What Have I DONE????

[HokieMom]

People out there --- I'm looking for support!
I had In-Ovation C braces put on this morning (both top and bottom) with spacers - didn't know about those - to make room for the quad helix that is being installed next week.

I'm a 44 year old mom. My teenagers are already out of their braces and I when I saw how AWESOME their teeth turned out, I started thinking....should I get them??? I knew I needed them..... but never really considered it as an adult. And then one day, boom. I decided to do it. I researched and had three consults. Consult #1 - Damon braces Consult #2 Invisalign and Consult #2....the winner....Clear braces but also the quad helix and lower lingual. Not that I was looking for the extra stuff but this consult was the only one who wanted to really "open my mouth up".....

Here's what is really bothering me tonight. They put these little "mountains" on my lower molars to make it so that my top 2 front teeth don't knock the brackets on my bottom front teeth. So when I "bite" down, the molars hit first. But nothing else "hits".... She told me to chew gum to help with the pain but I can't even chew except on those molars because none of the other teeth even touch to bite down!

I'm dying. Seriously, what have I done??!?!

Help!!!

[thmmom]

Sorry you are having a rough go. You will get used to the molar build ups. You will just have to eat softer foods for awhile. I had bite turbos glued behind my front teeth. My molars did not touch at all for about 3 weeks - those were a few rough weeks! I had the same thoughts of what have I gotten myself into. Hang in there I promise it will get better.

[Robot Teeth]

Molar build ups... Welcome to my world! I'm 5 weeks in at the moment.

The buildups are my least favorite part of this experience so far, and I was complaining about them right off the bat. Everyone consoled me and assured me that I'd get used to them and they weren't really that bad... And fortunately they were right. I'm pretty much used to them (and eating with them too, believe it or not). I know where you're at right now - your mouth is in shock and you're in disbelief that you'll get comfortable with this. I'm a REALLY slow eater to begin with. I was like omg, I'm going to lose 10 pounds. But I've learned how to eat as efficiently as possible, and I haven't lost any weight yet, so this really must not be slowing me down much!

Really though, give it a week... Then give it a couple more weeks. It gets better and better. I don't mind my braces anymore, and I'm back to being excited about having them!

[luchababe]

You'd be amazed what your body can get used to. Seriously, give it time. Keep track of how you feel day to day and when it's better you'll look back and be amazed at how you used to feel. Plus when the next round of "What have I done!?" comes along you'll have reference to get you through it.

[TumbleDryLow]

I know you don't believe us now (no one ever does) but no matter what is put into your mouth: you WILL get used to it. Yes it will suck at first. Yes you will think its the end of eating anything ever again and you will surely starve to death. Yes you will want to take a pair of pliers and rip everything out of your mouth.
Fast forward a few weeks and you will be posting here to someone else about how it gets better. Because it really does.

[klobird]

I think "what have I done" must be the 1st thing we all thought when we got braces. I used to think "OMG, I could have 2 babies in the amount of time I will have these on!!". (At 55 I better not!!!--I'll take braces!!)

As you get some time under you--and it doesn't take much--and you start to see progress, you will really appreciate what is happening in your mouth. You just kind of have to suck it up for the first couple weeks and experience all of the new feelings that come with being newly braced, and having all the additional junk in your mouth.

It will get better!!

[jtsnowden]

I'm 53 and I am having the same reaction. If I still can't stand the molar build-up after a few weeks I'll go back and complain. On the bright side, I am losing about a pound a day...

[Crazy4Snow]

44 years old here too and I know exactly how you feel. So many times I wanted to go to my ortho's office and tell him "take them off, I'm done". But it gets better, everyday is better than the one before...hang in there.

[Rusty'sMom]

I agree with the posts..it really does get better. An added bonus...busting through that weight loss plateau. I lost 5 pounds since getting braced on top, and look forward to a possibly losing a couple more after the bottoms are put on next week. Eating slowly does allow you to feel full and ultimately eat less. I have come to absolutely love smoothies!!!

[Mauvaise]

We are almost brace-twins! I am getting Innovation-C upper & lower, but I'm going to be two days behind you. My appointment is in (EEK!) just over four hours from now. In all the reading I've done, it does get better. But that doesn't mean it won't suck royally until it does. I'm not looking forward to it myself. Hang in there!

PS: what's a 'helix'?

[drgnchsr36]

I feel your pain with the molar buildups. Ugh. Hate them. But, it does get better and eventually, you do get used to them and can eat pretty much whatever you want. It just takes a bit of time to get used to them.

I can't wait to get mine off, and so far I've had them for as long as I've had my bottom braces on... I keep thinking that I'm going to gain a bunch of weight when I get them removed, I hope so!!

Anyways, the pain of the molar buildups do outweigh the pain of hitting bracket to bracket.. that's the only good thing about 'em! Hopefully you can get them removed soon!

[bracketeer]

44 years old here too and I know exactly how you feel. So many times I wanted to go to my ortho's office and tell him "take them off, I'm done". But it gets better, everyday is better than the one before...hang in there.

Crazy4Snow, I concur 100%!

[lambchop]

I have found that salads and chopped up apples to be among the hardest things to eat with the molar build-ups. Meat is surprisingly easy, and if you steam other veggies first (like broccoli, carrots, zucchini, etc) till they're pretty soft, they go down easily enough. That said, I hope I can digest partially unchewed food, as there are definitely some chunks making it through! I'm about 3 1/2 weeks into being braced and having the build-ups and every day seems to be a new adventure in finding out exactly what I can add to my list of do-able food items.

[soldiergirl]

I understand how you feel. I have molar buildups too. They are the most annoying things in my mouth. I feel like I eat like a cow. I suppose I've gotten used to them because they don't bother me as much, but I still don't like them. Also with other things in my life stressing me out, these have become the least of my concerns. Join the club and hang in there with the rest of us. We're going through it together.

[HokieMom]

[quote="Mauvaise"]We are almost brace-twins! I am getting Innovation-C upper & lower, but I'm going to be two days behind you. My appointment is in (EEK!) just over four hours from now. In all the reading I've done, it does get better. But that doesn't mean it won't suck royally until it does. I'm not looking forward to it myself. Hang in there!

PS: what's a 'helix'?[/quote]


How did it go??? It will be fun to have a "braces twin"...:) A quad helix is apparently an expander for my top. I get that on Tuesday.