Hi Mark,
I can empathise with people taking a step back, it happened to me again this week when I met someone new at work. I find that after a while they get used to the look and don't stare any more. Age seems to be a huge factor, I find older people even in my own age bracket (40's) seem the most taken abock whilst younger people seem to just take the presence of braces in their stride. I've put it down to younger people being more used to seeing others in braces given that braces has become much more affordable and common following the invent of the bracket systems - yes I'm old enough to remember the huge metal bands that used to go around the whole tooth back in ye-olde-days.
As for the eating, I can vouch that it does get better. I recall not being able to bite anything with my front teeth and having to cut everything into such small pieces it hardly seemed worhtwhile to bother to eat at all. As my teeth have moved into their correct locations and my bite - I'm very proud to say - now comes together as [well almost] it should the whole eating experience is back to normal. I was even biting meat off the bone this week, albeit it with some care so as not to damage a bracket. By the way I've been in braces since 2 March 2007. The whole eating thing, especially the eating in public thing takes practice and my only hints are always order a large glass/bottle of water to 'swish' the food immediately from the brackets and secondly always have spare toothbrushes ( and ideally toothpaste, wire bracket cleaners and wax) in your desk, in the car, in the gym bag, at the relatives and at your friends houses that you visit the most [ yes I have multiple dentakits around the town where I live] so that you can alway get any stubborn food from the brackets asap. I don't know if it is a result of getting used to eating in braces or that the archwire has straightend, but less food gets stuck these days than did in the early days of my wearing braces - and its only been 4.5 months.
I always think of the outcome and recognise that soon the braces will off and my teeth will be straight and this makes for a much better day. I found that as I noticed the wires begin to straighten about month 3 that I became almost proud of my braces and the 'straighter' line of the archwire. These days my greatest regret is waiting so long to start - it took me 3 years to make the ortho appointment.
Keep up the positive attitude. I look forward to seeing your progress over the coming months.
UK Mark's story - 15th adjustment, 68 weeks
Moderator: bbsadmin
chew once for yes
Meat on the bone?!?!?! Just the idea is incomprehensible! Wow.
Anyhow, I had a much better day on Friday. If my work colleagues don't understand what I'm doing and can't bring themselves to ask then that's their problem. I have one ally in the office, anyway its my mouth and I'm the one taking responsibility for my health.
My friends held a little party for me last night. It was good to spend some time around normal people! Lots of support, I relaxed and felt so much better. None of my friends had experienced this when they were younger but still plenty of compassion and even awe. One of my friends has an intense dental phobia, he hasn't been for 10 years and has all kind of pain periodically. So next time you are struggling with your braces be grateful you don't have a mental mountain to climb just to visit your ortho in his office.
I have taught myself to chew (well on the right side mostly so far). If I go really, really slowly I can make my teeth meet on once side at once. It takes stamina. I did ask the ortho and he said that he can put something on my teeth to help my teeth meet sooner but many people find it uncomfortable so it's best to see how I get on for a while first. Fair enough as I have made some minor progress already. I managed some cod baked in foil with butter - mmm and I'm going to have a stab at chicken breast tonight. I'm using the waterpik before bed to give my gums a pummelling hoping that will keep things massaged as well as the gunk out.
So, on this roller coaster ride of my first week, I'm on an UP stretch!
Cheers!
Anyhow, I had a much better day on Friday. If my work colleagues don't understand what I'm doing and can't bring themselves to ask then that's their problem. I have one ally in the office, anyway its my mouth and I'm the one taking responsibility for my health.
My friends held a little party for me last night. It was good to spend some time around normal people! Lots of support, I relaxed and felt so much better. None of my friends had experienced this when they were younger but still plenty of compassion and even awe. One of my friends has an intense dental phobia, he hasn't been for 10 years and has all kind of pain periodically. So next time you are struggling with your braces be grateful you don't have a mental mountain to climb just to visit your ortho in his office.
I have taught myself to chew (well on the right side mostly so far). If I go really, really slowly I can make my teeth meet on once side at once. It takes stamina. I did ask the ortho and he said that he can put something on my teeth to help my teeth meet sooner but many people find it uncomfortable so it's best to see how I get on for a while first. Fair enough as I have made some minor progress already. I managed some cod baked in foil with butter - mmm and I'm going to have a stab at chicken breast tonight. I'm using the waterpik before bed to give my gums a pummelling hoping that will keep things massaged as well as the gunk out.
