First time braces at 33

[Vega]

Hi Everyone,

Tought it would be nice for me to keep some sort of dairy about my braces and the surgery's.

I always had crooked teeth. Top and bottom. When I was about 11 or 12 I asked to get braces but my dentist at the time said I didn't need them and also my parents didn't care much about it.
They said it would get better with age... as someone who has aged since then I can tell you... Nope..

In my mid 20' I went to the dentist again asking about fixing my teeth. I figured I just needed braces but she started talking about surgery. I was really intimidated by that so I never went back.
A few month's back my partner snapped an unexpected picture of me, he showed me the picture and it was so bad.. I was horrified. The next day I made an appointement with an orthodontist.

The problem;
Narrow upperjaw and in my bottom jaw the teeth are in a 'trapezium-shaped arch'.
I have 1 canine that protrudes (like a vampire) pushing the teeth next it to the back and the 2 front teeth are overlapping. I have an overbite of 1.2 cm.
You can also see in profile that my lower jaw is to far back, I look like a cartoonfigure.
So lots of things going on.

The crooked teeth on the bottom didn't really bother me because I could easily hide them. But my upper teeth, it's just a disaster.
I'm so ashamed of them, I never smile (or cover it up) and have a chronic complain resting face.

This friday I will be getting my braces in. Then the next step will be upper jaw surgery with a SMILE-distractor. In a later stage I will also have lower jaw surgery and possibly again upper jaw surgery but that's not sure.

All in all it will be a plan of 2.5 years to correct everything.
I confess that the only reason I'm doing this is cosmetic, I know that in the long run I will have medical issues and I do take them serious but for now, I just want straight teeth (not even perfect, just a bit straight) and be able to smile on my wedding pictures.

[Vega]

Braces are on! Top and bottom!
It took them 1.5 hour to get everything in place. It wasn't painful at all rather annoying keeping your mouth open all the time.
I've used lipbalm right before but that didn't help, my lips were completely chapped

The orto didn't put pressure on the wire and it's the finest wire they have. But he said 'because your teeth are so crooked you're going to feel some pressure and pain the day after'.
The hours after I didn't experience any pain or pressure.
I've tried eating a sandwich because I want to get used to them as fast as possible. It was a bit difficult and painfull to chew but not that bad. The worst thing was the bread, it really gets between the wires and brackets and forms a doughy sticky ball.
My diner also envolved chewing and it was a bit more painfull.
I brushed after both meals and it felt really relieving

I've slept just fine and when I woke up this morning there was a bit of pain and pressure.

My next appointement is with the surgeon on the 15th. It's my first meeting I have with him and I hope we can set a date for my first surgery, placing the smile distractor to expand my upper jaw.
I've read a lot of story's about people getting upper jaw surgery were they get the braces put on afterwards.
I'm wondering a bit why I'm already in braces, alltough there is no pressure on yet. (next appointement is the 9th of january, i figure they will put some pressure on then)
I've asked my ortho and he said 'to get things moving faster and to make your gap smaller'.
I don't know, the feeling of being expanded whilst moving together doesn't really appeal to me
I will ask the surgeon on the 15th.

[cocomacd]

Hope you are ok feeling ok a few days in!!

[xlilithx]

Yep, how are you finding it?

[tillybrace]

Welcome to the braceface club, you already done the hard bit. Which would be getting them on. I cancelled like 3 appointment before I finanely went through with it.

[Vega]

I have them almost for a week now and I'm starting to get used to them.
The first days I had some pain, but mostly my tongue and the inside of my cheeks. I haven't used any wax because I want to develop a hardness as soon as possible.
Now it only hurts after eating, but it doesn't take long.
Yesterday one of the elastics broke (that sits around a bracket) and I wasn't sure what to do, so i called the ortho and she said to come by to have it fixed.
40 min drive up, 1 min in office to fix it with assistent and a 40 min drive back... I've asked the assistant if it's a big problem when one of them breaks but she didn't really answer my question... She just said they will be closing for the holidays and if it happens then 'well, that's unfortunate'.. mkay..
So how big of a problem is it? Anybody?

Today I had my appointement with the surgeon. And i'm scheduled for upper jaw expansion on the 24th of march! Jeej another step!

[Vega]

Oh and I also smile a lot more!
I don't really care if people notice the braces, that was never an issue for me not to have them.
I was afraid off the pain, the surgery's, discomfort but after reading people's story's I became less worried. I'm just going to let it all happen and I'm sure the 2.5 years will just fly by.
And I actually looking forward to everything

Oh and I bought a Waterpik because I've read so many positive reviews here, I just love it! It's like a massage in your mouth

[Vega]

Update 2 months later.

Movement and gaps! And a lot!
I'm really amazed by the progress so far.

