Being the clueless one, who doesn't know what things are supposed to look like, I can see why you are upset.
I wonder if anyone else could post a pic of the same type to compare.
Just Braced - EXTREMELY UNHAPPY. HEEEELP!!!!
Moderator: bbsadmin
Yep- from what I can tell, mine look pretty much like yours. They stick out that much. They're squarish. They are much larger than my metals on the teeth next to the molar bands. They get "caught" on my upper lip and sometimes my upper lip can't move when I talk- that makes me self- conscious, for sure. Usually I only have that kind of trouble when I am not hydrated enough, or if I eat something like yogurt or tea that I think of as "astringent", and seems to dry out my mouth.
If I tip my head toward the mirror and bare my teeth I look REALLY scary- like some kind of evil creature. That took me aback the first time- I was checking my braces for food bits after brushing and I saw THAT in the mirror and thought "accckkk! What have I done?" I had to look again from a normal view and I looked like my usual fairly attractive self, if a bit tired (I'm sticking to that tired part- it makes me feel better
). I am not a ghoul but I guess I might make a decent character actress! The Munsters remake, maybe?
My front teeth have to be moved out to accomodate the lower brackets that are not installed yet, so it is making my overbite worse for now, but oddly enough when I first got my brackets on my lips were crooked from my sticking out canine on one side. Now they are even again, so things are moving in the right direction.
Take heart, things will be a lot more tolerable soon. Those rusty tools make me wonder, though. Are you absolutlely sure about that? As for the glue- yes, I have glue spots and so do my kids, and the glue does feel rough around the brackets. I think once they come off, a little tooth poilsh makes it all go away. I plan on a major whitening too- as a reward for all this. That and lovely straight teeth, of course!
Hang in!
If I tip my head toward the mirror and bare my teeth I look REALLY scary- like some kind of evil creature. That took me aback the first time- I was checking my braces for food bits after brushing and I saw THAT in the mirror and thought "accckkk! What have I done?" I had to look again from a normal view and I looked like my usual fairly attractive self, if a bit tired (I'm sticking to that tired part- it makes me feel better
). I am not a ghoul but I guess I might make a decent character actress! The Munsters remake, maybe? My front teeth have to be moved out to accomodate the lower brackets that are not installed yet, so it is making my overbite worse for now, but oddly enough when I first got my brackets on my lips were crooked from my sticking out canine on one side. Now they are even again, so things are moving in the right direction.
Take heart, things will be a lot more tolerable soon. Those rusty tools make me wonder, though. Are you absolutlely sure about that? As for the glue- yes, I have glue spots and so do my kids, and the glue does feel rough around the brackets. I think once they come off, a little tooth poilsh makes it all go away. I plan on a major whitening too- as a reward for all this. That and lovely straight teeth, of course!
Hang in!
Re:
Hi. I just had my top braces put on last Wednesday. They are the Inovation C. Is that what you have? They are the self-ligating brackets, in the ceramic. When I first got them they felt totally huge...totally. However, I've had little to no pain or sore teeth. It's still been less than a week and I'm already about used to them. The self-ligating braces in both metal and clear do stick out more than the regular twin brackets. However, treatment time is usually decreased a great deal, as is pain and soreness. I'm really happy with mine. Yes, my lip does seem to stick out, lol, but it's not a big deal. I've seen other people with them and am very happy that in photos, etc. it looks like you have a retainer on rather than a metal smile with silver brackets. They really aren't noticeable and your mouth will get used to them. I can't imagine you having such problems with them unless the orthodontist bonded them differently or something. Regarding the brackets on your molars, I have metal on the far back teeth too (with the hook thingy so that I can eventually attach rubber bands to correct my bite). Those are super low profile metal and much smaller than the regular metal twin brackets that would be on your other teeth. They don't really hold/support the arch wire but are merely an end point where the tip of the arch wire stops, etc. I'm so sorry to hear that you are having such problems. I love the ceramic and can't imagine having gone with the metal.
