I can't get over how uncomfortable and downright painful this whole experience has been. I'm 42 and I've been OK with my crooked teeth my whole life, they don't bother me much, but hubby felt the time had come to fix them; we found a good orthodontist for our kids and we had the money. So why not?
I'll tell you why not. I've never been this miserable in my life. I can't eat, I can't smile correctly, I have trouble sleeping because of the pain after adjustments. There's not a second of any day when I don't realize the brackets are there. My lips are dying to have one day free of friction.
I thought I'd get used to it and they'd stop bothering me, but so far no luck. I'm not sure how I'm going to survive two years of this with my mouth and my sanity intact. To tell the truth, I'm afraid my teeth will hurt for the rest of my life because of this.
I feel like a fool.
Does anyone else wish they'd never done it?
Moderator: bbsadmin
Hey spurfy! Sorry to read that ur in so much discomfort. I don't know if you've been doing any of these things but here's some things I do that help:
Take advil about an hr before adjustments
Keep medicated chapstick w/me. I use it before adjustments, after the adjustment, after brushing.
Drink water to help prevent dry mouth/lips
Use orajel and rub it on my gums after an adjustment.
Take an advil after an adjustment if I'm really hurting.
Use wax on those brackets that rub.
Swish w/ colgate peroxyl if my mouth gets irritated. It helps.
And (although I shouldn't) chew some gum to relieve the soreness and get the blood flowing.
Hope things get better for you soon...
Take advil about an hr before adjustments
Keep medicated chapstick w/me. I use it before adjustments, after the adjustment, after brushing.
Drink water to help prevent dry mouth/lips
Use orajel and rub it on my gums after an adjustment.
Take an advil after an adjustment if I'm really hurting.
Use wax on those brackets that rub.
Swish w/ colgate peroxyl if my mouth gets irritated. It helps.
And (although I shouldn't) chew some gum to relieve the soreness and get the blood flowing.
Hope things get better for you soon...
Hi Spurfy,
Sorry to see how uncomfortable you have been. I felt like that for the first six months or so. My back teeth did not touch and I could not eat very well. Once I even talked to my husband about getting the braces off. Over time, it got better.
All I can say is hang in there, it will get better. I think braces are much harder for adults because we have a low tolerance for being uncomfortable.
Don't feel like a fool. You made a well educated decision to have a healthier mouth and bite. Not to mention, straighter teeth. We've all been there.
Hope it gets better for you soon!
Sorry to see how uncomfortable you have been. I felt like that for the first six months or so. My back teeth did not touch and I could not eat very well. Once I even talked to my husband about getting the braces off. Over time, it got better.
All I can say is hang in there, it will get better. I think braces are much harder for adults because we have a low tolerance for being uncomfortable.
Don't feel like a fool. You made a well educated decision to have a healthier mouth and bite. Not to mention, straighter teeth. We've all been there.
Hope it gets better for you soon!
I hear you on the "one day free of friction" thing! I'm still quite aware of my braces and have difficulty with my lips catching on brackets when I talk or smile. It was worse at first when my teeth were more out of alignment. I think I'll be using wax throughout my treatment. It cuts down the friction, and I really don't care if it is visible when I smile, it is a necessity! It provides blessed relief.
Down the road, we'll be glad we did this, but the here-and-now can really be a pain--literally. Hang in there--you are in good company!
Down the road, we'll be glad we did this, but the here-and-now can really be a pain--literally. Hang in there--you are in good company!
I hate it every day. I'm with you Spurfy!
there is not a day that I don't think about these braces...they are just a pain all around and have taken all the joy out of eating. The best thing is that I lost weight..but I didn't really need to.
I thought by now I'd be "used to them" like everyone says....I wonder about the folks who say they don't even notice them anymore----really? Wow, I curse them every night after my half hour of mouth maintenance....
I notice we have had our braces about the same amount of time. I also didn't even have bad teeth, just one that needed to be moved big time....