Top row of teeth:
Front teeth don't overlap as much as before. I wasn't able to floss in between, not even with a tread. Now I can put a small brush in between.
Sadly the fillings that weren't noticable before because of the overlapping, are visible now and discoloured. So that bothers me a bit, but nothing a good pro-cleaning can't fix I guess.
My biggest issue was the protruding canine but now its much more 'discreet', it doesn't stand out like before. I didn't really expect this one to move because I need expansion surgery, so it's a nice bonus and really incouraging
The tooth that got pushed to the back by the canine is more 'in row' now.
You can really see that everything is going to work out and I'm looking forward to my surgery.

Bottom row of teeth:
I had a few front teeth that were rotated, now they are all facing the right way.
They are still 'all over the place' but you can see that they are finding their way into an arch and more aligned.
Progress is really noticable here.

I still have my first starting wire.
On my first adjustment they replaced some of the ligatures with metal wires. So instead of elastics around the bracket it's a metal wire.
Monday I go for my second adjustment but because it's so close to surgery I don't think they will be changing wires.

Overall I don't notice my braces. I can eat almost everything if cut into pieces.
I still haven't ate a baguette, I love baguettes with cheese, vegetables and mayonaise (like a club Sandwich, we call it 'smos' in Dutch = a mess, because it gets messy when you eat it)
After the first week the soreness in lips and cheeks went away, I didn't have to use wax at all.

[Vega]

3 months in..

I have (somewhat) 'straight' teeth!
The canine is pretty much aligned now, it doesn't stick out anymore Never tought that would be possible in such short time.
I know I still have a long way to go (2 years minimum), but for now I'm so happy with the results.

Two weeks ago i had my wire replaced, the 3 days after I had some trouble chewing but no big deal.
Also since then my teeth are extra sensitive to cold. Maybe I should change my toothpaste, and see if it will get better.

[atrixa]

That's great news! I hope I'm as happy as you are in 3 months or so!

[mcasper]

I got my braces on on Nov 30th 2016. Damon self litigation braces. I'm in my second pair of arch wires and elastics configurations. Besides crooked/crowded teeth did you have any bite issues. I've got severe deep bite and am wondering how these incisors are going to be intruded. Good luck!

[Vega]

No before the braces I never had any bite issues.
I (still) have an overbite of 1.2 cm and I actually think it has gotten a little bit worse since the braces, but no deep bite (slight to moderate maybe).
In 3 weeks I will have my surgery for the expansion of my upper jaw, my ortho told me this wil help reducing the overbite and in 1 year I will have a second surgery to move my lower jaw more forward.
Do you need surgery as well?

[mcasper]

No surgery for me but I would like to try and persuade my ortho to try adult palatal expansion to rotate the molars and premolars buccally. That would make room for my two maxillary central incisors. Right now there is just no room.

[Vega]

Update I had a busy week
I had my last ortho appointement on the 17th of march, they changed the wire on my top teeth for a thicker one. I was suprised they changed it because it was only a week before surgery.
My top teeth look good, except for the midline wich is way off, but i'm sure this will be fixed later on.
The wire on my lower teeth stayed in place but he replaced some of the ligatures for metal ones because I have 2 stubborn teeth. The bottom arch is looking good, and really becoming a nice rounded arch.

On the 22nd I had a cleaning appointement with my regular dentist. I find it really hard to keep my teeth stainfree. Altough I do everything to keep them clean.
I floss, waterpick, brush, rinse..
I was really happy with the end result, my teeth looked good. I could almost imaging how good my smile would look when I'm free of braces

On the 24th I had my Sarpe surgery!
I'm so happy I got this over with. After an hour of sugery I woke up in the recovery room. I asked the anesthetist to give something against nausea because I didn't want to be sick after waking up.
I wasn't sick, no pain, didn't have a nosebleed either. Everything went well.
My biggest annoyance was my IV, (it stinged) going to the bathroom (i needed help for that) and the overdevelopment of saliva (yuk).
First they gave me a bedpan but after calling the nurse 3 times I insisted on going to the bathroom myself. After making sure I didn't get dizzy after standing up I could go to the bathroom myself.

It was planned that I would stay the night over at the hospital but when my surgeon came to discuss the operation she told me I could go home after I ate something.
Had some pudding and I went home

I'm still very swollen and have 2 black eyes.
Swallowing and talking is a bit hard but it's getting better.
Most important part is that I'm painfree

The 31th of march I have a appointement with the surgeon for a check up and I'm going to start turning the expander.
I have to expand to 7mm, I already have a 2mm gap from turning while in surgery.

[Kmmulligan]

Congrats on all of your progress!! I'm only (almost) a month in, but I see small changes! Post some progress photos if you can