Grampa in Braces - LARRYBOY56's Journey

[LARRYBOY56]

OK, so here's the thing....... I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I needed or wanted braces. My teeth have been fairly straight and I have been adapting to my change in bite, jaw pain, etc. as I have aged without thinking there was anything really wrong .
Well my new dentist (I finally changed to the dentist my wife has been seeing for the last 5 years) tells me that I have issues that I should have had corrected years ago. I have an overbite, my jaw is not lined up properly, my front teeth don't meet and my lower teeth are crowded with an extra one thrown in there that I didn't know was there. AND my lower teeth are growing up out of my lower jaw moving my gumlines out of whack. Fortunately, I have no gum disease, but will have if I don't get things fixed.

So...... I have 2 options to fix all this and phase one is either braces or braces ! Hmm...... which shall I choose.

So at 54 years old, this grampa is joining the Metal Mouth gang. I got two of my kids through braces, but never thought they would have to get ME through it.

I have learned and seen a lot on this forum already that is very encouraging. Thank you all for that. I shall attempt to "cowboy up" and hang on for the ride and see where we end up.

All that said, I have lots of questions that will probably be answered at my consultation with orthodontist, but I am hyper-ventilating at the thought of all this. Any encouragements from the other Baby Boomers out there will be greatly appreciated.

I had hopes that something line Invisalign might be an option, but am told that I am not a candidate for that with the particular issues I have. My next hopeful will be for linguals on top. I am a CPAP user for Sleep Apnea and really don't want to mess up being able to use that. It has made a huge difference for me (my plug for any that are struggling with CPAP's), but my mask rides on my upper lip/teeth and am not anxious to have to deal with the brackets, lip sores, wax, etc. Am hopeful that I could do linguals on upper (at least the front) and don't care how we approach the lower..... standard train tracks are fine with me. Anyone have experience with this? I also wonder about the fact that I have quite a few crowns/fillings in my molars. Would that affect the type of braces that can be used?

I have seen a lot of comments/advice from drrick and other professionals on this forum. If any of you have any insight, it would be most appreciated. I know these questions will all be answered with my consultation, but the anxiety level is very high right now and consultation with orthodontist is a few weeks away.

Thank you all for the insightful information I have seen so far in other threads of this forum. I look forward to sharing the triip as we progress.

Larry

[evilnel]

Hi, Larry. I'm not a baby boomer, but I just wanted to say that there's nothing to be nervous about and that you will be happy you took care of your bite/alignment issues now rather than getting dentures in 10-15 years. They're really not a big deal, not very noticeable, and I'm pretty happy I decided to go for it. Most people don't notice or care, so if a vain 24 year old like myself can put up with it, I'm sure you will do great. Good luck!

[loradora]

Hi Larry. Welcome to the over 50 braces club. The dentist told me that the crowding will continue to worsen as I age, so it's good that you've decided to take the plunge. I'm hoping to get away with having braces on the bottom only. We have to see how my teeth line up as we go along. Good luck on your adventure.

Laura

[LARRYBOY56]

Thanks, Ken, for the encouragement. I am glad to hear that the anticipation is the worst. Maybe we can get some resolution and get going soon.

I was afraid I might be in for the spacers and molar bands because of the fillings/crowns. My molars are so close together that I am setting myself up for the spacers and bands. My understanding is that the spacers are very painful? Or just uncomfortable? Not looking forward to that either.

Man..... this getting old is the pits !!

Larry

[catgyrl]

Larry - I have two molars that had to have spacers placed around them because they were crowned and the regular buccal brackets wouldn't stick to them properly. The hardest part for me was actually getting the spacers in, due to the crowding. Once they were in, for the first few hours it felt like I had a hunk of meat stuck in between them, but after that I didn't feel anything.

Unfortunately, the spacers on one side kept popping out (or getting eaten by me!), so I'm on my third round of them on the left side. The right side spaced out nicely and I am now the proud owner of one molar band. The first day it did create a very small raw spot inside my cheek, but by the nexst day it was gone.

Just remember - any discomfort you'll feel is almost always temporary. I'm a late-comer to braces, too (42), and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. I'm only two weeks in, and seem to smile more than I ever did.

Good luck to you!!
-Cathy

[catgyrl]

Larry-

I replied to your question re: molar bands in my story thread.

