Possibly the oldest one here!

Message

#1 Post by **katie57** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:26 am

Hi,
Here I am at age 51, will be 52 the 17th of this month. I have 3 adult sons and 2 granddaughters. I am single and the braces will probably keep the men at bay for awhile longer.

I am getting my braces this Wednesday. I can't say I am thrilled about it. I haven't told anyone at work or my family, except my 6 yr old DGD. She isn't too happy about having my looks change. She said she will be kind of scared at first of me...hopefully that will pass soon.

I didn't tell anyone because I don't want them discouraging me from doing this.
I have been treated for TMJ and wore a MORA splint for several months 24hr/day. I still wear the splint to bed at night, it helps with the spasms in my lower jaw and the tension I suffer.
I should have had braces when I was a teenager but I don't think my parents were too eager to put daughter #3 in braces. So out of the 4 daughters I am the one that didn't get them. I do have crooked teeth and an overbite. Definitely a crooked lower jaw.
The plan is for me to wear InVu ceramic braces on the front teeth and not sure what the rest will be. I will be in for a long term treatment. Estimating 24-36 months. I will have 6 extractions within the next month or so. Then continue with the braces. Later have a lower jaw surgery and more time spent in braces. I haven't been to the consultation for this yet. My ortho will send all records to the oral surgeon. So maybe the oral surgeon will have a different plan?
I have read the post about jaw surgery and it was very scary reading.
My TMJ specialist had told me that step 2 would be braces and correcting my crooked little jaw. She was kind of weird.

But the treatment she did was helpful, just not a long term cure for my TMJ.

I might post pictures later. I read I had to post within 4 days of registering so this was my first post!

Thanks to everyone here that posts, it has been educating and helpful!

#2 Post by **sarahlynn** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:41 am

Welcome and good luck with getting your braces! I bet you'll be surprised at the positive responses that you get. I did tell my family members and just a couple coworkers beforehand, and I was nervous about the people seeing me for the first time that I hadn't told. But I haven't had any negative responses at all. Well, I did get one "why are you doing this now?" but overall that person didn't seem too negative.

Let us know how it goes!

#3 Post by **mmgran** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:29 am

Oh katie57 ...... I am 59. Had my braces fitted 13th August top and bottom. Was advised to have the metal and I just love to smile and show my kids (all six of them and my 7 grandchildren) just where some of their inheritance has gone ......

They will have two years to get used to it. Am just so happy I took advice from my dentist, peridontist, and restorative dentist because now I have an orthodontist to add to my list. Feel so positive just knowing that I will have a mouth full of straight teeth at the end of it all.

Good luck katie, will be thinking of you and looking forward to reading how you are progressing!

#4 Post by **Bionic Grin** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 7:49 pm

Good luck with your braces! Today is my one week anniversary of having them on, and it does take some getting used to. I also have jaw issues--one orthodontist wanted to break and reset my jaw to fix that (!) which seemed rather drastic to me, so I was happy to find my current orthodontist. I'm actually missing 6 teeth genetically, so I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not when my ortho called me "interesting". I'm with you on the two year plan, but it's really encouraging to see how many people here, at later ages are doing it too. (I'm 36, and you guys in your 50s are absolute inspirations!)

#5 Post by **mmgran** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:14 pm

Bionic Grin just keep

I am still getting used to them and have had two lovely comments from a teenage school girl and a young lady in her mid 30's when I was out shopping. That was nice. But a few comments from older people asking "why would you be bothered at your age". I just tell them well I am not dead yet and plan to keep these teeth for the rest of my life. In the past 12 months I have had a lot of work done on my gums and teeth (once I found a really fantastic dentist who was able to tell me what was really going on in my mouth) so have had a lot of encouragement and TLC from the specialists. They are becoming a real part of me and I am loving them! Do wish I had been given all this great advice years ago - but just goes to prove

you are never too old to start anything new!

#6 Post by **Bionic Grin** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:04 pm

Thanks for your encouragement MMGran! I actually dislodged a wire and had to go to my orthodontist today to get it fixed. I was really nervous about that for some reason, but it was just a good reminder of how we're all taking care of ourselves, and that's pretty commendable

I also started writing a blog, which I swore I would never do, but it's really helped me to feel better. (And chatting with people on this site too!) Just wanted to share my story with you:

www.bionicgrin.blogspot.com

I've been reading some of the other blogs here too--really incredible before and after photos! Very inspirational!

#7 Post by **ellen** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:21 am

I'm 51 and have had my braces for 4 months (this is my second time, I also had them as a teen). I am SOOOOO happy to be braced again, because I know my teeth are going to look great, even as the rest of me slowly falls apart.

#8 Post by **soxfan12** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:32 pm

Hi,
I just turned 50 two weeks ago and have been seriously thinking about going ahead with braces. Like Katie57 I was the only one of my three siblings who didn't get the opportunity for braces and it has bothered me for a long time. About 5 years ago I had gone to two orthodontists for consultations but never went through with it. I am hoping by continuing to read all the information and posts here it will help me work up the courage to go ahead and get treated. I know it would be worth it when when the process is over but I just need to make up my mind to get it done. Thanks to all who post here.

#9 Post by **momilani** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:02 am

58 y/o and 7 months in.

You're never too old to take care of what needs fixin.

#10 Post by **switchblades** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 11:42 pm

Hi there,

my original treatment was almost the same as yours, katie57, but after an initial consult with the oral surgeon and neither myself nor my ortho having heard back from them for 8 months, then a call to come in for placing dental implants (NOT AT ALL what I was going in for!!) I decided that the surgery would have to wait (I'm 23 so there are years ahead, I'm told I will need it before 35 though). I was supposed to have my braces on for 2+ years, but evidently my teeth have moved a lot faster this time around. My treatment time has been cut in HALF!

I get the braces off this coming Thursday, October 15th, which is one week shy of my one year Brace-versary!

So you never know, your treatment time may change drastically once things start moving!

#11 Post by **mikesmile** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:05 pm

Hi Everyone,

I'm a 52 year old dad of 4. I originally wore braces when I was 27 (for 2-1/2 years). I had stainless steel brackets on upper and lower teeth. This was to treat a crossbite and a "closed bite". This caused my top front teeth to smash down into the lower, grinding them into a jagged appearance. Well, the crossbite was corrected (elastics), but I never felt that my front teeth came out right. My bite was still not open enough, and I was too timid to question my ortho. I wore my retainers faithfully for several years 'till they were thrown out by accident. Now here I am (years later) with more damage, and a little shifting. I consulted my regular dentist about restoring the 4 lower front teeth (crowns), but the alignment is such that when I bite down the teeth still smash into each other. This can't be done until my bite is corrected once and for all, so I'm having a consultation with my wife's orthodontist next week. I'm actually looking forward to the whole thing. Age is no big deal! Soon I'll be joining the ranks of braced adults who wear their smiles proudly!

I plan to write all about - and document my second time in braces.....I'm thinking of getting stainleess ones again ...