New to the wonderful world of braces!

[SimplySpiffy]

Hello everybody! I didn't see a new member area anywhere on the board, so hopefully nobody will mind me making a new topic to introduce myself!

I will be having damon braces put on September 14 and my orthodontist says that I will be in them for 18-24 months. I was hoping for Invisalign, but alas, my teeth were a bit too crowded for that! In my case, I have quite a bit of crowding towards the front of my mouth and an anterior crossbite. Both my orthodontist and dentist have said that my wisdom teeth will need to be extracted soon, but they want to re-evaluate that issue once my braces have been on for a few months, that way they can determine if I will need any other extractions so they can at least pull them all out at once.

I'm half excited, half nervous about the whole process. I can't wait to get a start on my treatment, but I am also worried about how people are going to react. I haven't really told anybody about it yet, though I know they are all going to see the braces once I have them on! This site has already been very helpful for me though! It's nice to know that I'm not alone in getting my braces as an adult (I'm 22) and that most of you have had very positive experiences! It helps me look forward to everything even more!

I guess I'm a little curious...did you guys tell people you were getting braces before the case or just wait and let them be surprised? What kind of reactions did you get? Maybe these questions have been answered elsewhere, and if so, feel free to point me in the right direction! I just wanted to see what others' experiences have been! Thanks, all!

[PrincessPeach]

Welcome to AW!

i didnt tell many people i got braces, but i got my lowers on first which were harder to see even though they were metal.
Alot of them didnt even notice after i got them first, some people i just went right out & said "i got braces yesterday" which caused alot of questions
I did tell a few people but i found that they were the ones that wanted to stare as soon as i got them, which i didnt like.

After that, i told them i was getting my uppers, however i have ceramic uppers, so they're not AS visible, but people have been nothing but positive, i just told them this was a change i wanted to make for me, & they cant really argue with that!
Plus, as long as you know that its the right decision, nothing anyone else says can change you're mind on it

Ps - well done for choosing to get braces

[sarahintx]

Hi SimplySpiffy! I just had my braces put on Monday after being told Invisialign wasn't an option for me either due to crowding and other issues. I wasn't nervous about it until I left their office with them on because I knew when I got back to work everyone would want to see...and they did! But after a few questions they dropped it and went on about their work. If they asked too many questions I showed them the RPE and it kind of freaked them out enough to leave me alone

All in all it's turned out to not be a big deal like I thought it would be. Still not wanting to smile although I have ceramics on top but that'll take time.

Good luck!

[caitlin1120]

Welcome! I'm new too, just got braced a couple of weeks ago after having 7 extractions less than a month ago (ouch!)
I told everyone I was getting braces, they're hardcore metal ones so they're very obvious and there's no chance of hiding them. I found that the more I talked about it the better I felt, I was no longer 'hiding' anything (like I've been hiding my teeth for as long as I remember) and I really feel like I'm doing something pro-active about something that has bothered me for so long, which makes me strangely proud of my braceface in a way. I'm 21, so about your age, and I honestly was expecting a lot more negative reactions from people or people thinking I was 16/17, as I still do look a bit young, but there's been barely anything! I don't even get carded when I go out! The most comments I've gotten have been from the kids I work with who are between 6-17 and haven't seen me since I got them on, and they just think they are awesome! Most of them have braces too so they it helps their confidence when they see me not being bothered by them either.

I was worried that getting braces at my age would change my personality completely and I would become this miserable and horribly self conscious person, and I'm not going to lie that I am more self conscious and this is not an experience I want to repeat, but it has been no where near as horrific as I thought it was going to be. Just remember that you will still be the same person no matter what, and that you wear braces, braces don't wear you.

Good luck with everything!

[SimplySpiffy]

i just told them this was a change i wanted to make for me, & they cant really argue with that!
Plus, as long as you know that its the right decision, nothing anyone else says can change you're mind on it

Ps - well done for choosing to get braces

You're definitely right about that! It is a personal decision and I know that it was the right one for me! I've always been self conscious about my teeth (I have what I call a 'snaggletooth' on the right side that is well above the normal gumline so I am always holding my hand up to that side of my face when I laugh or smile) and people really do judge you based on little things like that. I'm already reminding myself that most people I know have already had braces and will likely understand what I'm going through and support it. Besides, the people who are mean about it are obviously not worth being upset over! Thankfully, the time line for all of this should work out pretty well for me as I should have a perfect smile before I finish grad school. That means I'll be able to smile proudly at interviews!

[SimplySpiffy]

Hi SimplySpiffy! I just had my braces put on Monday after being told Invisialign wasn't an option for me either due to crowding and other issues. I wasn't nervous about it until I left their office with them on because I knew when I got back to work everyone would want to see...and they did! But after a few questions they dropped it and went on about their work. If they asked too many questions I showed them the RPE and it kind of freaked them out enough to leave me alone

All in all it's turned out to not be a big deal like I thought it would be. Still not wanting to smile although I have ceramics on top but that'll take time.

Good luck!

We are in the same boat then! Work is probably the one place I am worried about most. While most of the people I work with will probably be supportive, I just wonder if any customers are going to make comments about it. There is also a lot of stupid drama where I work and I worry about people saying things behind my back about it. I'm sure I'm just being paranoid though! My experience will probably be like yours. People will notice right away, but drop it after they've had their fill. Smiling is going to be very hard for me too (especially in classes when people are sitting right next to me) but I'm sure we'll both get there in time, eh? It sure will feel great to smile once the braces come off at any rate!

[SimplySpiffy]

Welcome! I'm new too, just got braced a couple of weeks ago after having 7 extractions less than a month ago (ouch!)
I told everyone I was getting braces, they're hardcore metal ones so they're very obvious and there's no chance of hiding them. I found that the more I talked about it the better I felt, I was no longer 'hiding' anything (like I've been hiding my teeth for as long as I remember) and I really feel like I'm doing something pro-active about something that has bothered me for so long, which makes me strangely proud of my braceface in a way. I'm 21, so about your age, and I honestly was expecting a lot more negative reactions from people or people thinking I was 16/17, as I still do look a bit young, but there's been barely anything! I don't even get carded when I go out! The most comments I've gotten have been from the kids I work with who are between 6-17 and haven't seen me since I got them on, and they just think they are awesome! Most of them have braces too so they it helps their confidence when they see me not being bothered by them either.

I was worried that getting braces at my age would change my personality completely and I would become this miserable and horribly self conscious person, and I'm not going to lie that I am more self conscious and this is not an experience I want to repeat, but it has been no where near as horrific as I thought it was going to be. Just remember that you will still be the same person no matter what, and that you wear braces, braces don't wear you.

Good luck with everything!

Seven extractions...that sounds dreadful!

I can definitely see where you are coming from as far as being proud of the braces goes. Despite the apprehension, I'm very excited about doing this for myself. It's something I have always wanted to do and it is finally a reality! Hearing more and more about this being a mostly positive experience for others just reinforces the feeling that I am doing something very good for my own confidence. I know I'll probably be really self conscious too, but the result should far outweigh any discomfort I have for the next two years... at least, that's what I'm going to remind myself if I get down about them at any point.

Thanks everyone for the support and good luck to all of you as well!