Getting nervous and scared of cancelling!

[Angel269]

Hi. I am scheduled for my big day next Friday-22 June and am getting more and more anxious as time passes.

I am so scared I will get there and won't be able to do it. I want to do it so I can smile and it will be my final chapter after overcoming my dental phobia 3 years ago.

I think i fear being out of control in that chair for nearly an hour, as max I think Ive done is about 15 mins or so, as I have never needed any extensive treatment.

Please can anyone suggest anything that may calm this nervousness or tips that should help me through?

[jem]

Hi Angel269,

Hang on in there- you will be just fine.You have done very well to get to this point and actually getting your brace fitted is easier than what you have achieved so far.

I find my ortho appointments are much easier than regular dentist appointments-no injections or drilling and no poking about.

I couldn't believe how easy my brace installation was. I appreciate I only had brackets and archwire placed on my 6 top front teeth ( I have had 2 more brackets added to the premolars at a later appointment) but I was finished and out in 15 minutes, with my ortho giving a reassuring running commentary on what she was doing as she went along. I then had 5 minutes advice from the nurse on general care of my teeth and brace and I was on my way.

Good luck on 22 June. Let us know how you have got on.

Jem

[linguallady]

Hi Angel269

I understand where you are coming from, I was REALLY anxious about getting my braces and didnt sleep a wink the night before.
I suffer from Anxiety Disorder and panic attacks and was also afraid of being out of control and that I would freak out once they were on.

I spoke to my GP who gave me a low dose Ativan to help calm my nerves on the day and it really worked! Having the braces installed was a piece of cake!
I think I would have been fine without the Ativan as well, but it really made the whole process easier.

Its not scary at all, promise

[BellaBraces]

Maybe take an iPod loaded with some music you really like?

[spudly]

Let us know how it went
I start mine this friday - brackets next week Bottom braces then 4 weeks later top ! - I go from excited to scared stiff !

[xanidu2012]

Angel269 we're very proud of you for coming this far and you should be proud of yourself the brace experience is not bad at all really. It doesn't take long to put them on either. The relaxation suggestions given are great. Im quite sure while you are getting braced up the ortho and assistants will engage you in conversation and before you know it you are braced up. Hey just sit back, relax and enjoy the journey and when its over you will have a beautiful smile. and remember have fun with your braces by changing light colors.
Come back and give us all the details.

[CoryDaniels]

Look, I am being dead serious when I say this...... Honestly, it is not a big deal at all...no pain whatsoever, not even a pinch...The day before I was to be braced, I thought and thought and thought about it, and Honestly, I was ready to just not even show up....when I got to the ortho, I was gonna talk to the ortho again, but I told myself that I was already there and it was to late to turn back...and that I knew each day that passed, I would be closer and closer to a great smile that I am proud of....

This will be one of the best things that you will ever do in your life....I am only 8 months into treatment and I already smile like im crazy....my teeth are so presentable now and I just can't wait till they come off....

Believe me when I say that if you back out....you may never do it.

DO IT!!! The first couple days are the weirdest.....I say weird because its not painful, just some getting used to.

When I got mine on...the next day, I was off work, it was a Friday and I went to the fair all day and then just had a fun weekend....by the time I went back to work....I was used to them.... no big deal at all.

[margarets]

Just chiming in here, the whole thing is very dealable. It feels weird, e.g. having things that pull your lips away from your teeth, and all the fiddling that the tech has to do. But it's OK. I assume you are female - well, you've probably had some medical checks with way more potential for weirdness and emotional stress, and you got through it. So you'll be fine.

Remember that the techs have a lot of experience in dealing with stressed-out patients, many of whom are children or young teens. So they know ways to make it easy on you.

Don't cancel! Stay strong! YOU CAN DO THIS.

[Ellebraced]

Great comments on here already. I think the anxiety of making the decision and waiting to get them is the hardest part. You just have to remind yourself it is a temporary thing. Tell yourself to BREATH lol, I had to repeat that many times.

You should be so proud of yourself for making this decision and the time does fly by, so hang in there, keep strong, don't freak yourself out, I think worrying about something is usually worse than the experience.

Keep Positive, and remember the smile at the end will be worth it.

Good luck, can't wait to follow your journey.

[auco99]

Good post, Cory.

OP, the installation of my braces was not painful at all, and in fact was much more pleasant than a cleaning at the dentist. Just breathe through your nose and try to relax. Take a sedative if you need to.

