tell you what... I'll show you mine if you show me yours! Mine are (were, soon!) way scarier than the rest of the 'before' pics I've seen so far. But I already get the feeling that he people here aren't judging us by our 'before' pictures. I'm going to put some pics on Photobucket and post on the 'Our Braces Stories' board. Go look for me.