Musings on a year in braces

[plugnickel69]

Plugnickel, thank you so much for the info! I've said it before in other posts but I don't think I can say enough how awesome this site has been. All of the info ad support has been great! And knowing that everyone says it gets better is encouraging, especially since I still can't chew anything

I was having trouble chewing in the beginning as my top teeth hit my lower brackets at first. After a couple of weeks I actually realized I could chew better if I slightly changed the position of my lower jaw. Sort of a trial and error process. In any case, I pretty much was able to chew anything after a few weeks. Of course we're all different, but I promise you it will get better!

[plugnickel69]

What's with these elastics? Found two copulating on my office carpet this afternoon. Later on I opened up a new package and a half dozen exploded out of the package. Had to gather them up real quickly before they could begin to reproduce.

[Dee17]

Hi Plugnickel,
I have not yet had the pleasure of wearing elastics but I've been told by my orthodontist now (on three separate occasions) that I'm going to have to wear them at some point. This posting just made me chuckle because I can see something like that happening to me! Oy!

[plugnickel69]

More musings...

31. Why did it take me so long to figure out to use warm water in my WaterPik? So much more comfortable.

32. Why doesn't the Orthodontic Association of America sign up Faith Hill as a spokesperson for braces? Seems like you only see commercials for Invisalign in which the message is having braces on your teeth makes you a social misfit. They certainly could promote adult braces in a positive manner to help people understand that today adult braces are socially acceptable. I have plenty of ideas as to how they can advertise.


What do you think?

[Dee17]

I think you should get in touch with them and see what they say. I'd be interested to hear their response to you.

[plugnickel69]

i loved the
" You're only as old as you feel."
Thank you

Thanks, Tiana. People usually have no idea how old I am, and I never talk about being old or make comments referring to my "old" age, which will soon be 66. If you don't act old, people will not think you're old. I'm planning on another 30+ years. As I've said before, I'm planning to get a braces tune-up every 50 years.

[Dee17]

A tune up every 50 years or so is a good idea whether you need it or not!

[plugnickel69]

Someone finally said something! I know all of us worry about comments others will make when they notice our braces for the first time. After about a month, one person I was speaking to commented that I got braces and asked if it was the second time. End of discussion. Then a year went by and no one said anything until the other night when a receptionist at a place I visit monthly said, "Oh, you got braces!" I said "Yeah, I've had them on for over a year and you've never noticed." "Were you wearing elastics before? Maybe that's why I noticed." "Yes, I had them on last month as well."

Note that she had adult ceramic braces previously so I expected her to say something a year ago and even tried to smile larger than usual so she would notice.

The point is that others for the most part don't really care or even notice. I have ceramic braces braces top and bottom with a rectangular wire and steel ligs wound from tooth to tooth in a figure eight type of configuration to keep gaps from opening up (powerchains did their job) , so they are visible.

[plugnickel69]

I was just thinking about my previous braces experience when I was in my teens and how things have changed in fifty years. Bands around every tooth, no powerchains, only stainless steel ligatures (no o-rings), no "memory " wires, appointments usually 4 weeks apart, two chairs, separate rooms, in my ortho's office and he did all the work. His assistant made the appointments and worked the small lab making things like bite plates and soldering the brackets onto the bands. Every band was hand soldered together and then the bracket was soldered to it. A long process.

I used to have to sign in, and then it was first-come-first-served, the waiting room full of patients--and they were all teenagers. (From my childhood I can remember only one female adult in braces locally.) The wait was often over an hour or more, and chair time seemed to usually approach a half hour. A slow process.

[NeilH]

What an interesting post. Here's one, once you have made the decision to get started, you start to notice lots of adults wearing braces.

[Dee17]

And people who should be wearing braces but for some reason are not.

[isthistaken]

Many people are in their own little worlds. It's sad, actually. They think the world revolves around them. They think a dress you are holding up a few inches from your own eyes for your own inspection to wear to your own event is being held up for them, perfect strangers. It's bizarre how people act in public these days. And a bit frightening. But it doesn't surprise me at all that many people do not even SEE you or your braces let alone care.

[Dee17]

I think you're definitely right about that. The vast majority of people are entirely self-absorbed and can't be bothered to notice anything outside themselves. It is sad, but true.

[Paige]

I eat a lot of fresh vegetables and salad, I really hope that doesn't have to change if I get braces. Post number 3, trying to make 7 posts!

[plugnickel69]

Some people have some difficulty chewing salad at the beginning. You probably shouldn't be biting into things like carrots at any time as they could bent wires, especially at the start, and it might be painful. Just cut them into bite sized or smaller pieces. While people in pain tend to complain, those of us without problems usually have no reason to post. It's very much an individual thing depending both on the work you're having done and your own nervous system and pain tolerance.