30+ Years. Finally!

[Bracefacemom47]

Hi all! I'm 47, mom to 3, daughter also had braces but gets hers off next month. I got mine yesterday after wanting them for over 30yrs! As I get older the more crowded they get. Just stinks that insurance doesn't help pay for adults

I have turbos on my molars which make it impossible to chew so as an added bonus I hope to lose a lot of weight too!

So far not much pain but done teeth itching. So weird. All of it feels so weird! Only thing bothering me is a raw cheek in front.

[rubyteeth]

Good for you! I'm beginning to wish i'd done this earlier too, but I didn't have the Money until now...

My plate goes in on tuesday... I'm sick of the spacers already so can't imagine 2 more years.

[Ali]

Hey, I'm 47 too! I've had braces for two months, and they felt pretty weird at first as well. At this point, I'm pretty used to them, but sometimes I feel more pressure, as if my teeth are saying, "OK, we're gonna move now."

Congrats on finally doing something you've wanted to do for years.

[Bracefacemom47]

Thank you! To you as well! My cheeks have sores and hurt like raw, I'm using a lot of wax. How will my cheeks toughen up if i keep using wax?

[rubyteeth]

I wondered the same thing- i'm using wax coz it's the only way i can get through the day but does it just keep the cheeks from experiencing the damage and not toughen up? It's painful at the moment but might be prepared to take the wax off if it speeds up the process in the long run.

advice?

[Bracefacemom47]

I got nothing. Sorry. I've just Been advised to keep using wax and more wax. With or without wax it's annoying and still hurts to eat (raw cheeks). I'd have to put wax on every bracket. Cleaning the wax off is a pain in the butt. I went without wax today. I just try not to talk much until it all heals. Even eating mashed potatoes or chicken noodle soup is painful.

[atrixa]

Regarding the wax, I say just use it if you feel you need to. The whole 'cheeks toughening up thing' is a bit of a con if you consider your teeth will just move and the bracket will irritate a fresh bit of cheek. One thing i've found helpful with avoiding the sores is just staying really hydrated, too. The saliva acts as a decent lubricant, so if you have a raging hangover over christmas/new year you'll find they start rubbing again.

[EmilyTravels]

I'm almost four months in, and I have only needed wax the first week I had braces and then on a sharp wire end the tech didn't cut short enough. My cheeks definitely did toughen up, thank the gods!

[Bracefacemom47]

Mine hurt only where the band hooks are.

[Ali]

Mine hurt only where the band hooks are.

That's where I get the most irritated. I only use wax when it's really bugging me or if I have to talk a lot.

[Bracefacemom47]

Mine hurt only where the band hooks are.

That's where I get the most irritated. I only use wax when it's really bugging me or if I have to talk a lot.

I know right? I wish i could just not talk.

[Ali]

Mine hurt only where the band hooks are.

That's where I get the most irritated. I only use wax when it's really bugging me or if I have to talk a lot.

I know right? I wish i could just not talk.

[41Braced]

BraceFaceMom47,
I'm 41 and getting braces for the first time on Friday. It's nice to find others in my age range going through this. My teeth are a mess and I'm not exactly looking forward to dealing with all of this. Honestly, I'm more concerned about how it's going to feel at this point, than how it's going to look. I've sort accepted that the braces are going to be on there and most people will probably notice. And there is nothing I can really do about that other than to try to stay self-confident and remind myself that I'm doing this to make things better. But I'm still really nervous about the uncomfortable feeling, pain, or difficulty eating (I'm a bit of a foodie and would miss being able to enjoy a wide range of foods). What did you mean by so far no pain but done with "teeth itching"? Did it make your teeth itchy???