So, on this roller coaster ride of my first week, I'm on an UP stretch!
Cheers!
Last edited by markybwoy on Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
glad to hear things a little better, and well done on the eating a bit more.
i can honestly say that most of the time apart from just after adjustments,i can eat what i want and your soon be at that stage too.
good on you for keeping such a positive attitude.
Louise
i can honestly say that most of the time apart from just after adjustments,i can eat what i want and your soon be at that stage too.
good on you for keeping such a positive attitude.
Louise
Braces on 11th June 2006,~ BSSO and Wisdom tooth removal 11th February 2008,~ Plate Removal 14th May 2008,~ Braces off 28th August 2008.
http://adultwithbraces.blogspot.com/
my first week
Yes, a wise person once told me, no matter how low you feel, there's probably somebody worse off than yourself. And about the waterpik, I agree Karen, I wouldn't use that thing more than once a day. Although mine is the portable version that doesn't have strength settings, just on/off.
Well its been exactly a whole week so I thought I would summarise how things are and how I have felt. It sure has been a roller coaster, there have been highs and lows already.
I think after 7 days the first thing I've noticed is that my braces have shrunk! They seem half the size they did last week! I have been woken up in the night with a pokey wire stabbing me - thankfully fixed in just minutes the next morning. There has been major tension in the office, but after the shock, I've decided that's not my concern. Yesterday, I got a sneaky wink and "well done" from an ex-braces wearer in my office. I think you have to experience this yourself to appreciate it fully.
I read that only 15% of teens in the UK in "non-deprived" areas (whatever that means) get braces. This is disgracefully low and I think is related to the rationing that occurs under our healthcare system. The government publish an IOTN (Index of Treatment Need) for kids and if the government decides you don't "need" ortho care, you don't get it. Personally I'd rather a doctor decided that. But lets not get into politics for this forum.
Learning to eat again was a huge struggle. I'm now chewing almost normally on my right side and better on the left although there is smoe work to do there. I'm terrified of chomping off a lower bracket, but right now I'm not planning on demanding molar buildups on my next visit. I eat really slowly, but since the discomfort has faded, chewing has speeded up a bit.
I haven't been at all self-conscious apart from one moment during the week when the guy in Starbucks did that jaw-dropping, wide-eyed look that I am now familiar with.
I'm still waxing, but the wire and brackets are now comfy - its just the edge of the molar bands that I still need some protection from. Those damn tubes.
My next trip is August 14th for 1st adjustment. As the discomfort has subsided, I want to call the ortho and say, hey, I want my next adjustment early - keep up the pain!!! I know, I know, it doesn't work like that!
Cheers and take care everyone
Mark
Well its been exactly a whole week so I thought I would summarise how things are and how I have felt. It sure has been a roller coaster, there have been highs and lows already.
I think after 7 days the first thing I've noticed is that my braces have shrunk! They seem half the size they did last week! I have been woken up in the night with a pokey wire stabbing me - thankfully fixed in just minutes the next morning. There has been major tension in the office, but after the shock, I've decided that's not my concern. Yesterday, I got a sneaky wink and "well done" from an ex-braces wearer in my office. I think you have to experience this yourself to appreciate it fully.
I read that only 15% of teens in the UK in "non-deprived" areas (whatever that means) get braces. This is disgracefully low and I think is related to the rationing that occurs under our healthcare system. The government publish an IOTN (Index of Treatment Need) for kids and if the government decides you don't "need" ortho care, you don't get it. Personally I'd rather a doctor decided that. But lets not get into politics for this forum.
Learning to eat again was a huge struggle. I'm now chewing almost normally on my right side and better on the left although there is smoe work to do there. I'm terrified of chomping off a lower bracket, but right now I'm not planning on demanding molar buildups on my next visit. I eat really slowly, but since the discomfort has faded, chewing has speeded up a bit.
I haven't been at all self-conscious apart from one moment during the week when the guy in Starbucks did that jaw-dropping, wide-eyed look that I am now familiar with.
I'm still waxing, but the wire and brackets are now comfy - its just the edge of the molar bands that I still need some protection from. Those damn tubes.
