My Braces at 54, with pics

[Rach44]

Your teeth are looking fantastic!

[laura5535]

Thank you ladysable.

[Huggypillow]

hi Laura5535

dont be dismayed you are doing a great job!! people should mind their own business and support you.

a lady at the bank i go to said to me "oh why did you do that your teeth are fine" firstly i couldnt beleive that she would actually say that. see she had braces and she was in her 40's i said to her well i didnt do it for vanity if thats where your going and seing as your not a dentist i find it a bit strange that you know wether a person needs them or not.

Just because she had a hard time with hers. she told me quite boldly she had bite issues (im not against anyone with bite issues). well i wish thats all i had. she kinda had her nose in the air saying that hers were necessary but anyone else isnt. she had hers for like 7 months i said to her im with these for 2-3 years. ive got 9mm of gaps, rotated teeth, major crowding, tipping and rotating molars and a deep bite (top teeth covering bottom).

she said oh thats a bit of work and not to mention im about to have all these tad's placed (temporary anchorage devices).

on the other hand my family has been really supportive of me and basically every one i meet is.

my husband said to me just after i had my braces put on that my teeth are very crooked and hes actually excited to see my progress. i found it hard at the decision and im only 29.

my sister in law has asked me to talk to my nephew hes 8 and getting braces and hes very scared, he asked me to go with him.

i do think that there is this common sensis out there with some people that if you get braces and your over say 20 that its about vanity and not anything else.

they however fail to consider that maybe our parents like mine couldnt afford it for me as a child and now ive had to pay for them now.

people also forget that teeth move as you get older and underlying problems get worse.

my parents now are in a much better position now and have offered to pay towards my treatment to assist me.

i think everyone on this site is justified in their own right for the want for better oral health and we are all here to offer support.

good luck to everyone here.

[Julia221]

Huggypillow, I think it is fantastic that your parents and family have been so supportive. I've known from a very early age that I needed braces, and the problems have only gotten worse as I have gotten older. My parents couldn't afford braces and were once even told that the only thing that could help me was breaking and re-aligning my jaw. My mom didn't want to put me through that as a child.
When I told her about a month ago that I was going to get braces (now that my husband and I can afford to pay for them ourselves) her response was not what I expected. She said she'd gotten used to the way I look now and doesn't think I need to change. After I explained to her (and reminded her) that it's not purely aesthetic, she has been totally supportive. She calls me at least once a week to check up on me and see how things are progressing.

I think sometimes the hardest criticism to take is from strangers, though. We just have to remind ourselves that other people don't know us the way we know ourselves. It's just like having a child or starting a new career or any other big step in someone's life. No one should judge someone else's decisions without knowing all the deciding factors. That's one of the reasons I love reading the posts on this website. I love that people can stand up and say "You know what? I am doing this for MYSELF! And I am WORTH IT!" and there are so many perfect strangers who are supportive because they've been through the same thing! Thank you to everyone here for making this such a welcome environment.

[katiekatie80]

wow, fab photo's!!!

[Kirsten2011]

Wow!! Your teeth look amazing in the latest pic. I've just read your blog and am so impressed by it! I am 33 years old and have had my braces on for 5 months now (this is the second time I am having braces, i had them at aged 12 many years ago) and gradually can see and feel differences. I also take pictures of my progress, and must take time to post them at some point
Congratulations on your decision to get them done, the results will look even more spectacular. Sometimes we all just need a little patience and as part of this long treatment process, just enjoy its purpose, and know that the results are going to be all worth it!!
Best regards from a chilly Cape Town, South Africa xx

[Huggypillow]

julie221, thanks for your post i totally agree with everything you said. it was a big decision for me to take the plunge.
i admire people on this board who are older than me and just "go for it". i mean its not like a tattoo that you can cover up these metal bars on our teeth are there to be seen by everyone, so it takes a lot of courage on our part. well im back at the ortho tomorrow for my first adjustment and the rest of my molar bands/brackets as well, im a bit nervous as its my first one.
im hoping i can get some colours on my braces instead of all these metal wire ties, im ready to get adventerous.

[sjeanine]

My Braces at 8 Months... they dont look any dif to me than they did at 6 mths really... starting to worry about if they will ever straighten out and all be the same length! I was told that I am in the thickest and last wire now...not sure for how long tho. There are plastic "chains" connecting all the teeth....the gaps from my two teeth being pulled are almost completely filled in. The tooth next to my front tooth, has some gum erosion or something going on...I brush them so much now that I must've wore out the gum there! It isnt showing in the pic but it is a gappy space that is higher up. I'm also using a whitening toothpaste but I think they are looking more yellow. Guess I'm a little negative today, huh? I'm just frustrated I guess that things arent moving faster with my teeth! The ortho originally said I'd have braces for about 18 months so I guess I'm not even quite half way yet....dont know what happened with my ticker below!

[sjeanine]

[img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums ... .jpg[/img]

It's been just over one year now since I got braced! Just thought I'd post an updated pic...

[Kirsten2011]

congrats!! The progress looks amazing!

[sjeanine]

Thanks! I went in today, Jan 12th to have my wires changed to the thickest and last ones...so I was told! I dont know how long they will have to be on but I'm hoping by summer that I will be debraced! I'm going to ask when I go back next month if he has any idea but, they look good enough to me right now! Not sure what he's waiting for at this point....

[lau]

you look fantastic- how much longer?

[kellyb]

looking great

[Breel]

I am new on here and have been reading some of the stories. I jsut have to tell you that your teeth look amazing!

[sjeanine]

Well it has been 15 mths now since I got my braces put on and I thought I should post an update pic with progress. I dont have any idea when he is planning on taking them off but I am very happy with the results. He said today that he is "tweaking" them...I hope that means they will be coming off before summer anyway...Maybe I'll work up my nerve to ask him at my next visit. ; ) He took some sort of tool and ran it down my front teeth and the tooth next to the front tooth....sounded like he was sanding...not sure why cuz now that I see my pic, I can see a gap between the front teeth....huh.