I started brushing with Sensodyne a couple of days before. Then the day before I started taking ibuprofen, and continued the day of installation. After they were installed, I chewed on the little silicone mouthguard they gave me. I have been shocked at how relatively painless it is.

Is it uncomfortable and just plain weird for a few days? Yeah. Painful? Not in my experience.

The social aspect has been a piece if cake. Once I got used to seeing them in my teeth, I somewhat like them. It has been a bit of a mental relief to essentially acknowledge to the world that "yeah, I know my teeth are crooked. But they won't be for much longer, and soon, you'll be hiding your teeth from me, and not the other way around."

Just do it. I promise that a month from now you'll be glad you did. As many people have said, every day you wait is one more day you'll live with a smile you don't like. Do it NOW, while you have the resources and inclination to do out. Deciding to do it is the hardest part. You know you need to do it, or you wouldn't be here. So just do it.

[Angel269]

Thanks everyone for your support and kind words-I never expected such a great response.

I am not looking forward to accompanying removable bite plate either, due to speech and being unable to eat properly but am determined to wear it all the time as directed-does it create a ledge behind the front teeth or any actual platform the teeth sit on? Have been told a max of 3 months with it and full estimate for treatment of 9 months.

I am prepared literally for it-have started preparing travel kit for my handbag, I have ordered some interdental tooth brush heads, super floss and silicone wax-even got a denture bath and tablets for the bite plate!

So now just the mental prep as I have thought about it all every day!

[EbonyQ]

I completely understand your anxiety; I had 7 visits before I managed to get my braces on. It’s crazy I know… I was so terrified that my ortho could just take one thing at the time. Impression on day, pictures another… always the last pt for the day so we did not have any pressure on us, we had the time we needed. Sometimes I was in there for an hour and all we managed to do was talking.

When we agreed to put on the top braces we did that bit by bit; first putting brackets on the molars and premolars, giving me a week to get use to them and give me the feeling of having braces. The plan was to put the rest of the brackets on and giving me a week to adjust to that but I felt brave enough to get the thin arch wire that day too.
The point; getting them on and having them were not as bad as I feared. After two weeks I could no longer feel them in my mouth and I barely have used wax. It was nothing.

Unfortunately, my anxiety for braces in my mouth is so deep that we still have problems at our appointments even though my ortho desperately tries to make it as easy as possible for me. Putting me as the last pt of the day, a lot of talk before anything is being done so I can try to calm myself, not doing anything that I don’t feel like doing. I have therefore decided to end my treatment. Not because that pain from the braces (I have hardly had any pain) or discomfort (can hardly feel them) but because of this fear I have for braces. Had it only been on my appointments then I would be able to do it but all the time, even at night.


But if I can manage to get my braces on my teeth than you can too! If you find a kind and understanding ortho than I’m sure you will ride through your treatment like you have done all of it before. Don’t let the anxiety get to you like it has done to me. I’m sure you can do it much better than I did. Think of the smile you will get when all of it is done.

Maybe telling your ortho about your dental fear before you arrive will help? His staff might be more prepared to meet you and make it easier for you .

Do it! Don’t cancel it, you will regret it. I’ll be here cheering for you!

Feel free to send me a PM on this forum if you think I can be to any help

[Cassandra]

I suggest going to your doctor, they might be able to give you something short term for the anxiety. Also there is Rescue Remedy which you can get from the chemist, it's a herbal remedy and comes as drops you put on your tongue or into a bottle of water or you can buy the sweets (although I guess you would want to brush after that ) I used the drops for my driving test because I was nervous as hell- and I passed first time

I like the idea of using the ipod although you will want to hear what the person is saying so maybe just have 1 ear in? I'm going to ask if I can do that when I eventually have mine fitted

[bnelson52]

I just got mine on last week and I was soooo nervous too. I almost cancelled. Everyone is right - getting them on isn't a big deal at all.... I won't talk more about my experiences for the past week because I don't want to scare you. They don't hurt much....it's more "cosmetic" issues :(

[nifer237]

I'm so confused. Why is everyone acting like they're getting limbs removed? You have jacked up teeth, no? Get the damn braces put on and suck it up. Or don't do it, have the smile you have now and live in misery for the next 40 years. I am failing to see how this is instilling crippling fear in people...Sorry.