I will reiterate what you said that it's the anticipation and waiting that is the worst. Once you have your consult and have your questions answered (which may bring up 100 more questions later), you'll feel a bit more at ease. I'm one of those people who is a bit of a control-freak, and want to know every single thing they're going to do, every single step of the way. I figure if I'm paying my $5,000+, I should be able to ask them anything I want (nicely, of course).

Take pics before and during; you'll be happy you did.

-Cathy

[mikesmile]

Hi Larry

Another boomer here in braces at age 53. I've got 3 grown up kids, but I'm not a grampa yet. I also have a 2 yr. old daughter, too! This is my second time in braces... as an adult, no less. Welcome to the wonderful world of adult orthodontics.

I contemplated my own decision for a while - just as you're doing now. When you realize this is your best option at almost any age, the choice is made clear for you!

Let me share something with you: You're not too old. Braces aren't bad at all, really - once you get used to them. You'll never regret it - especially when you start to see positive changes in your mouth. As you can tell by all the interesting stories here, it can be very exciting watching your teeth/ bite issues getting sorted out. Some of us have lived for decades with these issues. A popular comment I often read on people's blogs here is " I wish I'd done this years ago!", and I can't agree more...

Lots of luck in your decision making & with your treatment once you begin. You'll only be nervous leading up to the actual event of getting your braces. After that, everything settles down pretty quickly...



Estimate 12-14 Months

[Mimi31]

Make sure you take Before photos! You'll be glad you did.

[Theresa48]

Hi...I found your post while looking for some more "mature" people getting braces...I literally got my braces 2 hours ago! I have been freaked out about it for months...yesterday had a baby tooth pulled from the front of my mouth, and there was no turning back after that! It feels pretty weird, but not bad...I have been reading I will get used to it...I, like you, actually didn't mind my teeth at all! Just get it done, you will always wonder why you didn't when things get worse with your teeth!

[llehsal]

Hi Larry,

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I'm not a boomer, but I feel the same regarding the anxiousness while waiting. I had to wait MONTHS to see all three of the orthos I went to. They all had long waiting lists. Now that I'm all primed and ready, I have to wait another month before I can get them in. I, like you, can't wait!!

I really admire that you are going for this. Great job

[LARRYBOY56]

Well, I got the first molds made yesterday for a "deprogramming appliance" Sounds like a retainer to try and locate my bite. I get that on June 2, wear that for 1-2 weeks, then meet the orthodontist.

Anyone else worked with this "appliance" ??

Here we go !!

Larry

[LARRYBOY56]

"Deprogrammer" has been in and out. Only took a week to "deprogram" my bite. Wasn't a big deal at all. It was like wearing a retainer for a week that wouldn't let my teeth meet. I had to learn to use the wax, though. Had trouble using the CPAP without it.

Dentist took molds and next stop is orthodontist !

Thanks all, for your encouragement. I have been enjoying following the journey's of several of you

Larry

[LC'sTeefs]

Go Larry, Go Larry!!

[llehsal]

Woo hoo!!! Keep us posted!!!

[LARRYBOY56]

Well, I had my first ortho visit yesterday. Went VERY well and I was VERY comfortable with the ortho and her staff. We discussed my treatment options and plan. Looks like I will be able to avoid many of the torture devices that we would be looking at if I was a little younger. I guess there is something to be said for being old after all !!.

I will be doing full Damon braces with the new clear Damons on the six front teeth. Will have to have lots of bands (6 on the lower) due to the gold growns, and will have to have a "bite Turbo" (look that up on other posts in this forum) due to my deep bite.

I have an appointment on July 6th to finish up x-rays, molds and put spacers in (6-8 total on lower only) . I am not looking forward to that, but am told that if I can survive the week with the spacers, the braces are a piece of cake. We will see, but I will hold on to that morsel of hope!

Full braces will go on the week of the 12th if all goes as anticipated, so will get my tracker set up when I have that date. Look for it. Will also try to post some pics (before & with braces) after brace day.

For those of you that are in the "mature" category with me, I was extremely pleased to find out that my ortho has multiple patients that are over 70 years old! She also told me that over 40% of her practice is adults. So be ye encouraged. Braces are not just for kids and not just for straighetning teeth !

Later,

Larry