Adults in Braces

sisi2009

Hi there

Just wondering if there was any adults out there in traditional braces. I am in my mid-30s and about to start treatment with In-Ovation C. I am simultaneously looking forward to it and dreading it (because of how my colleagues will react). Anyone care to share their experience?

sisi

Kila

I'm 24, and have had braces on for just over a year. I got them on when I was 23. I've got clear brackets on top, and metal ones on the bottom.

I've found that, for the most part, people don't even really look at them, or make any comment on the fact that they're there. For example, sometimes I'll have soup for lunch because my teeth are a bit too tender for chewing. If someone asks why, and I tell them my teeth are sore, there's always a moment of "Oh yeah, of course, with the braces". It's like they forget that they're there.

I was terrified, upset, excited, and every other emotion under the sun when I first went to get mine on, and they first time I looked in a mirror, I was devastated, because they seemed huge and really noticeable. As time went on (i.e. in about a week) I realised that that really wasn't the case. They haven't affected my speech or eating that much at all (aside from not being able to eat one or two things) and they haven't affected my work (or my job prospects). Although I was initially upset, I got over that quickly enough. The clear brackets aren't that visible at all, and can't be seen in any photos of me that aren't huge close-up teeth shots! And these days, even though I have my fed-up-with-braces days (like everyone else!), I don't regret it at all. My teeth look absolutely great and it has been worth it so far. I'm in year 2 of treatment, and hoping that by the end of year 2, I'll be brace free with beautiful straight teeth for the first time in my life.

I had 4 extractions before I got mine on, and about 2 weeks after the 2nd set of extractions I got wired up. I'm getting mine done in Newry because of the price difference. I had a friend come up with me so that I could be driven home in case I was sore (I was).

I won't lie, the first day or two were definitely awkward. Teeth hurt because of the wire putting light pressure (you'll have a light wire first) and inside of mouth hurts because suddenly your lips are touching pokey things all the time. Use dental wax liberally in the first few days and it'll really help. Using the wax meant that I didn't have the lip discomfort, so I just had to worry about teeth discomfort. Then I was able to phase out wax usage as my mouth toughened up a little. I still occasionally use a bit of dental wax if I've got something poking me. It's a really handy thing to have around. I ordered the Orthosil brand (which is a silicone based stuff that I much prefer to regular wax as it sticks better and is less bitty) and a Dentakit travel pack from www.dentakit.com.

I also did a lot of reading on www.archwired.com which has a whole messageboard of adults in braces from all over the world. It answered loads of my questions. I have a diary type thread over there with progress pictures and updates. If you'd like, I can pm you the link.

If you've got any specific questions, feel free to post here or PM me, and I'll do my best to answer.

Best of luck beginning your journey to lovely teeth!

sisi2009

Kila

Thanks so much for your reply! It's great to hear that I am not alone and that it has been a positive experience for you. Can I ask what type of braces you have? Are they self-ligating or ceramics with ligs on top? If they are ceramics with ligs, how do you avoid staining the elastics?

I am a pretty confident person so I think I have what it takes to brave out the fact that my colleagues will think I am having a mid-life crisis! LOL. But I know I will have many cringe-worthy moments... I just keep reminding myself that it is my life and that I cannot live it on the basis of what other people will think. I want to have straight teeth and healthy gums and unfortunately Invisalign or other less visible options are not available.

I have been lurking on Archwired which is a fantastic resource but I can't help thinking that they are a little more open-minded in the US when it comes to adults in braces!

Take care and thanks again...
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Kila

Hi,

I've got clear brackets on top. They're not actually ceramic, they're made of (what seems to be) a kind a clear acrylic, so they don't stick out as really white on my teeth.

My brackets aren't self ligating. I had clear ligs on top when I first got them. I didn't notice too much staining, I could see it if I looked closely, but had to point it out to family members.

When he changed my wire to a heavier wire, he gave me white wire ties on top. (When archwired is back up I'll send you a link to my thread, and you can see pics of these). The white wire ties don't discolour so I have no issues with staining at all.

At first, I had silver ligs on the bottom (metal) brackets, but after a few adjustments, I got bored, and so have been getting different colours on the bottom instead, pink, purple, blue, and now orange! Much more fun

You get used to them really quickly, I don't notice them much anymore, I'm so used to them. I'd recommend taking pictures (like on AW) - they're a great motivator if you're feeling down about them. You can look back and see how far they've come, and it's great!

sonx

I wouldn't worry what they think before you know it you'll have beautiful teeth and a beautiful smile, I wouldn't sacrifice that for a few comments from ignorant people. I had braces for 7 years!!! I'm well experienced in the area. I actually missed them when they were taken off. Enjoy it!

bobby77

I work in abusy ortho practice and I can tell you that we see all age groups. Yes, we gets lots of kids getting their first time braces but we also see plenty of adult (lates 20s/ eary 30s) relapse cases (wear your retaners people!) and of course we see lots of adults who just couldn't get their teeth looked at when they were younger and now want them done. In fact the oldeest patient we have is in his late 50's. take the banter in good humor and dish out some of your own.
good luck with your treatment!

Davei141

Im 20 and have had braces on for the past 2 years, my experience is exactly the same as kila's it's really no big deal. People barely notice them and when they do it's just another topic of small talk really.