Adult getting braces

Mountain Ape

I am thinking of getting braces. I'm a bloke in my late twenties. My gnashers are not too bad looking but my bottom teeth are overcrowded. Makes cleaning hard.

I have seen clear braces on people and they look allright. Does anyone out there have an experience (as an adult) of getting clear braces? ANyone recommend a good otho dontist in south dublin?

Thanks in advance.:D

random_banter

Im gonna be 21 next month and have decided to take the plunge... ill be getting them on in June hopefully!

Youll find most orthodontists in dublin will apply the clear/ceramic braces, especially to adults, however depending on what your condition and needs are they might not be appropriate for you.

My ortho is in glenageary, I dont know if you can go see ortho's directly or if you need a referral from your dentist. Youre best off having a chat with your dentist as he will know the good ortho's in your area, and he will be able to advise you and get you in touch/give you a referall.

Also you should check out this site: www.archwired.com , its a site for adults who are having orthodontic treatment, theres loads of articles and huge forums there full of people telling their stories and discussing braces,
Its been a lifesaver for me, just being able to relate to other adults who have braces and read their stories!

Anyway good luck!!!

fizzy

hi mountain,

in case you are still looking into this, i don't know how far southside you are but i can highly recommend tony coughlan in the charlemont clinic (he is in malahide some of the week too just in case that helps others reading this).

i'm in my twenties with braces and was completely petrified of getting them. i'd say i was his worst nightmare at first with all my hysterics, but he has been excellent. he even put braces on as a trial before i had lots of teeth out to check that we could put up with each other!

the clear braces were not appropriate in my case, but if you make an appointment you could find out what your options are. as far as i know, you don't need to be referred by a dentist - i just rang up. The number is 4784522.

depending on the severity of your case, it can be a long hard road but it is well worth it! good luck!

susanna

This is something I've been thinking about too, ideally I'd like clear/ceramic ones. How much would they generally cost? And can you claim some of it off medical insurance or is it considered purely cosmetic?

unreggd

Im gonna get Invisalign asap

I have a slightly crooked front tooth that I wanna sort before it gets 3 [yes 3] bad

I think ill try get a medical card, use that to get my dental health up to scratch [prof cleaning, filling replacement]

then just get a loan to pay for the braces

Anyone know any health insurance that covers them? The only insurance I know of it VHI's dental insurance, dunno if they cover braces though

Pet

VHI's dental insurance does not cover braces, except in the case of children under 18. However, you can claim tax back on most orthodontic treatment.

As an aside, can someone explain what exactly "getting tax back" means?

man1

fizzy wrote:

hi mountain,

in case you are still looking into this, i don't know how far southside you are but i can highly recommend tony coughlan in the charlemont clinic (he is in malahide some of the week too just in case that helps others reading this).

i'm in my twenties with braces and was completely petrified of getting them. i'd say i was his worst nightmare at first with all my hysterics, but he has been excellent. he even put braces on as a trial before i had lots of teeth out to check that we could put up with each other!

the clear braces were not appropriate in my case, but if you make an appointment you could find out what your options are. as far as i know, you don't need to be referred by a dentist - i just rang up. The number is 4784522.

depending on the severity of your case, it can be a long hard road but it is well worth it! good luck!

Was the work expensive?

case_sensitive

Hi all,

I'm in a similar position, I'm 27 and I speak for a living, so getting a mouth full of shiny bling isn't really an option. I went into Smiles today to see how lumineer veneers, but I was sent off with advice to get an ortho appointment instead :-( (teeth too crowded, veneers wouldn't work). In a way it's a good thing long term, veneers offer an instant fix, but the amount they have to chop off would've probably come back to bite me in the ass later.

They suggested Invisalign braces, and having seen testimonials on the web and the manufacturers website, I have to say I'm impressed. I tried to make an appointment with them, but their orthodontist is booked until Sept! So I booked in with Hugh Bradley in Dundalk instead, it's a bit of a hike, but I go that route a fair bit anyway. I got an appointment for June 6th, but I'm on a cancellation list for before then too.
Edit: Just out of interest, the treatment appears to cost €5460 for top and bottom, which presumably includes every one of the sets of aligners. Worth the premium I reckon.

