Sarah68 got braces!!!!!

[Sarah68]

My top brace went on yesterday and it was absolutely fine!!!!! I was desperate to write about it yesterday, but had a works dinner in the evening and just didn’t get a chance. The bottom brace will follow in 3 weeks. I walked in to the surgery and there was the orthodontist and 2 nurses and I suddenly felt a bit panicky. I honestly thought the brace would be HUGE and I’d look totally metal-mouthed. Instead, I think it looks rather gorgeous! Anyway, I put myself in the chair with my head tilting backwards. I didn’t like that tilting backwards feeling and felt a bit sick but it settled. The orthodontist asked me if I wanted the top or bottom one put on today and I thought the top one made more sense, for some reason! He put roll things under my top lip, wiped my teeth with something, put on the glue, then the brackets, then put a light on them to set them. It might have been my imagination but I think I felt a slightly weird sensation in my teeth when the light went on . Then he got the wire and twisted it into place. I’d already decided on pale pink elastics and on they went. He said he was pleased I’d already decided on the colour as that can add so much time to the process when people can’t decide! This web site really is fab for deciding on colours http://www.bracesonline.com/elastics.html I think I’ll have orange and pink next time. One funny thing happened with my top lip. It dried stuck up and I totally couldn’t shift it down so had to rinse!

My experience with spacers was a little alarming. The orthodontist couldn’t attach the bands to my top molars, as there wasn’t the space so he put in blue spacers and will finish the uppers next time. Inserting spacers is like threading floss between the teeth with little elastics attached and the floss is removed leaving the elastic. Anyway, the spacers went in between the top molars easily enough but the bottom molars were a different story. He broke one piece of “flossâ€

[LiveWire]

So wonderful to hear that you are not experiencing some of the pain that many of the others before you have felt during those first few days I am a newbie to the board and getting braced on top on Sept 28th (ironically my 3rd wedding anniversary..nice present!!)

I am 29 and anxious about the process so it is relieving to hear that at least some people do not have a lot of pain that first week!

Take care!

[Sarah68]

Thanks for the reply, KK! And I'm glad there are at least 2 of us on the planet whose upper lip stays stuck up after smiling!!!!! I wonder if it wears off?? I just hope the same doesn't happen with the lower lip when that brace is on, or it could start to be a little embarassing. I find my mouth gets dry too which doesn't help the sticking lip syndrome.

Good to hear from you, LiveWire. I was suprised there was no pain, although I suspect I might not be so lucky after the first adjustment... Good luck with yours! It'll be fine!

Today has been pain-free except for some rubbing after too much talking and I've put a blob of wax on the far left bracket. It felt wonderful after doing that!

And I have given 2 colleagues the URL of this site as they told me today of their wish to have their teeth straightened and seeing me do it has made them think about it seriously. When I looked at their teeth I was shocked to see they were crooked. It's so weird how we don't notice other peoples teeth, just our own, yet others don't notice ours!

Bye for now. I'll post more if anything interesting happens!

[caryca]

welcom on board

yep soon you will be lookings at others teeth thinking...the should get braces this tooth is...or when you will see other fellows you will look what they are having done etc ...

i had a bit of pain after my second ajustment when they've chenged the wire but other wise it was really ok

I remember that the first week for me was a constand sahara desert;-) I was drinking water and drinking...but then it will go away.

[Sarah68]

Hi caryca and KK! The whole dry mouth thing is odd and I've now read that a few people have that problem. It is possibly a bit better with me today, but that might be because I'm home alone and not talking! Always good to hear I'm not the only one

By last night the bracket on the far left was really digging in and a night with wax has let my mouth heal. I LOVE WAX Glad you are finding relief with wax on your lowers, KK! My top brace went too smoothly I am now convinced that the bottoms will be a different matter

I'm finding brushing my teeth a bit painful and can only use my electric brush on the low/slow setting! And the toothpaste sticks to the brace! And I have now realised just how badly food gets caught in it. I can't be bothered to snack between meals and it took AGES to eat a biscuit yesterday. Weight loss here I come??? It's weird as when I bite it feels like I am biting the brace down on the food so I am only eating things I can break into small bits and drop on the molars to chew! No idea what will happen when the molars and banded and I can't use them either

Bye for now! Oh, finally please could someone tell me how to get the ticker counter thingy to show up...?