Sjoe!! The drama!!!! 
Elle, I have ceramic uppers and metal lowers, and I can honestly say that my ceramics look even bigger than yours. Sure, I was taken aback when I saw how big these things were, but they still did the job that I wanted ceramics to do i.e. look less visable...note I said less visible not invisable. It also took me a while to get used to how my mouth looked, I'd be lying if I said I think it looks wonderful with braces....of course it's not going to look wonderful with braces...but it sure is going to look amazing once they are off.
Elle, I have ceramic uppers and metal lowers, and I can honestly say that my ceramics look even bigger than yours. Sure, I was taken aback when I saw how big these things were, but they still did the job that I wanted ceramics to do i.e. look less visable...note I said less visible not invisable. It also took me a while to get used to how my mouth looked, I'd be lying if I said I think it looks wonderful with braces....of course it's not going to look wonderful with braces...but it sure is going to look amazing once they are off.
Thanks for the reply Meryaten. Just trying to understand what everyone else is going through with them. Overall though, I'm guessing that the differences between the smallest, lowest profile brackets and the biggest, most obtrusive ones are probably pretty minute. I mean, generally speaking, brackets are all pretty tiny considering what they do. I'm guessing they will all feel strange and enormous at first but you'd probably get used to them all in about the same amount of time.
Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the manufacturer that makes my brackets. He mentioned some long name I've never heard of. Besides, if my ortho says they manufacture them for him, to me, that screams generic. They are not self-ligating. He mentioned he doesn't believe in that system. I have regular clear elastics holding the wire in, but as I mentioned before, the brackets are not the regular twin (railroad) style that everyone else uses. Aside from the high profile, another major, if not the main drawback with them is translucency, or lack thereof. They are solid mat white so that's why it looks like I have an extra set off teeth on top of my own. I am convinced that the product he used on me is of inferior quality. I think he cares more about keeping his overhead low than customer satisfaction.
KK, when I mentioned that my teeth felt rough, I meant the actual tooth surface around the brackets. Not the brackets themselves. Come on, give me some credit. I'm not an idiot. Also, I'm not sitting around sulking and feeling sorry for myself. I was emotional the first day as I was so excited over this and instead, I ended up with a problem that I need to get fixed. On top of that, I feel tremendous pressure due to time constraint related to my upcoming 2-month stay overseas.
On a more positive note, I don't have any discomfort whatsoever. The inside of my mouth is not at all irritated even though my lips are quite streched over the brackets. I guess my tissues are tough
My teeth don't hurt at all. I actually feel no tension from the archwire pulling on the brackets. Makes me wonder how effective it is.
Anyway, I don't want to bore you guys with my issues any longer. What's done is done, now I have to figure out my next steps. I am going to try and get a consult with another ortho. I would encourage anyone who's getting braces to make sure they know exactly what they're getting. Not all porcelain brackets are created equal.
KK, when I mentioned that my teeth felt rough, I meant the actual tooth surface around the brackets. Not the brackets themselves. Come on, give me some credit. I'm not an idiot. Also, I'm not sitting around sulking and feeling sorry for myself. I was emotional the first day as I was so excited over this and instead, I ended up with a problem that I need to get fixed. On top of that, I feel tremendous pressure due to time constraint related to my upcoming 2-month stay overseas.
On a more positive note, I don't have any discomfort whatsoever. The inside of my mouth is not at all irritated even though my lips are quite streched over the brackets. I guess my tissues are tough
My teeth don't hurt at all. I actually feel no tension from the archwire pulling on the brackets. Makes me wonder how effective it is. Anyway, I don't want to bore you guys with my issues any longer. What's done is done, now I have to figure out my next steps. I am going to try and get a consult with another ortho. I would encourage anyone who's getting braces to make sure they know exactly what they're getting. Not all porcelain brackets are created equal.
Strange.
