Adult Braces Experience

I'm 22 and got mine about a month ago.

Best decision I have made in ages! They are quite pricey considering I am a student (about €4,500 including extractions), but with a payment plan I'll be grand. And my ortho is brilliant so I'm happy out. They were quite painful the first few weeks but now I can't even feel them anymore! I have ceramic braces on top and will be getting metal ones on the bottom in a few months. He only charged me an extra €150 for the ceramic brackets, yay!

I was told I can't get ceramic braces on the bottom, not really sure why. But sure you won't really be able to see them so I don't mind.

Anyway, if you are thinking of getting braces...just do it! The time will fly anyway I'd say. And nobody really notices them. Loads of adults are getting them these days.

Yup, I'm a lady!

Braver? Maybe we're just vainer!

when im working i want to save up for bottom braces maybe top to fix back bite

had braces on top teeth when i was younger refused bottom braces because i was a stupid stupid little girl.

I have my braces on 5 months now and it's like they're just part of my teeth now. I eat everything and I've never had a bracket loosen or break. You'll be fine!!

I'm obsessed with checking before and afters online though! And staring at my teeth!! :-/

I had braces on my bottom teeth for two years and two months (he originally said 18 months, but there ya go...) and Im getting them off later today! The difference is honestly unbelievable. Im so happy I went ahead and got them at 21. The top could probably do with a little bit of straghtening, but they werent near as bad as the bottom and for 2grand I couldnt afford it. But adult braces were definatey the best decision Ive ever made!

Cant wait to see my bottom teeth without train tracks for the first time since 2009!

I had braces from ages 22-24. I had "vampire fangs" and would have been happy just pushing them in a bit, but that wasn't possible! They said 18 months initially but it was actually 26 months. I wanted invisalign but wasn't suitable, I got ceramics.

I had two extractions which I found awful, and probably wouldn't have gone through with it had I known what it was like! I had ceramic uppers and lowers but they were two different types, the bottom were self ligating but the top weren't, and I had clear ligatures which stained really badly. They let me change them myself and later gave me metal ties. They changed the type they used since the top clear brackets shattered when removed - so not only was the glue grinded off, I had to endure half the brackets as well! It cost E6000 - this was 2007 so prices now are much better and it's probably a great time to do it if you have the money.

I absolutely hated them, and regretted them from the word go, but since my teeth were extracted I had no choice but to go forward. I actually cried the day I got them on! No one minds braces on other people, but on yourself you think they are so noticeable and everybody is looking at them. Funny thing is, very few people commented when I got them on and when I got them off. When I was talking about braces to someone else a friend I see regularly she was like " You had braces?? When?!?". I really do think the paranoia / vanity is all in your head

I have bonded upper and lower retainers so I don't have to wear my clear retainers as much. I wear them at night a couple of times a week, but if I don't wear them for like 10 days the pain is like being back in braces post - adjustment! I am determined to keep wearing them forever as I would hate to ruin the years of work, and wouldn't like to go back into braces again.

I didn't enjoy the whole process, but now I have a lovely smile, and actually LIKE smiling in photos so it is worth in the end.

smallerthanyou wrote: »

If you have a sec can you let us know how the taking off went? What's the process? And were the results as you expected?

I got my braces taken off last year after wearing them for 20months or so. I was so happy with the results. Its a bit uncomfortable getting them off. but similar feeling to getting the wire changed, feels so weird:). The ortho used a piler type thing to pull the brace off, that was the worst part, not for pain just felt a bit odd. She then used something lsimilar to what you would get your teeth cleaned with and took off the cement. Little bits of cement floating around your mouth(nice!).

I was a bit worried about how my teeth would look as I am a smoker and thought there would be major staining as I have a friend who still have the outline of the braces on their teeth. She really did a good clean and my teeth looked really nice and clean:)

Actually the worst part of getting the braces off was the fact that I had(still have) to wear a retainer. I cried for the first few morning as it was too easy to take the retainer off to stop the pain I felt and when I would put it back in even after 20mins or so the pain was unbearable.

Over a year later, my teeth haven't moved, I can go a couple of days without the retainer but if I leave if any longer, I can see the gaps appearing again; I'm happy with the results still although a bit miffed as if I waited an extra year or so, I would of got them alot cheaper(I paid over 5000e):(

^ A lot of orthodontists prefer not to extract teeth as extractions can sometimes (or..usually) change how person's face look. It's easier with kids as expanders and other appliances can be used to make room and therefore extractions are not needed. Expanders don't usually work with adults though. I wouldn't get the teeth extracted if you don't need to, I'm sure your ortho knows best anyway!

I would have preferred not to have any teeth removed, but there would have been absolutely no room in my mouth otherwise! Still must get the bottom two pulled. Yays.