I'm really hoping that they can help me out, I saved with my SSIA for 5 years for this! Not nearly so excited about the prospect of metal braces. Yuck.
It's acceptable up to about 20 on everyone, maybe even 'cute' on young women (see thread on Appearance), but on a professional male in his late twenties? Thinking about it, I'd be 30 when they came off. No, say what you like, people would notice, it might even be positive, but they'd notice.

Big_G

I'm 26 and getting my ortho done again and get this - my mum is 53 and she just started full fixed upper appliance therapy 3 months ago. It is the best available; from my understanding Invisalign is only effective for certain cases, and you still have a mouthful of plastic - you may still have problems adusting to speach patterns. I'm glad you decided on ortho though and not veneers to correct your problem - it will be worth it in the long run.

Raveness

Hi,
I have just been informed that i need 2 crowns and braces! Does anyone know is it possible to wear braces while i have crowns? I was under the impression that your teeth move with braces so would that not affect the crowns?

Weedikins

I'm 47 and just starting the procedure. I know I'll be 49 when it's finished, but hey I'll be 49 anyway (hopefully!) so might as well be with decent gnashers. Delighted to see about the mum in her 50's - makes me feel less weird about it.

KittyKat99

Hey!

Im 23 and just got my braces on last month!!! Have 2 admit wasnt looking forward to it and this is why it took me til now to do something about my teeth!!!The first week was hard. There alright now but i find that a random tooth will hurt when im eatin!!!

I recommend the clear fixed braces, some ppl that didnt know that i was gettin braces didnt even notice i had them for a while!!!My mates are well supportive. Just do it. It will be well worth it. I can already see changes in my teeth!!Just 23 months to go for me!!!And i really cant wait til there off

Gudluck

Bloody*Mary

Hi

I'm 30 and after having train tracks for 3 years in my teens and not wearing the retainer I felt I needed to get braces again. Couldn't face getting train tracks so looked into the Invisalign option. There is an ortho in Swords - got an appointment no problem & am 6 weeks into my treatment. So far so good. So glad I decided to do this - you really get used to them and as you change aligner every too weeks they do stay very clear. Probably not as unnoticable as the advert suggests but 100% better then train tracks. The fact you can take them out means you can give your teeth a proper clean.
I only have 11 aligners top and bottom so 22 weeks for the treatment -should be finished by Christmas

KittyKat99

Hey,


That sounds really good. I think invasilgn is only for minor problems. I had to go with the clear fixed braces. There not too bad. Noticeable but they dont look 2 bad. Have 2 have them in for 2 years though. It will be worth it though!!!Gudluck wit ur treatment

Bloody*Mary

KittyKat99 wrote: »

Hey,


That sounds really good. I think invasilgn is only for minor problems. I had to go with the clear fixed braces. There not too bad. Noticeable but they dont look 2 bad. Have 2 have them in for 2 years though. It will be worth it though!!!Gudluck wit ur treatment

While invasilgn aren't suitable for everyone I've been amazed at some of the starting off photos I've seen from cases. They do seem to work particularly well on overcrowding. I'm lucky that's I've very few trays to go through some people have over 50 - 2 years like yourself. It'll definately be worth it though in the long run.

KittyKat99

Oh thats good. Swords would of been handy for me as my ortho is in town. When i looked at the website it seemed more for people who had braces and there teeth moved slightly out of place.

Modern technology these days!!!

I wondering if anyone has noticed a difference in their face shape since having got braces on???Ive noticed my cheekbones have become more pronounced. It is not a look i like. I havent lost weight though so i dont understand. Im not crazy friends have commented that my face looks very thin!!

I think my top lip is being pushed out and making it look like that r something. Anybody else noticed anything like this or is it just me???

Bloody*Mary

KittyKat99 wrote: »

Oh thats good. Swords would of been handy for me as my ortho is in town. When i looked at the website it seemed more for people who had braces and there teeth moved slightly out of place.

Modern technology these days!!!

I wondering if anyone has noticed a difference in their face shape since having got braces on???Ive noticed my cheekbones have become more pronounced. It is not a look i like. I havent lost weight though so i dont understand. Im not crazy friends have commented that my face looks very thin!!

I think my top lip is being pushed out and making it look like that r something. Anybody else noticed anything like this or is it just me???

I'm exactly the same. Now I have lost a few pounds, as you have to take the braces out to eat you really don't bother with snacking. Quite a few customers in work have asked me about loosing weight as my face looks a lot thinner. I do think, like you, that a lot has to do with your top lip being pushed out a little more.

