Who's Rockin Braces?

[Cherokeekid88]

Well I want to get some nice pearly whites...never really been happy with my teeth and now I want to get em right. I am gonna force invsalign (clear mouth trays that straighten your teeth, change em out every 2 weeks) but I am also gonna expect the worst (not being able to get invisalign and having to get braces) that way I am not all down about it. If I end up having to get braces...I will be going with the ceramic ones, which are clear and all you really see is a small thin wire going across.
I am really freaking out about it if I have to get those just because I know that it will bring my confidence level down untill I start seeing some changes..I do know that once I start seeing some big changes in my teeth, I will be SO happy and then at the end of it all, I know it will be worth it.
Just wanted to see if any of you dudes or gals are rockin the train tracks. how long have you had them? how long before you started noticing changes in your teeth and how it was to get use to?

I am really hoping the invisalign things works out for me though, because I think it will be easier to get use too.

 

[RCman]

I had braces way way back in middle school. Had them for a couple years. I would think the younger you are the less "messed up" your teeth are you shorter the time you need them. Go talk with your local orthodontist.

They didn't bother me at all other than the first day or so after install or a tightening adjustment. I still have a permanent bonded retainer after the braces like this:

 

[CherBear]

Ive got the exact same setup going on as RC man still going on.
Braces of course are not the most fun thing to do, but I am really glad I did it. I think you would be hard pressed to find some one who regrets having braces.

Goodluck!

 

[rweaver138]

The couple years you have to wear them is well worth having straight teeth for the rest of your life.

 

[hubs97xj]

I had mine for 3-4 years. I had the spacing appliance that breaks your hard palate, years of braces (mouth full of stainless; no ceramics or Invisalign back then), rubber bands, retainers... the works. I hated every single second of it, but I'd do it again without hesitation. I can practically guarantee that you will never have a moment where you look back and say, "I wish I still had jacked up teef".

 

[mini=man]

I got mine the week after my 18th birthday and I'm actually about to head out to the orthodontist today to get them off and I'm about to turn 21. If you don't make a big deal out of them, no one else will. I still hang out at some parties and with all my buddies and it hardly ever comes up. For the first couple of weeks I had an issue with it hurting but after the first adjustment it only hurt for a couple of days to a week after each adjustment and I told them to crank the hell out of them.

Get them and have a purty mouth.

 

[crimsondragon]

I don't know of any mature adults that would make fun of anyone for braces. I certainly don't. I had them for 3 years. Hurts a day after every tightening but other than that I didn't notice them. I did enjoy running my tongue over my teeth after they were removed. Felt surreal.

 

[Cottontail]

I started with an expander when I was about 5, moved on to a retainer, then went into braces when I was about 7. I had mine on for about 10 years. Got them off, I think the summer after my senior year. I'll have to check my yearbook and see if I have them on for my senior picture.

I had no problem with them during school. Never got made fun of. Never had instances of not being able to play sports or band becuase of them. Actually, I used to get the rubber bands in my school colors during basketball season. (yeah, that is the kind of things we did in the early '90s. Just don't ask about the haircut I got for track season).

I had a grown up tooth that had fused to my jaw bone and didn't grow in, so I had that removed during middle school. All through HS I wore a retainer with a temporary tooth on it while I wore my braces. Then my second year of college I had reconstructive jaw surgery to move my upper jaw out and my lower jaw back. As part of the surgery, they went through my gum line into my chin, rounded off the bottom of my chin and used the bone they removed from the chin to rebuild the bone gap where that fused tooth was and I was able to get rid of the retainer.

After all that was done, I had a false tooth that was attached into my bone to fill the gap. That wasn't permenant, just to keep my teeth from moving again while the jaw healed. Eventually I got a permenant bridge to gap that space. Only issue I had was a root canal in one of the bridging teeth. They were able to fix that through the bridge, so I didn't need to have that removed and replaced.

So, I was under some state of orthedoncia for about 12 years or better. I would estimate probably pushing $15-20,000 worth of dental work. It made all the difference in the world! And after 37 years of check ups...still cavity free!

 

[vt98xj]

When my adult teeth started coming in, arose a huge problem. My baby teeth had very long roots (almost fused to by jaw bone). Started out getting 10 baby teeth pulled on the bottom and ~3 on the top.

Expanders to widen the jaw and then braces to move the adult teeth forward. Then retainers were the final step, I actually still wear the retainers when I sleep, if I leave them off for more then a few days my teeth start to move around a little and I don't want to chance it.

 

[time2getdirty]

I do! But am also 16. My mouth is a mess..

 

[Tom R.]

I'm currently "rockin the train tracks." Went to the ortho doc with the intent of getting Invisalign, but my teeth were too far out of alignment.

I wanted to get my teeth straightened when I was young, but my parents considered braces a luxury item. So I got them many years later when I could afford them.

As to how long you'll wear braces, each person is different. It will be about 3.5 years for me, but would have been shorter if I didn't have them removed due to military duty. I wore them for 18 months, had them removed, and three years later I got back into treatment. That was almost two years ago. Mine are scheduled to come off in one month.

You get used to braces rather quickly. You'll feel some soreness after an "adjustment," but this can be mitigated by using a toothpaste for sensitive teeth (e.g., Sensodyne). The little hooks on each brace can snag the inside of your mouth, but wax takes care of that until you build up some tolerance.

I saw changes rather quickly, but you should realize that it takes longer for the rest of the teeth (roots) to follow. Wearing braces really shouldn't negatively affect your confidence level. If anything, it should give a boost in confidence when your teeth start looking straighter. Besides, more people are getting them in their later years. And when your treatment is done you'll be glad you did it.

 

[Zuul99]

i have been in Braces for 9 years, next is jaw surgery (goody out for a month), than more braces.

 

[AIbandit]

I am really hoping the invisalign things works out for me though, because I think it will be easier to get use too.

If they say no get a second opinion. My fiance' was told she needs surgery at one place another place said she didn't gave her invisalign and now 8 months later her teeth are perfect.

 

[sleestack]

Im on the other side of this, Im a dental student and Im invisaline on my wife in two weeks.