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Adult Braces Experience

smallerthanyou

I find the forum great for questions and research. Haven't found a thread though with someone's experience from start to finish (I may not have looked hard enough!) so maybe this will help.

At 26 I've decided to fix up the minor imperfections in my teeth. I mentioned it to my dentist who set up an appointment with an orthodontist. The orthodontist is an active member of the Orthodontic Society of Ireland, which was important to me. I wanted to go for the best option I can afford. I like saving money on socks or pens or stuff but I think teeth, eyes etc are worth doing right.

I went for the consultation with him last week and I liked him so going to get this done. I had questioned on Invisalign and other invisible solutions but he recommended that fixed appliance methods give the best results so should go with this. So in two weeks time I'm getting the good old train tracks top and bottom.

It is pretty expensive for what I, and friend & family, consider minor enough issues but maybe they're just being nice. I will post a few pics when I figure out how. I'm not sure how detailed I'm allowed to go into costs but lets say above 4, less than 4.5 but part of that was because I decided to have ceramic brackets on the top teeth which are a couple of hundred extra.

Advice I would give so far is do a lot of research before the consult as I didn't do enough on things like bite (mine is off, surgery would correct it but I won't be doing that as it's not something that bothers me) and ask plenty of questions because I had loads walking away that I'll have to ask him before putting on now.

If anyone has any other experiences/advice for the putting on stage let me know.

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smallerthanyou

Still getting on good. Another tightening on Monday. Nowhere near the bonded retainer stage though! Nothing stage or different going on with them, just waiting time.

What was the taking off like? Was there a solvent or is it all force to pull them off? I'm scared and it's ages away!

Jwacqui

How long have you got left?

It's was all pressure but I took nurofen and paracetamol an hour before and it was fine. Alot of pressure on the front teeth but nothing more than a good tightening!
I was really nervous too but honestly there is nothing to worry about.

Can't believe theyve been off over 2 weeks!
2.5more months and retainers then just night time!
Cannot wait!!!

[Deleted User]

7 Months..

boom

Jwacqui

Looking great lia!!! :-) I'm off to get my bonded retainer fixed on my top teeth today!! Bottom one is really handy! My essix retainers are also second nature at this point! Been wearing them 23hours a day with no issues!

c_man

27 year old guy here, getting braces next Tuesday. Some great reading here. I think I'm most worried about the initial reaction from people, haven't told anyone yet!

George..

Jwacqui wrote: »

Gettin upper retainer in two weeks because my retainer is not a perfect fit and my front tooth has moved slightly so I need a new retainer for 2 weeks to fix it!

Is it an Essix retainer you have? How did you know its not a perfect fit? I got my braces off yesterday and I'm just not sure if my retainer fits properly. There's gaps at the ends where the tooth doesn't fill the retainer if you know what I mean...they're quite hard to get off so maybe they're fine?! My ortho seemed in a mad rush that day so he didn't really check. The last thing I want is tooth movement after going through a year and a half in braces.

Also is it normal not to have an xray after the brace is removed?

Jwacqui

George.. wrote: »

Is it an Essix retainer you have? How did you know its not a perfect fit? I got my braces off yesterday and I'm just not sure if my retainer fits properly. There's gaps at the ends where the tooth doesn't fill the retainer if you know what I mean...they're quite hard to get off so maybe they're fine?! My ortho seemed in a mad rush that day so he didn't really check. The last thing I want is tooth movement after going through a year and a half in braces.

Also is it normal not to have an xray after the brace is removed?

Yes it's an essix retainer. As far as I know the tiny gaps at the bottom are normal. I've seen plenty of people have retainers that look this way. Mine included. My retainer was tight which is normal but it was really painful along 2 teeth. Felt like pressure when my braces where being tightened. I thought I was being dramatic, took a painkiller and two weeks on noticed my front two teeth were no longer parallel. When I went to get my bonded retainer I asked the dentist about this he said sometimes the retainers can have imperfections so he made me another. After two weeks my tooth settled back to the position it was the day my brace was removed.

