Braced at 42

[Beckett]

Dumbest idea ever...having an appointment the day before I leave on a trip. A couple of new bends, some steel ties, and stronger elastics mean traveling pain! Good news is I'm getting so close, just very minor tweaking to get everything to fit just right. They've ordered the fitting for their drill that gives the nice little V shape between the corners of your teeth to do some reshaping when I'm done. I'm getting excited and hope they are off before my big trip in mid October!

[Beckett]

Monday might be the day! Everything is fitting well, nothing is knocking into another tooth and feeling weird, that has all been fixed with the subtle adjustments the parter at the ortho offic has done. I can honesty say if they take them off Monday I will be happy. They have booked extra appointment time just in case I'm ready.

I never did manage to upload any pictures here. I don't have any stored anywhere online so I'm not sure I can get any uploaded. I was really good about taking photos every adjustment in the beginning, but once everything straightened out I kinda slacked off.

[Speckla]

This is me. I'm 42 and had my uppers placed on the 7th and will have the lower placed on the 29th. Hooray for straight teeth so I can get partial dentures on the left side (many missing teeth upper and lower).

[Beckett]

So last Monday was not the day, ortho said since we had made changes the previous appointment he wanted to give me a couple more weeks with no changes just to let everything settle to make sure things will stay as we've adjusted when they do come off. So, barring anything out of the ordinary, my debonding date is October 2nd. Now I feel myself over-analyzing every single little thing, every tooth that touches another, every movement in every bite. Am I really ready? Are my teeth really perfect enough? Will I learn to talk around the new teeth positions so those two front teeth on the right will stop clashing now and then when I pronounce certain words? It's done that in that one spot off and on for the last 6 months or so.

But the other part of me is like HOORAY! I'm so ready. I'm looking forward to be able to laugh and talk for a long time with people without the insides of my cheeks and lips feeling sore from rubbing so much. I'm looking forward to not snapping myself in the lip with a rogue elastic. I'm looking forward to not needing to pick food out from under wires after eating virtually anything.

[Beckett]

Poking around the forums tonight I realized it's my 18 month "anniversary" of getting my braces on. I'm getting both really excited and really nervous for debonding on Monday. What if they say no and want me to go three more weeks? I know, the world won't end.

[EmilyTravels]

I hope your debracing day will not slip out! I know you must be getting excited.

Please post about your debracing experience. I keep reading how painful it is and am already nervous, and I've only had my braces for a month!

GOOD LUCK!

[Beckett]

I’M FREE!!! Wow, things feel so weird. Like I have fat, slimy teeth now!
Getting ceramic brackets off was a little tense, but not as bad as I thought it would be. First they popped the back metal ones off and pulled them out with the wires. Then they popped the ceramics, most of which broke in the process, and I had one stubborn tooth in the lower front that just did not want to give it up. On those 4 lower front incisors it felt like they were pulling my teeth out, and the crunch sounds was a little unnerving, no one warned me about that sound. Then the buffing of the glue. The cold air was very sensitive on some teeth but bearable. She took frequent breaks so my mouth could warm up my teeth again. Then I was off to brush and floss. Oh, flossing was gloriously easy! Then back in the chair for some fine tuning polishing of my pointy pointy canines by the orthodontist. He gushed about my results.

Impressions for retainers were next. They had to do two sets, one to keep at the office to make my set of Essix retainers, the other to get sent off to the lab for my Hawleys. (I chose sparkly purple because why not?) Totally not as bad as I thought they were going to be. And I’ve watched three of my kids have them done. Easy peasy, breathe through your nose. She let me rinse after each tray so that was nice. Took some pictures, gave me an appointment for 4weeks to pick up my Hawleys and I go back this afternoon to pick up the Essix. Also got a chocolate caramel apple as a debrace treat.

When all is said and done, I had braces for 553 days. Just a hair over 18 months.

[EmilyTravels]

Thanks for sharing your debracing story, and CONGRATULATIONS! I am not looking forward to the discomfort, crunchy noise, cold air on teeth or any of that, but I am sure once it is all done, it is all worth it.