I am going to be honest. I read here all the time how difficult it is to have braces
the first days. I hear words like rocks on the teeth, being hit in the mouth and so
on. And I almost always think, c'mon, it can't be that bad. And indeed, most post
some days later how much better things are. When I first read your post, I thought
this was the same going on. But when all people seem to tell things like this will
be better soon and all is normal, then I must say I do not think that. I just think
you are right ! And I am even more convinced after seeing your pics. Ok, they are
not that big to see details, but to me it looks like your ortho placed your brackets on
"an isle" of glue. A huge blob of glue and on top of it a bracket. I am not sure, but
I really think this indeed sucks. Not only is the bracket indeed too high this way, I
also think this will look bad in the near future. As glue can colorize (stain) very badly,
this will look ugly within some weeks / months. Normally, there is only a tiny bit of
excess glue, that, when it stains, can be removed easily. This indeed does not look
normal. I also have difficulties with the story of brackets made for him. To me, this
does not sound right. I think these brackets are made so badly that they don't fit at
all on the teeth. He maybe uses only 1 bracket type on all the teeth, and when they
do not fit, he needs to use a lot of glue to fill the space between the bracket and the
teeth. The big manufacturers produce brackets that are sold all over the world. That
way, they can do extensive research and development to try to create the best
possible products. A manufacturer that produces for him (only), nah, this would not
make me feel reassured.
So I think you are right all the way. What would I do. Run, as fast as I can, out of
there. More practical, I would indeed see another ortho to see what they say about
this. Try to find a good ortho to have this second opinion. I have this idea they will
be astonished to see this. I really hope I am wrong about all this. One thing remains,
your teeth look great. An awesome result is very well possible.
Best of luck !
I am going to be honest. I read here all the time how difficult it is to have braces
the first days. I hear words like rocks on the teeth, being hit in the mouth and so
on. And I almost always think, c'mon, it can't be that bad. And indeed, most post
some days later how much better things are. When I first read your post, I thought
this was the same going on. But when all people seem to tell things like this will
be better soon and all is normal, then I must say I do not think that. I just think
you are right ! And I am even more convinced after seeing your pics. Ok, they are
not that big to see details, but to me it looks like your ortho placed your brackets on
"an isle" of glue. A huge blob of glue and on top of it a bracket. I am not sure, but
I really think this indeed sucks. Not only is the bracket indeed too high this way, I
also think this will look bad in the near future. As glue can colorize (stain) very badly,
this will look ugly within some weeks / months. Normally, there is only a tiny bit of
excess glue, that, when it stains, can be removed easily. This indeed does not look
normal. I also have difficulties with the story of brackets made for him. To me, this
does not sound right. I think these brackets are made so badly that they don't fit at
all on the teeth. He maybe uses only 1 bracket type on all the teeth, and when they
do not fit, he needs to use a lot of glue to fill the space between the bracket and the
teeth. The big manufacturers produce brackets that are sold all over the world. That
way, they can do extensive research and development to try to create the best
possible products. A manufacturer that produces for him (only), nah, this would not
make me feel reassured.
So I think you are right all the way. What would I do. Run, as fast as I can, out of
there. More practical, I would indeed see another ortho to see what they say about
this. Try to find a good ortho to have this second opinion. I have this idea they will
be astonished to see this. I really hope I am wrong about all this. One thing remains,
your teeth look great. An awesome result is very well possible.
Best of luck !
Elle, I agree that the brackets look different and appear to be quite deep. It's hard to tell from the pic.'s if the bottom is a wide base or big glob of glue. Anyway, if I were you I would make an appointment with another orthodontist to get a professional opinion. If this ortho thinks it's a hack job and could prove it, try to get your money back. On the other hand if the next ortho say's it's different but will work well, then you don't have much of a case in getting a refund. You'll either have to stick it out or cut your losses and seek another orthodontist. Anyway, that really sucks that it's been a bad experience for you. I remember how excited I was to get mine..... I would of hated to experience the anxiety that you are. I hope that you get it all worked out and I'll pray that all goes well for you.
hi elle!
honestly, your brackets look fine to me. I do see that your brackets ARE made different. The brackets are sitting on a base right? But they don't look bad though. Give it a few days, and if you still feel uncormfortable with your treatment, talk to your ortho, and if you still aren't satisfied, then consult with someone else.