My dentist did full X-rays at no further charge. He said at the start he would do them when they came off and then refer me to my own dentist for any work needed like fillings etc. X-rays were fine so just 6 monthly check ups needed! :-)

George..

Jwacqui wrote: »

My retainer was tight which is normal but it was really painful along 2 teeth. Felt like pressure when my braces where being tightened.....After two weeks my tooth settled back to the position it was the day my brace was removed.

Yeah I had that pressure on one of the front teeth for the first few days, I know it has moved very slightly but as long as it doesn't move any more it isn't very noticable....I was just really worried about it but feel a bit reassured now hearing that yours was able to be moved back again!

Jwacqui wrote: »

My dentist did full X-rays at no further charge. He said at the start he would do them when they came off and then refer me to my own dentist for any work needed like fillings etc. X-rays were fine so just 6 monthly check ups needed! :-)

Right, I'm not really that happy with my after care treatment so far and its only been 3 days!!! They were extremely busy in the clinic when I went back for my retainers, the ortho said something along the lines of 'oh we usually take xrays after treatment but seeing as you have no deep fillings there's no need' when I said that I have 2 deep fillings, which he then seen from the original xray he said 'well if you have any pain in them go back to your original dentist sure'. He then handed me the retainers and said to try them in, he didn't inspect them closely as far as I remember, just said that I might have difficulty saying 's' for a few days, the phone rang and he left saying to come back in 3 months...they would ring me to make appointment and I haven't heard anything since! I wonder is that normal to leave it 3 months before coming back??

Jwacqui

I'm not really sure tbh. I got my retainers then my fixed retainers fitted couple of weeks later. I was told to come back for 6monthly checkups and bring my retainers to be inspected as they can loosen and lose their retention quality and will need to be replaced throughout the years.

Maybe one of the orthos on here can answer what's normal. :-)

kkth0360

3 months would be a standard follow-up interval after the fiting of retainers at the end of ortho treatment. I normally see patients at 3,6,12 and 24 months, but always ask them to call me straight away if they are worried or concerned about anything at all in the meantime.

Regarding xrays - from an orthodontic point of view it is usually necessary to take an xray, or sometimes 2 different views, a couple of months BEFORE the braces are removed, but not after. In addition to assessing how the roots and supporting bones have responded to the treatment, the purpose of these xrays is to establish in detail the tooth movements that have occurred and any further small movements that might be needed, ,so this information obviously needs to be available while the braces are still on so that any issues can be addressed. It's no good spotting a problem after you have removed your only means of correcting it!

smallerthanyou

c_man wrote: »

27 year old guy here, getting braces next Tuesday. Some great reading here. I think I'm most worried about the initial reaction from people, haven't told anyone yet!

Nah don't worry about it. People will notice them and then try not to look at your mouth again but never mention the braces unless you do first. I was chatting to a friend about this and we were saying how we'd prefer if people just said "oh you got braces" instead of just staring then saying nothing! But that seems to be the Irish way.

I have a little gap at the moment between my front teeth from the braces. It's different anyway cos they were always on top of each other before.

c_man

Well here we go! Got them on at lunch time, the feeling is still pretty odd.

George..

kkth0360 wrote: »

Regarding xrays - from an orthodontic point of view it is usually necessary to take an xray, or sometimes 2 different views, a couple of months BEFORE the braces are removed, but not after. In addition to assessing how the roots and supporting bones have responded to the treatment, the purpose of these xrays is to establish in detail the tooth movements that have occurred and any further small movements that might be needed, ,so this information obviously needs to be available while the braces are still on so that any issues can be addressed. It's no good spotting a problem after you have removed your only means of correcting it!

Right, I haven't had any xrays since the initial one before the braces were applied..thought it a bit weird.

Last few days have been a million times easier in the retainers. Sometimes when I take them out though I find it hard to close my jaw properly for a minute or 2...hope my bite isn't being effected!!

George..

c_man wrote: »

Well here we go! Got them on at lunch time, the feeling is still pretty odd.