All that said, I am glad I got them as much as I hate them...the time is NOT going by quickly at all...it is going so slowly and I have 2 years to go! Ugh...They are driving my crazy...
there is not a day that I don't think about these braces...they are just a pain all around and have taken all the joy out of eating. The best thing is that I lost weight..but I didn't really need to.
I thought by now I'd be "used to them" like everyone says....I wonder about the folks who say they don't even notice them anymore----really? Wow, I curse them every night after my half hour of mouth maintenance....
I notice we have had our braces about the same amount of time. I also didn't even have bad teeth, just one that needed to be moved big time....
All that said, I am glad I got them as much as I hate them...the time is NOT going by quickly at all...it is going so slowly and I have 2 years to go! Ugh...They are driving my crazy...
-
SilverGirl
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 1:36 pm
I have my moments!
Overall, though, I'm keeping my eyes on the prize. My teeth weren't THAT bad to begin with, but I'd become more and more self-conscious about the one front tooth that was crooked and overlapped the other. I'd been thinking about getting braces for years and years, but what finally spurred me to action was looking at all my sister's wedding photos, and in some the light reflected a certain way off my teeth and that one wayward tooth was REALLY noticeable and just made me look a little bit goofy.
But even so, I was traumatized that first week in braces and almost went back and had them taken off. I've adjusted to them, but I notice I smile a lot less than I used to (and my smile was kind of "my thing!") But I keep thinking to myself that it's only temporary, and that I'll smile even more than before when my teeth are straight.
And it's funny, but since getting braces I've been noticing everyone's teeth. There are a lot of adults with crooked teeth out there, and my first thought is "I wonder why they don't get those fixed."
Overall, though, I'm keeping my eyes on the prize. My teeth weren't THAT bad to begin with, but I'd become more and more self-conscious about the one front tooth that was crooked and overlapped the other. I'd been thinking about getting braces for years and years, but what finally spurred me to action was looking at all my sister's wedding photos, and in some the light reflected a certain way off my teeth and that one wayward tooth was REALLY noticeable and just made me look a little bit goofy.
But even so, I was traumatized that first week in braces and almost went back and had them taken off. I've adjusted to them, but I notice I smile a lot less than I used to (and my smile was kind of "my thing!") But I keep thinking to myself that it's only temporary, and that I'll smile even more than before when my teeth are straight.
And it's funny, but since getting braces I've been noticing everyone's teeth. There are a lot of adults with crooked teeth out there, and my first thought is "I wonder why they don't get those fixed."
Consider the trivial inability to eat everything now, with braces, to be a rehearsal for things to come in the future. The simple fact is; if your bite is not corrected, down the road your teeth will fall out. Whether you're 50, 60,70 80. Just think about not having any teeth and not being able to eat anything at all other than mash. 2 years now versus 20+ years later is a price not worth regretting for even one second. Embrace your braces. You will feel sad when they are finally removed. 
-
fluffybottom
- Posts: 385
- Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:28 pm
- Location: Hollywood, CA
- Contact:
I found that I was much more sensitive to adjustments and such during the first year. After that, my teeth were generally in the right place and it was just a matter of tweaking so it was pretty easy to 'forget' about my braces. I was able to each just about everything. Hang in there, it will get better.
I had my braces on for 2 years, 1 month, 2 weeks and 2 days.
I'm sorry it's been so hard for you. I thought that after 4 months there would be mostly no pain by now but I'm sure everybody is different. That said... I don't regret getting braces but I have to say that they have been a lot more annoying than I thought they'd be. I am in no pain or anything however I can't stand having STUFF in my mouth!!! It's super annoying to talk and smile and eat in front of people, and I can't stand that it takes forever to clean them at night. Rant over.
I'm A Newbie
I'm excited...and in the lower 40's. I had 4 teeth extracted on the 21 Sep. I'll get my braces on the 5 October. Any Suggestions!