My next trip is August 14th for 1st adjustment. As the discomfort has subsided, I want to call the ortho and say, hey, I want my next adjustment early - keep up the pain!!! I know, I know, it doesn't work like that!
Cheers and take care everyone
Mark
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MommaDucky
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Hi Mark, and a belated 'welcome'! I think it's awesome that you've made the decision to step up and take care of your health, no matter what anyone else thinks. I didn't realise that having braces as a teen or as an adult was so uncommon in the UK! I grew up with about 30% of my friends in junior high/high school having braces; almost as though it was a normal part of growing up for many of us. I was never able to get braces at a younger age due to lack of good insurance, but now I've taken the plunge too!
It sounds like you are doing well for the most part -- you're surviving through that first week, which is absolute murder. I remember it well, as I just got my braces on May 31st.
I read through all your earlier posts as well, and I remember about your shock at needing extractions. Before I got my braces, I actually wanted a couple teeth out, because I had some crowding especially in the front of my lower arch.
I've been in braces now for a month and a half, and I'm already seeing loads of progress. I'm sure that before you know it, you'll be seeing quite a bit of movement as well. As soon as you really notice a difference in your own smile -- that's when you realise that having braces is totally worth it. (At least it was for me!)
Kudos to you for getting braces as an adult, I'm sure you'll be quite pleased that you did! I look forward to seeing your progress. Keep those photos coming!
~Katherine~
See my story at:
viewtopic.php?t=20273
It sounds like you are doing well for the most part -- you're surviving through that first week, which is absolute murder. I remember it well, as I just got my braces on May 31st.
I read through all your earlier posts as well, and I remember about your shock at needing extractions. Before I got my braces, I actually wanted a couple teeth out, because I had some crowding especially in the front of my lower arch.
I've been in braces now for a month and a half, and I'm already seeing loads of progress. I'm sure that before you know it, you'll be seeing quite a bit of movement as well. As soon as you really notice a difference in your own smile -- that's when you realise that having braces is totally worth it. (At least it was for me!)
Kudos to you for getting braces as an adult, I'm sure you'll be quite pleased that you did! I look forward to seeing your progress. Keep those photos coming!
~Katherine~
See my story at:
viewtopic.php?t=20273
Hi Mark,
Just wanted to say a quick "hello" as I've been following your journal as well as a few of your other posts. You write very well, by the way!
Sounds like you're definitely on the up side of things now. You're actually 3 days ahead of me in treatment.
I do have the molar buildups, and your ortho was correct that they're kind of annoying -- at least at first. But frankly, I'm getting used to them and am actually glad I have them, as due to my deep bite I'm afraid I would either break an upper incisor on a lower one or shear off a bracket!
Continued success in your treatment!
Just wanted to say a quick "hello" as I've been following your journal as well as a few of your other posts. You write very well, by the way!
Sounds like you're definitely on the up side of things now. You're actually 3 days ahead of me in treatment.
I do have the molar buildups, and your ortho was correct that they're kind of annoying -- at least at first. But frankly, I'm getting used to them and am actually glad I have them, as due to my deep bite I'm afraid I would either break an upper incisor on a lower one or shear off a bracket!
Continued success in your treatment!
Hi Mark,
I hope that eating is still going well. I still have some pain when I bite down. It really sucks. But, I am proud of myself for getting braces at 29. I also know it is hard around co-workers. I have the metal braces and had them put light blue color bands on. I figure coworkers are going to see me, so smile a lot and the initial shock will wear off. Most of my coworkers have been like let me see your braces! But then there are others who are kind of well, staring a lot. I won't see everyone until school begins in the fall (I teach summer school).
I hope things go better for you! I didn't know it was that different in the UK with dentists...
Lily
I hope that eating is still going well. I still have some pain when I bite down. It really sucks. But, I am proud of myself for getting braces at 29. I also know it is hard around co-workers. I have the metal braces and had them put light blue color bands on. I figure coworkers are going to see me, so smile a lot and the initial shock will wear off. Most of my coworkers have been like let me see your braces! But then there are others who are kind of well, staring a lot. I won't see everyone until school begins in the fall (I teach summer school).
I hope things go better for you! I didn't know it was that different in the UK with dentists...
Lily
movement!
Day 11 and a tiny, tiny, change is spotted!