It all boils down to what you are happy with. So if you wish to consult with another ortho, then go for it. Ortho's aren't perfect, and mistakes can be made.
But honestly, I think your braces look fine
honestly, your brackets look fine to me. I do see that your brackets ARE made different. The brackets are sitting on a base right? But they don't look bad though. Give it a few days, and if you still feel uncormfortable with your treatment, talk to your ortho, and if you still aren't satisfied, then consult with someone else.
It all boils down to what you are happy with. So if you wish to consult with another ortho, then go for it. Ortho's aren't perfect, and mistakes can be made.
But honestly, I think your braces look fine
Last edited by Dimples on Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Miss Smiley
- Posts: 2008
- Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 11:59 pm
- Location: Sunny SoCal
- Contact:
My brackets are not the same as everyone else's. They aren't Inspire Ice, 3M, GAC, or anyother popular brand, but I'm okay with it. My ortho's assistant took the time to clean away most of the bonding material before they light cured but it was 40 mins for each arch which I had to do in 2 separate sittings. They don't have fancy digitalized graphics of what my mouth would look like after tx but that doesn't mean his work is inferior. He does not offer iBraces, self-ligating, invisalign, or orthocad. He offers plain linguals, stainless steel, and ceramics, all withohut a name. But I have seen his work on my cousins, most of the kids in my neighborhood, church, and other friends. His work is fantastic, I chose him because I knew he would satisfy my expectations of a quality smile. I have 2 dentists and one OS in the family, they all recommended that I go to him. I did not go to him for the brackets, I went there to have someone skilled working on my smile.
Maybe you could give your ortho a break, since you've probably paid a deposit or part atleast some part of the tx amount. You could see what kind of work he actually does with your teeth. All that glue will come off at debanding, if not, your hygienist will probably be able to help you with it. You should take a breather, I felt like I had rocks stuck on my teeth with a huge wire going across. I couldn't stand to look in the mirror and didn't want to talk. I thought everyone could see those huge things from under my lips. The truth is, not everyone is engrossed in your teeth. I quickly realized that I was the only one thinking about how huge my lips and teeth felt. Now that my teeth are starting to align and retract a little, it has become easier to close my mouth and not show any brackets. It really gets better over time.
Maybe you could give your ortho a break, since you've probably paid a deposit or part atleast some part of the tx amount. You could see what kind of work he actually does with your teeth. All that glue will come off at debanding, if not, your hygienist will probably be able to help you with it. You should take a breather, I felt like I had rocks stuck on my teeth with a huge wire going across. I couldn't stand to look in the mirror and didn't want to talk. I thought everyone could see those huge things from under my lips. The truth is, not everyone is engrossed in your teeth. I quickly realized that I was the only one thinking about how huge my lips and teeth felt. Now that my teeth are starting to align and retract a little, it has become easier to close my mouth and not show any brackets. It really gets better over time.
Upper and lower 1st premolars extracted
Uppers braced 4/6/07 & Lowers braced 4/20/07
ceramic brackets and rectangular arch wires
Est. term: 30-36 months
De-banded: 3/04/09 w/ LBR and U&L Essix
Uppers braced 4/6/07 & Lowers braced 4/20/07
ceramic brackets and rectangular arch wires
Est. term: 30-36 months
De-banded: 3/04/09 w/ LBR and U&L Essix
elle:
At first my advice was to give it a week and see how you're feeling at that time. You seem to still have lingering doubts. This process is too involved and too long to maintain doubt. I wholeheartedly believe in my ortho. If not being in treatment for two-three years would seem too much like a sentence for a crime instead of a treatment window.