[Sarah68]

Just testing my ticker.....

[decisionmade]

Sarah68, your post was so helpful !!!...and your great attitude contagious! I am 34 and get my braces on september 29th...I've been counting down the days for what seems forevr and now that it is coming up.. I am so excited but nervous too..I hope to carry your great attitude with me on brace day..Good luck to you and I am going to follow your story! -DM

[Sarah68]

Hi decisionmade I am really happy that my posting gave you encouragement! ~That's so cool. I'm so cheerful at the mo, and making the most of it in case getting the lower brace fitted in 3 weeks is a different story! Still, it would have to be pretty bad to ruin my good mood. I am just SO thrilled to have taken this step after over 20 years hating my teeth. And I really can't believe how much I love seeing the brace! I thought I'd be shy and smiling with a closed mouth - but I am grinning at complete strangers and love how the brace looks! (And the fact that my top lip stays up after I've smiled hasn't put me off!!! )

Hi KK! I'm sure you'll have a fab time at the restaurant providing you choose your meal carefully and either have the drooling under control or know the people well enough that they don't mind a bit of drool! Seriously, just don't worry! And remember to take your toothbrush. I can't believe how clogged the brace gets. I bought some 0.4mm interdental brushes today to see if that helps. I think I also need to find some different toothpaste as my usual one coats the braces and doesn't come off without me rubbing and that is not pleasant...

So, that's another day done. Nite nite.

[HollyDontSpend]

I agree your excitement is contagious Sarah! Congratulations on your getting braces. I thought that was funny about the dry upper lip! My lip always gets caught above my upper braces. Sometimes I just do it to annoy my husband. Anyways, good luck with your treatment. It'll be great to hear more about how it is going!

[Clo]

Hi Sarah,

welcome to this fabulous bracial community.
(One member used that word once, I think it works so great here)
It is great to keep up such positive attitude. I guess you looked in the
mirror more than once since getting braces, no ? I try to keep a similar
attitude, I even believe one can accept and tolerate more pain that way.

About the clogging. After some time you get quite a pro when it comes
to eating with braces. Cutting food up to the right pieces, not using the
incisors a lot, let the molars do all the work, using what you drink to get
some food out ... After a while you will get better and better in 'making
these braces look less like a mess'.

Yes, some experimenting with different brands of toothpaste can do
wonders. Recently I tried Rembrandt (baking soda). Wow, instant
improvement by 100 pct ! My teeth felt clean like they never did before,
and my braces look like day one again, although this day is almost 17
months behind me now ...

Please, keep writing. You may be new to braces, but your posts here
are very good. Refreshing and full of positive vibes. Cya, Clo !

[Sarah68]

So good to read your postings HollyDontSpend and Clo! Why has your debracing been delayed, HollyDontSpend? Do you still have gaps? My orthodontist said that because one of the teeth that came out was a molar not a pre-molar, it will take longer to close the gap but he'll keep at it until I tell him I can't stand any more.

Well, a few things to say, I guess. I tried to get Rembrandt toothpaste in baking powder, but so far can't find it. Thanks for the tip Clo, and I'll keep searching! Brushing is still an unpleasant experience for me and I'm only eating 2 meals a day, with a milkshake at lunchtime which doesn't need as much brushing after! No idea how I'll be when I have my bottom braces in too. But the brace hasn't been in long so brushing might become easier.

One of my spacers fell out last night. My orthodontist said that might happen once they'd done their job. So I assume the space has been made,. I just hope it hasn't closed up by the time I get back to the surgery! The funny thing is that the bouncy feeling has now gone, and I miss it! I'd got strangely used to that particular feeling!

I also miss that spacer as it stopped me from closing my top teeth against the bottom teeth, and since the spacer has gone and the teeth are touching, it hurts a bit! I am convinced that the first incisor that was overlaping its neighbour has moved. I thought at first it couldn't possibly have happened so soon, but judging by the extreme sensitivity of that tooth, I guess it might well have moved! I can't feel it unless it's touch or I brush my teeth. Then it's hurty!