A lower canine has rotated a little, a rounded arch looks feasible it seems plus a tiny gap has emerged between lower incisors. It's miniscule, especially compared to the large distances other teeth have got to travel, but I am so excited. I feel like I just want to tell everyone I meet!!
We're talking a fraction of a mm but you can definitely tell. Wow!
Also, I am eating almost normally. My ortho was right to encourage me to be patient with the chewing. I won't say it was easy, it is still an effort but my mouth is operational again and no pain.
7 days discomfort seems like a long time, at the time, but so totally worth it.
A lower canine has rotated a little, a rounded arch looks feasible it seems plus a tiny gap has emerged between lower incisors. It's miniscule, especially compared to the large distances other teeth have got to travel, but I am so excited. I feel like I just want to tell everyone I meet!!
We're talking a fraction of a mm but you can definitely tell. Wow!
Also, I am eating almost normally. My ortho was right to encourage me to be patient with the chewing. I won't say it was easy, it is still an effort but my mouth is operational again and no pain.
7 days discomfort seems like a long time, at the time, but so totally worth it.
20 days
Here's another pic of 20 days after my b-day
Brace day:
Brace day + 20 days :
I think my upper wire has straightened a little bit (a very tiny bit). Also my lower gap has closed by about 0.75mm. When my tongue goes roaming it seems like my upper right canine has rotated a bit as well (or maybe this might be just because the pre-molar next door has been extracted and it just feels funny with no tooth next to it.)
Miniscule changes but after putting up with my lopsided mouth for so many years, I'm totally excited. I wasn't expecting to notice anything until at least 1st adjustment in 15 more days time.
You can't really see, I must get a better camera, but my left upper incisor is not on the wire yet, he skipped it for the time being. That will be a joyous day when that one goes on as well. My upper gap has got to close before that will be possible and the ortho is estimating 4 months for that part to finish. That sounds like ages, but, hey, it's almost 1/5 of the time gone by already.
Brace day:
Brace day + 20 days :
I think my upper wire has straightened a little bit (a very tiny bit). Also my lower gap has closed by about 0.75mm. When my tongue goes roaming it seems like my upper right canine has rotated a bit as well (or maybe this might be just because the pre-molar next door has been extracted and it just feels funny with no tooth next to it.)
Miniscule changes but after putting up with my lopsided mouth for so many years, I'm totally excited. I wasn't expecting to notice anything until at least 1st adjustment in 15 more days time.
You can't really see, I must get a better camera, but my left upper incisor is not on the wire yet, he skipped it for the time being. That will be a joyous day when that one goes on as well. My upper gap has got to close before that will be possible and the ortho is estimating 4 months for that part to finish. That sounds like ages, but, hey, it's almost 1/5 of the time gone by already.
Last edited by markybwoy on Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
hi mark
definately looks like the wire has straightened out abit-congratulations.
These 1st few months are very exciting as you see the changes taking place and make the discomfort of the early days seem so worth it.
Heres to continues progress.
Louise
definately looks like the wire has straightened out abit-congratulations.
These 1st few months are very exciting as you see the changes taking place and make the discomfort of the early days seem so worth it.
Heres to continues progress.
Louise
Braces on 11th June 2006,~ BSSO and Wisdom tooth removal 11th February 2008,~ Plate Removal 14th May 2008,~ Braces off 28th August 2008.
http://adultwithbraces.blogspot.com/
Hey Mark,
How is the chewing getting along these days? I got my braces fitted yesterday, I managed a big meal before the pain set in
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your progress as I follow in your footsteps! I was expecting the same kind of work related issues, but unfortunately I was made redundant just before I got my brace fitted!! I was upset but not anymore, its pushed me to go back to uni like I knew I should have been doing! so in a years time i'll have an MSc
I'm doing health psychology so I could even use my braces as a dissertation subject!!!
I'm off now to restart my liquid diet
Amy
How is the chewing getting along these days? I got my braces fitted yesterday, I managed a big meal before the pain set in
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your progress as I follow in your footsteps! I was expecting the same kind of work related issues, but unfortunately I was made redundant just before I got my brace fitted!! I was upset but not anymore, its pushed me to go back to uni like I knew I should have been doing! so in a years time i'll have an MSc
I'm doing health psychology so I could even use my braces as a dissertation subject!!!I'm off now to restart my liquid diet
Amy
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