KittyKat99

Yeh, it sucks for me coz im already tall and slim and i dont want to lose wait or even look like im losing weight. Im thinking about getting a weight gain thingvlike a protein shakes to try and help. Might even go to the gym!!

ixtlan

Hi guys,

I'm considering having orthodontal work done at 37... My parents could not afford it when I was much younger and then in later life it seemed like such a huge expensive ordeal. However for various reasons I am now closer to getting work done than ever before.

I guess the biggest thing holding me back is the thought of having to wear a retainer every night for the rest of my life. That seems to be the advice of most people on the internet. To be sure the teeth don't go out of alignment, the retainer has to stay with you forever.

The second biggest thing is the thought that I am being overly vain. To clarify, I have "moderate to severe malclusion". That is, it is clearly obvious that my upper teeth are not straight. It looks like one incisor is pushed inwards. In actual fact that is too far in and the other teeth are too far out. I say this to explain that when dentists have looked at me they have said it was "very unfortunate" that this was not resolved when I was much younger. Eating something like an apple is a little awkward and I prefer to use a knife. At the same time is is somewhat cosmetic. I have lived with it for a long time and many people I ask (who have straight teeth) don't understand the self-esteem issue that it can sometimes cause in me. From that you would say I should get it fixed, but I feel annoyed with myself that it bothers me. Is that some kind of weird dental Catholic guilt?

So, my teeth bother me... I am self-conscious about them... I would like them fixed... but I'm concerned at having to wear the retainer forever.... and I am annoyed that I am not enlightened enough to accept myself as I am and not feel self-conscious.

I've probably bored you by now... but in the interests of disclosure I'll explain why I need to decide now... I have an infected abcyss under one lower incisor. A root canal treatment failed and having ostritch-like lived with this infection for several years (I know I know... but in my favour my teeth are generally in good shape otherwise) I will have to have that tooth removed. After removal I would expect to have a bridge installed. However this is partly (primarily?) a cosmetic issue and it seems crazy to be resolving such a minor issue when my upper teeth need significant dental work. My dentist suggests that if I skip the €1000+ bridge he can move my lower teeth to close the gap and fix the upper teeth for approx €4000 over 2 years.

I'm pretty sure that if I don't have the ortho done then I will look back and wonder if I should have... but I wonder if I do have it done might I look back and regret it? Thanks for reading...

Ix.

KittyKat99

Hey,



I think you should just go for it. Try to think about it logically. You will have straight teeth for the rest of your life. No more trying not to smile or covering your mouth wit your hand. Since ive gotten my braces on i smile alot more and people have already seen the difference in my teeth. It makes you know that you have made the right choice. If you think you will be self concious, which you will at first because its normal, try and get clear braces or something. There is a big option available now. Most people will think "fair play" for actually doing it. Thats what ive found anyway!!! Gudluck

Roisinbunny

ixtlan wrote: »

I guess the biggest thing holding me back is the thought of having to wear a retainer every night for the rest of my life. To be sure the teeth don't go out of alignment, the retainer has to stay with you forever.
So, my teeth bother me... I am self-conscious about them... I would like them fixed... but I'm concerned at having to wear the retainer forever.... and I am annoyed that I am not enlightened enough to accept myself as I am and not feel self-conscious.

I'm pretty sure that if I don't have the ortho done then I will look back and wonder if I should have... but I wonder if I do have it done might I look back and regret it? Thanks for reading...

Ix.

Hey Ixtlan,

Jusy read your post there... If it helps, I just thought I'd give you my experience..

I was delaying for years getting it done - felt a bit guilty for spending so much money on myself for something that I could technically have put up with. But after seeing yet more horrible photos of myself, got top and bottom fixed brace on a few months ago.

Honestly? Roll on wearing the retainer for the rest of my life! If that is your only worry, please don't let that stop you. You eventually get used to the invasive feeling in your mouth and I can only imagine and hope that the retainer will be 10 times easier than the strange physical sensation from having a mouth of metal 24/7.

Don't feel guilty one bit for wanting to do something that you feel will make you stand that few inches taller and smile a little better. At least that what I'm telling myself over and over! Until that day comes though, I have to admit I'm going to go into hibernation - cos I have yet to find someone my own age that has found the process easy. But think of that smile at the end of it!