And I have a second incisor that is a bit loose, but thankfully I have learned from this site that that's okay! (is it????? )

That's it really at the mo. The bottom brace goes on 2 weeks today. I can't believe I've only had the top brace for 6 days! It feels so much longer, but not in a bad way. I am still thrilled - totally happy! One thing I must do next time though, is to get brighter elastic thingies. I like the pale pink, but my colleagues say that they aren't easy to see. So, it's cerise and/or orange next time!

That's it for now! How you getting on, KK?? What about you, decisionmade? A week to go!

[Sarah68]

Well, I am now a full metal mouth! After 20 days of only having top braces, I now have top and bottom and 4 molars banded

It's ok!

The only real problem was that the orthodontist kept chatting to me and expecting a reply. How can they think we can talk when someone is up to their elbows in our mouth and using TOOLS???!!!

Seriously though, there is a feeling of fullness in my mouth and the lower front teeth have been feeling itchy, which is weird, and metal hits metal when I close my mouth, but I am sure in time things will settle and I'll hardly notice having braces.

There was a bit of pressure when the orthodontist put the bands on the 4 molars, and I was shocked to see a "bridge" of wire suspended in mid-air going from the bands to the brace, over the gaps where the extractions had been done. It seems like the tiniest bit of pressure on this suspended wire will break it so I'm a bit nervous of that happening. Or is it stronger than it looks

However, after only 3 days the gap is closing!!!!! I can't believe how fast there has been movement in my mouth. And my top teeth have gone really sensitive again so I assume the incisors are continuing to undo their overlap but I can't see any change yet. No movement seems to be happening to my sticky-out lower canines yet...

I went for brighter pink ligs this time, the pale pink I got first was far too subtle! Next time it will be purple or turquoise. Everyone in work thinks I look great and some of them really peer into my mouth with great interest!

So, it's all fine and I'm still thrilled and excited! My mouth felt a bit swollen yesterday (except it wasn't really) as I'd had to give 5 hours of lectures and could have done without that so soon after being fuly braced!

How are the rest of you doing???

[caryca]

I have the same thing with lowers like Karen....it's just sticks all the time ...and funny thing I feel more bottoms then tops....so it's wiered.

Wow 5h of lectures!!!!! I have (well had) problems after 2h without braces!!!

I have a wire to connect my first pre-molar with first molar...and I had the same concern...after a while I got used to it...but in September I was eating something ( I am still not sure if its on the no-no list- a Polish speciality -very good one!) and I push my food into it... that's how I looked after it for about 2-3 minuts....but it was ok afterwareds....well the 8 was broken- I have it to close the gap (what do you have?) and I have a small tube of plastic around the archwire so it does not botters me- it's great! but...after 4 months I see that next time it will be gone! the space that was there is much smaller and the tube will prevent my tooth from moving...so it will go- I guess

take care and good luck with 'getting used to'

[Sarah68]

Hi KK and Caryca! For some reason I didn't get an email saying there has been postings and I felt really abandoned!!! So it was great to see your replies!

Great to hear you are both doing ok.

All is okay with my teeth, although I had several days of wax on one bracket as it rubbed a hole in my mouth. Seems to be a lot better, but by the evening I'm back with the wax I think I am still suffering from so much talking in work too soon! And talking makes my mouth dry still, although my lips aren't so dry and cracking as they were. Sounds so awful, this list of physical problems Oh, and just the last few days I've dribbled a bit, and spat a little once

The gaps where the teeth were removed have closed loads. I really can't believe it, and it makes the wire bridge thingies seem less vulnerable, but I still can't believe I've not broken it! It's odd though but I can't see where the teeth have moved at the front even though I can clearly see the gaps have closed loads. So, I assume that it's the molars that have moved

My partner bought me a fabulous bagel for lunch today. It was a lovely thought... but not really do-able in my current situation! He knew that but said he got over-excited on visiting our new delicatessen! It took me about 30 mins to slice it up and dismantle it and I only managed to eat half as I was so exhausted and frustrated! I have now decided that the first thing I eat when I am de-braced is a bagel!

And that's the end of another Metal Mouth day. Nite nite.