They'll probably feel worse for the next day or two but give it 2 weeks max and you'll forget they're even there

c_man

Hey guys is it ok to use an electric toothbrush with braces? Forgot to ask when getting them!

[Deleted User]

^ yes of course!

auntyweeze

hey peeps,
back in the dentist tuesday for tightening.
cant believe i have my braces 4 months its flying in only a 14 months left

BMRising

Got lowers on a few days ago and feeling reeeeally down about it....they hurt! Worse than the uppers as far as I can remember...and my mouth feels really 'full' now.

Also...I have had the uppers on (ceramics) for almost six months...been back to see ortho three times including recent visit to put uppers on but he has only changed my upper wire once (middle visit)...I think this must mean that my teeth are moving very slowly? Can anyone advise on this? I can certainly see a huge difference in them, the wire is basically straight now and everything seems to have lined up, but I just can't figure out why the wire isn't being changed when I see people on here saying it should be every 6-8 weeks...I know I should ask my ortho and I'm going to next time but that is 8 weeks away! So I will be 8 months in uppers with only one wire changing?....

Any advice much appreciated...

Jwacqui

BMRising wrote: »

Got lowers on a few days ago and feeling reeeeally down about it....they hurt! Worse than the uppers as far as I can remember...and my mouth feels really 'full' now.

Also...I have had the uppers on (ceramics) for almost six months...been back to see ortho three times including recent visit to put uppers on but he has only changed my upper wire once (middle visit)...I think this must mean that my teeth are moving very slowly? Can anyone advise on this? I can certainly see a huge difference in them, the wire is basically straight now and everything seems to have lined up, but I just can't figure out why the wire isn't being changed when I see people on here saying it should be every 6-8 weeks...I know I should ask my ortho and I'm going to next time but that is 8 weeks away! So I will be 8 months in uppers with only one wire changing?....

Any advice much appreciated...

When I had my braces I didn't get my wire changed every visit. Sometimes it was just tightened. My bottoms were ready before my top and the dentist left the wire in place for 3months with no adjustments at all. I'm assuming this was to retain them in place. I wouldn't worry I'm sure your ortho knows best!!

My braces ripped my mouth apart for the first 3 weeks I has blisters everywhere, just use wax and bear with it. Trust me it's worth it.

auntyweeze

BMRising wrote: »

Got lowers on a few days ago and feeling reeeeally down about it....they hurt! Worse than the uppers as far as I can remember...and my mouth feels really 'full' now.

Also...I have had the uppers on (ceramics) for almost six months...been back to see ortho three times including recent visit to put uppers on but he has only changed my upper wire once (middle visit)...I think this must mean that my teeth are moving very slowly? Can anyone advise on this? I can certainly see a huge difference in them, the wire is basically straight now and everything seems to have lined up, but I just can't figure out why the wire isn't being changed when I see people on here saying it should be every 6-8 weeks...I know I should ask my ortho and I'm going to next time but that is 8 weeks away! So I will be 8 months in uppers with only one wire changing?....

Any advice much appreciated...

hey hope your mouth is doing better.my lowers hurt so bad to the point of no eating for a day or two, but thankfully it was only when i first got them on. i was back last week for first tightening of lowers and it wasnt too bad. its rubbing a bit on one side but wax is my friend lol i dont have to go back for 9 weeks now so im all happy

zenbuffy

BMRising wrote: »

Got lowers on a few days ago and feeling reeeeally down about it....they hurt! Worse than the uppers as far as I can remember...and my mouth feels really 'full' now.

Also...I have had the uppers on (ceramics) for almost six months...been back to see ortho three times including recent visit to put uppers on but he has only changed my upper wire once (middle visit)...I think this must mean that my teeth are moving very slowly? Can anyone advise on this? I can certainly see a huge difference in them, the wire is basically straight now and everything seems to have lined up, but I just can't figure out why the wire isn't being changed when I see people on here saying it should be every 6-8 weeks...I know I should ask my ortho and I'm going to next time but that is 8 weeks away! So I will be 8 months in uppers with only one wire changing?....