Call your dentist, explain what's going on and how you feel and ask when you can see him/her in the next TWO days. Get their expert opinion. Hopefully you have a foundation of trust that will allow you to candidly talk through the situation. I would also call another ortho (you'll probably have to pay for the consult as they may not view you as a potential client) and make an appointment. Explain what's going on and ask their opinion. Explain why you didn't see them for a consult first. Maybe they can help you come to peace with where you're at. If nothing else they should be able to either confirm or change your beliefs about your current status.
Where are you at? Maybe an Archwired member is in your area and can point you to their ortho.
I would not use either the ortho's name or mention lawyers or lawsuits.
Mike
At first my advice was to give it a week and see how you're feeling at that time. You seem to still have lingering doubts. This process is too involved and too long to maintain doubt. I wholeheartedly believe in my ortho. If not being in treatment for two-three years would seem too much like a sentence for a crime instead of a treatment window.
Call your dentist, explain what's going on and how you feel and ask when you can see him/her in the next TWO days. Get their expert opinion. Hopefully you have a foundation of trust that will allow you to candidly talk through the situation. I would also call another ortho (you'll probably have to pay for the consult as they may not view you as a potential client) and make an appointment. Explain what's going on and ask their opinion. Explain why you didn't see them for a consult first. Maybe they can help you come to peace with where you're at. If nothing else they should be able to either confirm or change your beliefs about your current status.
Where are you at? Maybe an Archwired member is in your area and can point you to their ortho.
I would not use either the ortho's name or mention lawyers or lawsuits.
Mike
I wore braces (this time) for 1294 days or 3 years, 6 months and 17 days.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.
I'm glad that you're getting a consult with another orthodontist now. Hopefully they'll put your mind to ease. You'll definitely like knowing (I know I would) for sure whether the other doc did a good or bad job. I did have really rough surfaces on my front two teeth right after he bonded the brackets. He made me feel my teeth really good to see if any was noticeable and then he scraped the extra off of my front teeth until I no longer felt the stuff. Apparently the etching stuff they put on before the bonding glue makes your teeth rough and then the glue just adds to that and is slightly white/chalky looking. He just scraped that off though and it was no big deal. So maybe either your orthodontist or the guy you have a consult with can take care of that for you. I imagine it would really bug me.
Meryaten: The pics you posted of your teeth look amazing! They are absolutely perfect looking! I can hardly wait for my arches to look like that. Not to mention, your teeth are shaped perfectly! I might have to have some work done on a couple of mine after treatment because they've worn slightly uneven over the years
Meryaten: The pics you posted of your teeth look amazing! They are absolutely perfect looking! I can hardly wait for my arches to look like that. Not to mention, your teeth are shaped perfectly! I might have to have some work done on a couple of mine after treatment because they've worn slightly uneven over the years
Elle,
I think they look fine. I think your just paranoid and your letting it get to you too much.
I hated my braces the first day. Thought, they're ugly, they're huge, everyone will notice. I had regrets all day. But six weeks in. No regrets, no pain, nobody making comments about them. It was all in my head. My braces are ceramic on top and to make it worse my teeth are super tiny so they cover practically the whole tooth are some of them. But I don't care, as long as my teeth get straight, that's all that matters.
I think they look fine. I think your just paranoid and your letting it get to you too much.
I hated my braces the first day. Thought, they're ugly, they're huge, everyone will notice. I had regrets all day. But six weeks in. No regrets, no pain, nobody making comments about them. It was all in my head. My braces are ceramic on top and to make it worse my teeth are super tiny so they cover practically the whole tooth are some of them. But I don't care, as long as my teeth get straight, that's all that matters.
Sentenced: 20-24 months
Braced May 11, 2007
Debraced Feb. 23, 2009
21 months in braces, 17 months in elastic, NO regrets!! Now in Hawley retainers!!