Adult with braces and not as painful as people say
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:23 pm
I wanted to take this chance to let others know that getting braces is not the horrific feeling that I have heard others despair about on this site.
The basics: I am 32 and I have had braces for a week. I opted for ceramic braces and they are on my top teeth only. I had braces for two years as a teen. My teeth looked marvelous afterwards but a couple of factors contributed to my gradual disliking of my smile. (1) I didn't wear my retainer as fastidiously as I should have. (2) I was out of them by 16 and I was not finished growing. (3) I had a fake tooth adhered as a Marilyn bridge and I believe the force this exerts on the other teeth added to the shifting.
Anyways, like most other posters to this site, I didn't like my teeth for cosmetic reasons. I didn't like to look at pictures where I was smiling. I agonized over the decision for a long time, mostly because of the finances. I did a hearty amount of researching before making the decision. FYI: I like in the Midwest. I am paying approximately $5,000 to have the ceramic braces on my top teeth only. I have no braces on the lower teeth.
I read so many accounts on this site where people waxed on about how awful they felt after the bonding. I heard accounts of feeling like they were punched in the face, had a soccer ball kicked at their mouth, days of swallowing baby food, yadda yadda.
I want to clarify that not everyone will feel that way. And just as a note, I never considered myself someone with a high pain threshold.
I had my braces bonded in the morning. I took Ibuprofen all day, mostly out of fear that it would *start* to hurt, rather than need. That was the only day I took pills of any kind. It's been a week now and still no discomfort either.
The biggest problem is deciding what to eat that will be the easiest to take care of while in a work setting. That's about it.
There is one true thing that most people say and that I have found I agree with. I am SO HAPPY I am doing this. I used to see others with gorgeous smiles and bemoan my finances, but I am so glad I stepped up. I don't make that much money but some things are priceless. One should never be too embarrassed to smile.
The basics: I am 32 and I have had braces for a week. I opted for ceramic braces and they are on my top teeth only. I had braces for two years as a teen. My teeth looked marvelous afterwards but a couple of factors contributed to my gradual disliking of my smile. (1) I didn't wear my retainer as fastidiously as I should have. (2) I was out of them by 16 and I was not finished growing. (3) I had a fake tooth adhered as a Marilyn bridge and I believe the force this exerts on the other teeth added to the shifting.
Anyways, like most other posters to this site, I didn't like my teeth for cosmetic reasons. I didn't like to look at pictures where I was smiling. I agonized over the decision for a long time, mostly because of the finances. I did a hearty amount of researching before making the decision. FYI: I like in the Midwest. I am paying approximately $5,000 to have the ceramic braces on my top teeth only. I have no braces on the lower teeth.
I read so many accounts on this site where people waxed on about how awful they felt after the bonding. I heard accounts of feeling like they were punched in the face, had a soccer ball kicked at their mouth, days of swallowing baby food, yadda yadda.
I want to clarify that not everyone will feel that way. And just as a note, I never considered myself someone with a high pain threshold.
I had my braces bonded in the morning. I took Ibuprofen all day, mostly out of fear that it would *start* to hurt, rather than need. That was the only day I took pills of any kind. It's been a week now and still no discomfort either.
The biggest problem is deciding what to eat that will be the easiest to take care of while in a work setting. That's about it.
There is one true thing that most people say and that I have found I agree with. I am SO HAPPY I am doing this. I used to see others with gorgeous smiles and bemoan my finances, but I am so glad I stepped up. I don't make that much money but some things are priceless. One should never be too embarrassed to smile.