Any advice much appreciated...

Are you still on the softer, round wire or are you on the firmer square wire? I had braces for a little over 1.5 years, and didn't have the wire changed every visit either. The soft wire was on for a good few visits, especially right at the start when my teeth were fairly crooked. The soft wire is more flexible, so can be bent enough to get into all of the brackets when your teeth aren't aligned. If you haven't yet moved onto a harder wire, you may do soon, and you'll know all about it for a few days afterwards (it was the only time I was really sore, but it got better quickly). The harder, square wire engages the brackets more completely and help to move the teeth and the roots firmly into their new positions. It's used for different things than the softer wire.

By square and round, btw, I mean in profile - like, if you cut a slice off your wire, would the piece be circle or square shaped?

As long as your teeth are moving, and your ortho is happy, I wouldn't worry about wire changes. It'll get changed if and when it's needed

Good luck!

Jwacqui

1more month in my retainers 24/7 then just night time wear!!!

I've worn them every night since my braces came off two months ago but have had a few slip ups when I'm out at family events with food and drink were I've left them out for the day. Retainer still seems to fit perfectly so I'm taking that as a good sign! Can't wait to just wear them at night and show off my pearly whites!

George..

Can't wait to be finished the 24/7 retainer wear aswell...such a nuisance when your eating out!! I find mine tight/bit sore on individual teeth if I leave it out much more than an hour...just hope that doesn't mean I've to wear them for 24/7 more than three months now!

Jwacqui

George.. wrote: »

Can't wait to be finished the 24/7 retainer wear aswell...such a nuisance when your eating out!! I find mine tight/bit sore on individual teeth if I leave it out much more than an hour...just hope that doesn't mean I've to wear them for 24/7 more than three months now!

How long have u been wearing them? Mine are grand. Comfortable and only Hurt for first 2 weeks. I can leave em out for nearly an entire day an pop them in at night and they fit perfectly and don't hurt.

augusta24

I'm getting my braces on soon! Does anyone have any tips for me?? Especially around cleaning them etc? Should I have my teeth cleaned professionally before getting them on??

[Deleted User]

^ You can get your teeth professionally cleaned while you have braces on (I'm getting them done in a few weeks) but yeah you probably should beforehand if you haven't in a while

Also invest in a Waterpick if you can! Very handy for food stuck between braces, cleans the teeth better.

Good luck!

George..

Jwacqui wrote: »

How long have u been wearing them? Mine are grand. Comfortable and only Hurt for first 2 weeks. I can leave em out for nearly an entire day an pop them in at night and they fit perfectly and don't hurt.

Have them for about a month and a half now! There's no way I would chance leaving them out longer than two hours at this stage as they feel tight going back in...not a good sign I would think in regards to relapse

My two front top teeth have definitely moved already...and had done within the first few days, really disappointing but the ortho said the retainer fits and movement is to be expected...just hope it was worth all the hassle in a few years time!

c_man

Had my first tightening yesterday and glad to report no pain at all. Everyone assured me of a few days of discomfort, hopefully I'm not speaking too soon :pac:

What's the story with retainers? I know I'm a long way off yet but I thought that you'd just need them in at night for a few months after treatment, but 24 hrs a day?!

Jwacqui

c_man wrote: »

Had my first tightening yesterday and glad to report no pain at all. Everyone assured me of a few days of discomfort, hopefully I'm not speaking too soon :pac:

What's the story with retainers? I know I'm a long way off yet but I thought that you'd just need them in at night for a few months after treatment, but 24 hrs a day?!

I have to wear mine 23hours a day for 3 months then every night for 6months then every other night forever pretty much.

Normally people have to wear them 23hours for 3-6months as far as I'm aware, depends on the individual, you get used to them though.

[Deleted User]

Had an adjustment today and he said on my next visit I'll be getting elastics. Eeek. Not looking forward to them. And he said I'll need them till the end of my treatment. Stupid bite!!