alone and scared

[julieh]

hi you. i am reaching out because you are so active here and i need a friend. i thought that i needed a retainer replacement until monday when i heard that i have some bigger issues. braces? really? not a candidate for invisalign. new words....fixed bite plate and forsus. part of the proposed treatment plan. i looked them up online, and i want to cry.

[klobird]

Hey Julie--Yes, I am here all the time!! And I would be willing to walk with you thru this if you would like.

Well, at 56, I have never had anyone say a thing about my braces--no one cares at all. If anything it's just a subject of interest. So, try not to worry about your age and braces...

Braces alone are really not that bad at all, most of the time. You will ache for about a week in the beginning, and maybe a couple of days after each adjustment (but not after every adjustment). And then the rest of the time you will barely notice them. I am not sorry at all that I got braces!

I ABSOLUTELY freaked about the Forsus until last November or so, when the ortho said I wouldn't need it. Whew! And then 6 weeks he the threw it in my mouth! I was totally blindsided, and completely, totally freaked out.

I will be honest. It was applied not quite right, and I had a lot of problems until last Monday when it was fixed. Now I can tell that it will be a piece of cake. I hardly notice it now, and I absolutely feel it working--that's the bottom line for me. My lesson--don't wait so long to go back to the ortho and tell them what I'm feeling--I may be right!! And it's not that bad at all!
And they don't use the Forsus until you've been in braces for a while anyway...

I looked at waaaayyyy too much stuff on the internet. I worked myself into a total tither. And it's basically been a waste of energy--you can do it!! And I will be here for you any time you want to blog.

It's not my intention to make things worse for you--but I will always be honest. You can pm me also if you would like. You don't have to be alone!

(Haven't had the bite plate--maybe someone else will be able to comment on that for you--anyone?)

[Realizingadream]

Hey Julie:

I have had bottom braces for 3 months now. If your advisors think you need braces, then get them sooner rather than later. I am quite a bit older than you and this is my first time in braces, and I wish I had been able to get them sooner. Actually, on my "regrets" list at this age, that is one of my biggest regrets--not having straightened my teeth sooner.

The braces don't really hurt me, but sometimes there is a little pressure. My bottom teeth were quite crooked, but now, after 3 months, they have straightened up nicely. Today, I called my ortho's office and asked them to put a note in my file to have him explain things more completely when I am there for treatments, because I can't ask while I am there--I can't use my mouth with them in there! She assured me they will explain things better.

Also, I can't wait to get my tops braced! Due to my age, and because I took Fosamax which I would NEVER take again, my orthodontist is being very cautious (i.e., SLOW) with my treatment.

Incidentally, the ONLY people who have ever commented to me on my braces, are adults in braces too! Our eyes seem to meet in the line at the grocery store or wherever, and then we smile even bigger at each other, and the comments begin, ALL POSITIVE.

So I am making new friends this year, due to braces, and I am getting a prettier smile, and more functional (and easier to floss) teeth!

Good luck to you!

Real

[julieh]

thanks for your replies. i need to go to a restorative dentist on may 7th. he and my orthodontist (can't even believe i am saying "my orthodontist"), are going to work together on my "case". at this point, i just want it to be over with - the bracing part. i am afraid that i may chicken out. my boyfriend was aware that i needed veneers, and even agreed to pay for them. last night, while turned away from him, i tried to explain what the orthodontist told me about my deep bite...and that, in order to put veneers on my uppers, they would have to file down 6 of my bottom, crowded teeth. i also learned that i have severe bruxism, and that my top teeth are over-erupted - that is messing up my gum line. while he was doing my evaluation - when i still thought that i was just getting a retainer, he asked me to open and close while examining my jaw. he asked me if i had been experiencing popping or clicking. knowing that this was tmj, and that that required braces, i lied and told him no. in fact, i wake up with killer ear aches, and have gone through periods of time when i could not open my mouth wide enough to take a bite out of a sandwich! blah blah blah. my boyfriend, asked what the solution was. i mumbled braces. he didn't reply. we went to sleep and we have not mentioned it since

[marybee]

Julie:

Klobird is right...you will ache at times (nothing so bad or too long that you won't get over) and things will be different for awhile but you will not regret getting braces, no matter what kind they are. This is my second time and I wish I wore my retainer like I should have the first time. You will never be alone as long as you are here since you will acquire a few...several...many....mutitudes of us who are going on the same journey! Braces are great icebreakers and the questions people ask are sometimes hilarious! I am around the same age as Klobird and it's usually "wow, braces at your age" and then the next comment from me is "how old do you think I am?" Catches them off guard - love it! Even had a few people say I look younger So far in just 8 weeks, I have noticed a difference and I am so glad I went this route! And, you learn a new language - ortho speak! Ligs, wires, elastics, powerchains.......

