Finally on!

[Beauty is Pain]

Today 9.15am, I got my braces after breaking down into almost a nervous wreck the day before (that was an overstatement, but you get the idea). Much to my surprise I did not get rubber bands (ligaments) which was the thing I was most looking forward to.

Sitting, or lying down, rather on the chair for over 2 hours was not a very pleasant experience, with a horrific big thing that opens your mouth wide open for what seemed an eternity, does not help with the matter. Neither does the suction pipe a.k.a. the saliva ejector that threatened to make me gag twice and has left a painful ulcer on my tongue (ah). That glue which I accidentally tasted is like a sour chemical thing that has put me off sour worms

Nevertheless, despite my complaints, I have to admit that the process was rather interesting. Even though, I nearly drift off to sleep whilst my brackets were been put on. Many would consider me a freak, but being really really really (x1000) interested in medicine and anything related to it, I quite enjoyed trying to figure out what equipment was doing what since I was not exactly able to see my teeth.

At the end, photos were taken again so that I can see my progress month by month. Then, there was a little ‘lecture’ about braces care and similar.

Hopefully, my teeth will hurry up and move. I swear that everything was fine until 2 hours ago when it started to hurt.

Oh and I have colours on my brackets, anyone know why?

[anxiousgirl]

Congrats on getting your braces! And i love your username
Do you mean ligatures not ligaments? So happy i didnt have them. Well.. i had ONE hahaha.

Yeah it isnt the most comfortable experience, but i didnt find it too bad. The thing i found the worst was when theyre done and they elevate the chair back up, i got so so dizzy!

I had tiny specks of colours on my brackets too! I think it was so they know which bracket was for which tooth? But those coloured specks/squares brushed off like a day later. Did you get damons? Because they are the ones i have.

Welcome to the brace club

[stepher7]

Congrats on being braced! I agree, having your mouth stretched open for that long is definitely NOT fun, but it's really not that bad overall. When I had mine put on the ortho assistant who placed them told me that the coloured dots are to help them properly align and place the brackets on each tooth. I had to scrub at a few of them to get them off, but they do brush off pretty easily. Keep the updates coming, you'll be surprised at how fast you can see/feel things changing!

[Beauty is Pain]

Thanks anxiousgirl (sorry I still can't figure out how to bold things)! Your username reflects the state I was in yesterday.

Yes, thanks for the correction! hehe I have no idea at this stage what kind of braces I have on (I forgot to ask , silly of me), but I am suspecting that it is one of those self-ligating ones. But seriously, I agree with you, that part was actually really bad, dizziness after lying down for like 2.5 hours was not pleasant, this is only surpassed by my teeth hurting about 4 hours after. Oh and my teeth like started to make these little sounds, that really freaked me out

How long have you had them on for??? How long to go??

[Beauty is Pain]

Thanks stepher7 (OK, someone need to teach me how to bold things)! I am so glad I found this forum a few days before getting braced!

That explains everything, thanks for the answer Now that clears up some of my confusion and I am more than relieved to not have random dots all over my brackets

I shall keep the updates coming!! I hope that my teeth will move quickly, so I am able to get them off before the 2 years' mark!! What kind of braces did you get??

[5kYL1n3]

Congrats on starting your journey! I like your username... sums up braces nicely. You sound like you might have In-Ovation or Damon brackets, which are self-ligating. I have In-Ovation C's and am glad to have no ligatures to stain esp because I drink a lot of tea.

I wish my ortho took pics month to month! I guess I'll just have to myself.

[Beauty is Pain]

hehehe thanks 5kYL1n3! Me too, I love how my ortho takes pictures each time
Yes, I am glad too, that there are no ligatures to worry about, the staining and the fading of colours. I have a feeling that they are Damon, but I don't know yet, I shall ask in 1 month's time at my tightening session :/

In-Ovation C's, what are they? Are they those lingual braces??

Thanks again

[Beauty is Pain]

It has been a day sincce I got my braces and the pain from the pressure of the braces have started, meaning that I am not able to bite down on anything hard and thus on a soft food diet. I hope this pain would subside soon, but not being one with a high pain tolerance, I am fearing the worst.

Here is a view of my braces.

[Beauty is Pain]

Sorry for the ridiculously large photo, I am in the process of figuring out how to resize my future photos

For the time being, I will leave it as it is, sorry if I shocked anyone.

[klobird]

Hey BiP!!

You and I are almost going to have the same braceday!! Mine is this Friday at 9am..One question--can I just bring my MP3 or do they need my attention?

Did you have spacers? I have mine in now--lucky for me, I have had zero pain, and have almost forgotten they are in there. And they told me it would probably be the worst part of the braces thing---I think I am in for a rude awakening.

So, I'm thinking at least I will have a pretty steady co-miserator, huh?

[klobird]

Oh, and I think you're braces look great!! How do you feel about them??

[Beauty is Pain]

Thanks klobird, btw I love you name, very original!!

Hehehe indeed, I did have spacers, first rubber which hurted like HELL and then metal which was not bad at all. I guess it depends on the state of your teeth. For me, my upper teeth did not feel a thing, but my lowers were tortured as they are slightly overcrowded.

Well, I stupidly forgot to bring anything except my phone for the braces bonding session, ah but I think it doesn't matter as long as your ortho doesn't mind it. So I basically spent 2 hours gazing at the wall and the numerous equipments my ortho was using AND freaking out about how they would turn out Nah, they don't ask you stuff since you would have a cheek retractor and a suction pipe :/ in your mouth. But if you have an ortho who cares highly about your wellbeing, he might ask you if you are alright every 10 min

Word of warning - DO NOT underestimate the power of braces. Seriously 1 hour after the appointment, I felt minimal pain, just a little bit of presure. 3 hours, I was still eating hard things. 5 hours, ouch, all food just turned 'unchewable', my mouth felt as though it on fire, but it was tolerable. THe next day, when I first got up, I forgot that I had braces on and proceeded to brush my teeth, didn't realise that it would be painful. And yes, I followed the ortho's instructions to BRUSH BRUSH AND BRUSH.......ow I really regretted that, it felt as though my teeth would fall out anytime soon.

Also stick to soft foods!! Don't even attempt to eat a raisin (which was what I did 3 hours ago and seriously the pain) Ok I should shut up now! hehehe Happy BRACES DAY FOR TOMORROW!!! and yes I shall be your co-miserator(I like that word) Enjoy every food you can eat now!

[Beauty is Pain]

and klobird, how long are you having them for? What kind are you getting?

[klobird]

BiP--I am getting Damon Q, top and bottom all metal. I asked about the Damon clear, and they basically said no. I have a bad overjet, and overbite, and somehow it would be easier to chip the brackets--something like that.

I asked about the retainers at the end.. I will be getting a bonded retainer on the bottom, and an invisalign type retainer on the top...sounds good to me...

It was weird at the orthos...I am 55 and getting braces..there were 4 of us in chairs, and only one was a young person. The others were basically middle aged women.. I was surprised, and encouraged.

So, how are you doing now...how is your pain...I am very anxious about that, as I have some job junk to do this weekend, (well, payroll---and it has to reflect all the new insurance changes---it's worth $2,000 in new ortho insurance to me!)...although I am able to bring it home...which may help...

[klobird]

Oh, I guess I forgot to answer your other question--I have a 2 year sentence...My regular dentist had them in her late 40s -she is 58 now- and she had hers on for 4 years, and finally told the ortho that she had enough, and made him take them off--of course, her teeth are amazing now...

4 years? I want to get a facelift in 4 years!!! ROFL....