-
psych braces
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:02 pm
Spurfy,
You are having a bumpy ride, but I think it will get better for you so hang in there. ClassII put it very well when they essentially said if you don't do it now you will wish you had later, when your teeth no longer function for you. Everyone reacts differently with the bracing process and that makes things confusing. I have not had any pain but still struggle with adjusting to the braces because I am single and constantly feeling awkward (we all deal with this differently but married folks with a supportive spouse are likely to suffer less from the psychological pain) I think that since getting braces was your husbands idea, you may not fully accept the "no pain, no gain" motto. After you begin to see improvements it may get easier for you to "put up" with the bracing process. Good luck and keep us posted on how your doing.
You are having a bumpy ride, but I think it will get better for you so hang in there. ClassII put it very well when they essentially said if you don't do it now you will wish you had later, when your teeth no longer function for you. Everyone reacts differently with the bracing process and that makes things confusing. I have not had any pain but still struggle with adjusting to the braces because I am single and constantly feeling awkward (we all deal with this differently but married folks with a supportive spouse are likely to suffer less from the psychological pain) I think that since getting braces was your husbands idea, you may not fully accept the "no pain, no gain" motto. After you begin to see improvements it may get easier for you to "put up" with the bracing process. Good luck and keep us posted on how your doing.
-
blackapple
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:18 pm
I certainly can feel your pain. I found out the hard way I have an extremely low pain threshold for all of this. I dread going to my appointments now because they are always doing something that causes me to be in pain. I cried when I got new powerchains yesterday because it felt like my teeth were about to be ripped out from all the pressure. I wanted to cry when they placed the molar bands which felt horrible on my gums and teeth. The braces them self I don't mind. It's just all the adjusting this or doing that that I despise. Keep on reminding yourself that this whole process is temporary. That and actually seeing the results so far is enough to keep me going wit this everyday.
Hey Spurfy -
I hope things get better for you. I've had my braces for two months and was hoping by now that I'd be so used to them that I wouldn't even remember that I had them on, like everyone said. They've been ok. I've never taken anything for the pain, had no pain after my first adjustment, the soreness in my teeth lasted only a little over a week when they were first put on, and I can pretty much eat anything. However, the wires at the end and the hooks on the brackets have never stopped poking and lacerating the insides of my lips and cheeks. I had heard that your lips and cheeks toughen up and get used to the friction, so you wouldn't have sores and cuts, but I didn't use any kind of wax or anything for the first month, hoping to stick it out and get used to the braces. Finally, I started putting on wax and now silicone, which I wear everyday on both sides, top and bottom. I feel kind of stupid doing that, but every time I take the silicone out to eat or brush my teeth or whatever, all the metal scratches my insides again, which is very painful. Needless to say, I'm always aware that I have braces and would just like to feel like I'm not so aware of my mouth. I'm so sorry I just rambled on about myself. I just wanted to let you know that I understnad some of the pain you're going through and I hope it gets better. It's so interesting that everyone's experience with braces is so unique. Good luck!
I hope things get better for you. I've had my braces for two months and was hoping by now that I'd be so used to them that I wouldn't even remember that I had them on, like everyone said. They've been ok. I've never taken anything for the pain, had no pain after my first adjustment, the soreness in my teeth lasted only a little over a week when they were first put on, and I can pretty much eat anything. However, the wires at the end and the hooks on the brackets have never stopped poking and lacerating the insides of my lips and cheeks. I had heard that your lips and cheeks toughen up and get used to the friction, so you wouldn't have sores and cuts, but I didn't use any kind of wax or anything for the first month, hoping to stick it out and get used to the braces. Finally, I started putting on wax and now silicone, which I wear everyday on both sides, top and bottom. I feel kind of stupid doing that, but every time I take the silicone out to eat or brush my teeth or whatever, all the metal scratches my insides again, which is very painful. Needless to say, I'm always aware that I have braces and would just like to feel like I'm not so aware of my mouth. I'm so sorry I just rambled on about myself. I just wanted to let you know that I understnad some of the pain you're going through and I hope it gets better. It's so interesting that everyone's experience with braces is so unique. Good luck!