I didn't have spacers or Forsus or any other type of bite plates so I am not much help there. We are here to support you and don't give up.

Keep us posted!

[julieh]

i can handle any kind of physical pain...just don't wound my pride! My life is talking. I am a product presenter for a line of high end women's clothing.. I am filmed speaking for the camera, and this dvd is used for training purposes for over 700 sales women - 4x a year. i am not even going to ask if i will have a lisp, i will. fixed bite plate, forsus, and braces on top and bottom - im screwed. either i save my teeth - cause my bruxism and overbite are destroying them, or i lose my job.

[jem]

Julieh,

Just take a deep breath..........

It may be that things are moving a bit too quickly for you. Take time to get a 2nd /3rd ortho opinion and only get braces when you are good and ready.

Many people on this board have braces to avoid losing/damaging their teeth or for TMJD or other clinical reasons. Others have braces to improve the appearance of their teeth. For most, I suspect both clinical and aesthetic reasons apply.

Any good ortho will be looking to provide you with an outcome that is as near perfect as they can achieve. It may be that you would be prepared to settle for a less than perfect outcome if that involves less demanding treatment than the ortho is proposing. This perhaps comes down to what you must do to ensure your future dental health coupled with an acceptable aesthetic outcome. It may be that your current ortho or a second or third ortho can offer you an easier treatment plan which will achieve this.

One of the great things about this board is the support freely offered by people further down the line in orthodontic treatment. The prospect of getting braces can really get to you and the people on this board who have been there and done it will help you to get braces back into proper perspective whilst sympathising with the day to day hassle of braces.

If you look at the treads on this board, there are lots of people in high powered jobs with braces, bite plates, forsus etc. They are all coping and none have been sacked. You will also cope even if you might not think so at the moment. Of the 700 sales people who will be looking at your training videos, at least 250 will have had braces in the past, several will have them now and several more will be thinking about getting them. None will think any the worse of you for getting braces and many will admire you for taking the plunge. As you are well aware, the important thing about your videos is the message you are getting across, not that you have braces on your teeth.

As to your ability to speak with a bite plate, why not contact others on this site who have a bite plate to ask how they have managed? badbites and smilehope are 2 names that come to mind (hope you don't mind me mentioning you).

All the best

Jem

[julieh]

thank you. i appreciate the time that you have taken to respond to my concerns. i am grateful that i found this site.

[wal3]

I got myself so scared and worked up over getting braces that I didn't think I was going to do it the end, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't. I've had them on for over two weeks now and the first day i had them on i thought i'd made a big mistake as i thought i looked horrible, i couldn't eat properly and they felt really uncomfortable (don't want to put you off haha), but now honestly i don't even notice they're there and i actually quite like them now and all my friends have been really positive. Before i got them on i was so worried about the amount of time i'd have to have them on for and even researched six month braces as i was so scared, but now i honestly don't mind how long i have them on for because they don't bother me at all, as long as my teeth are nice at the end of it really there's nothing to worry about you will wonder what the fuss was about after a couple of weeks and when you've got them off you will be so glad!

[EbonyQ]

Hi!
One thing is for sure and that is that on this forum you will never be alone. The support on this forum is fab.

I’m terrified of braces…. Don’t know how many times I have freaked out on my appointments and how far my ortho had to go before I would let him put my braces on (7 visits ). I don’t have those regular 15 mins appointments, my appointments are 45-60 mins long, even though we are just going to do something that takes 5 mins for a “normal” pt. My ortho is not working like those in the states, here orthos has one and one pt at the time and the ortho are doing everything themselves.

Had it not been for this forum I would never have managed to attend my first appointment and had not found this wonderful ortho. So don’t be afraid to write what’s on your heart. It was what helped me (you can read it on my journal “Can I do it?” on this board if you want). We know what you are going through, we have been there too. We understand your worries and fear.

Do it! You will not regret it. It will be a bit strange those first few days but for me they were not bad at all. If I can survive it, then you can too. I know it all sounds scary but things are not always as bad as we imagined them to be. You can always take it off if you can’t handle it, they won’t do things you don’t want to.

Since I could not handle the thought of bite turbos my ortho are working without them. It will take a little longer time but for me it was either find a way without them or no lower braces. There are so many ways that they can move our teeth that if you can’t handle what the ortho are suggesting there and then, than there is most likely another way that you might feel more comfortable with