Today was my lucky day!!! I got braced!

[Jerseygirl]

Hi - I will post this in our braces stories too, but just wanted to let everyone know I got braced today and it went GREAT! I'm so happy and excited to begin my treatment - it has been a long, long time coming. Previously I just wasn't ready mentally to go for it - but now I am. I love my ortho, he put my brackets on beautifully and fast - I'm beginning to feel discomfort which he said will go on for about 3 days. And - the insides of my lower lips are starting to get raw - so I'll be using wax for sure. Other than that - it went GREAT! They look WAY WAY better than I imagined - in fact I'm damn proud to be wearing them! I just turned 46 years old.

To be continued!

[Jerseygirl]

One more

[ArchWired28]

Congrats!!!! I wish you the easy, exciting and pleasant journey! Please let us know how it goes!

P.S. Sorry to say, but the discomfort will most likely not go away in 3 days. For me, it was still ramping up at 3 days, and I only started feeling a little bit of relief after 2 weeks. I hope it will be different for you though! The good news is that this is probably the most unpleasant stage of braces, unless you have to wear extensive appliances later on

[Jerseygirl]

Thanks!! Do you mean the first few days/week are the most unpleasant part? I got the feeling it gets worse as thicker wires are put on.
But time will tell. I had them for 3.5 years as a kid and I can remember going for tightenings back when you had metal bands around every tooth. It was torture. So I anything will likely be better than that! I also have lived in chronic pain with various teeth hurting for whatever reason, broken teeth and TMJ spasms/headaches and jaw aches for years - so I'm hoping this discomfort will not be as bad.

Keep you posted!

[pocketlint]

Congrats to you! They look great! Here's to hoping your treatment goes smoothly and quickly!

[Jerseygirl]

Thank you so much pocketlint!

My Mom said my teeth look straighter already. LOL - - but the brackets cover the crooked areas. Which is nice!

[AquarianDragon]

When I got my braces, I was pretty stoked until the next morning... I went to Starbucks, ordered my usual spinach feta wrap (ouch)! Six days later I was still fairly sore when my hubs and I met up with some of his family for lunch. My hubs was concerned we'd have to change restaurant plans. It worked out... I had mac & cheese, lol!

Don't worry it gets better!!

[nifer237]

Excited for you, you seem to have a great attitude. It goes so quickly and is so worth it. The worst part for me was adding the elastics...Can't wait to see how everything turns out!

[Jerseygirl]

Excited for you, you seem to have a great attitude. It goes so quickly and is so worth it. The worst part for me was adding the elastics...Can't wait to see how everything turns out!

Thanks! I definitely have a good mindset for all this, I feel there is no other way to be. AND I know I am doing the right thing and the end result will only help my health and well being! I do wish I had done this sooner but I just wasn't ready to commit to it, now I am. So I think feeling the way I do is extremely vital to the success of the treatment! And that is really the case for anyone. Being negative, complaining, etc etc - will get the patient no where. Yes there is bound to be pain/discomfort, inconveniences - but resolving to that and being prepared helps. And - I've gone through so much with my mouth already - this really is nothing.

[Grace123]

Thank you for your positive energy! Best wishes to you.

[Jerseygirl]

Thanks Grace - and the same to you!!!!!! I'll look forward to watching your progress!

[echic777]

Cool! I got my braces on 2 days ago and the pain has started to subside already. Really just stickto soft foods and you'll survive.

[Jerseygirl]

I really don't have a lot of pain - one or two teeth are sore. But I can't bite down hard on anything - the pressure is too much. So yes, all soft foods because I can't chew normally yet. I think everyone is different though - your teeth are going to move off and on based on where they need to go and how your doctor chooses to place brackets/strength of wires etc. I know we are going to try to move my teeth as quickly (and safely) as possible because I need an implant where I had an extraction in march. So I might be sore more often because adjustments will be every 3 wks. That said if I can't tolerate it - I will be the first to ask him to slow it down.

[Jerseygirl]

I'm also already seeing tooth movement - my top teeth are straightening out. Pretty amazing. Meanwhile they don't hurt nearly as much as my bottoms. But I think my bottoms are more crooked.

[ArchWired28]

You are very lucky with the low pain level. Mine got pretty bad But maybe I am just extra sensitive? My husband thinks that is the reason. For me, the initial pain was the worst. Sure I got soreness after each adjustment, but it's not nearly as bad as that initial pain. I was panicking during the first days because it felt like my teeth will just come off due to the pain and pressure. It felt like my mouth was... broken or very badly damaged. It surely gets better though. I am glad that you keep that positive attitude going. That will help you along the way. Best wishes!