Adult Braces Experience

Pelvis Parsley · 19-03-2015 11:04am

I had to pop back in, when my biteblocks decided to make a bid for freedom, along with four brackets, on Saturday evening.

It sounds like I was chewing gravel, but it was merely seafood gratin. Still, a minor bump in the road, and all sorted again.

Difficult to talk without lisping though! Anyone else find that?

Straycat · 21-03-2015 10:14am

I have a midline elastic and it causes a mad lisp, i hate it! Im tending to wear it only at night or when im on my own as its too hard to enuncate when im talking to people. Only three more months for me, and im counting down the hours.

Pelvis Parsley · 21-03-2015 10:23am

It'll fly. Happily for me, the lisp seems to be getting less pronounced!

Either that, or I'm getting used to talking like Tyson or Eubank...

It will all be worth it.

OldNotWIse · 27-03-2015 2:36pm

I had braces for a number of years as a teen and teeth were perfect after. However because I didn't wear retainer, the two front ones have shifted slightly. Not noticeable to anyone really except me and I know they will keep moving. Went back to ortho and in fairness despite the fact that it's 14 years since my treatment, he said he will brace me up again and only charge for cost of brace. I've to get an extraction first and then have ceramic brace for 3-4 months. Wont be too bad I guess. feel guilty for undoing some of the work my parents paid for

Looking forward to being able to smile with confidence again. Like this.....

Still remember the pain of the first few days, where food basically consisted of pot mash :P

Pelvis Parsley · 09-04-2015 10:58am

4th visit, and a new stronger wire on the top arch (the bottom isn't aligned enough to take the thicker one yet, having gone on a couple of weeks after the top)

Bar a couple of broken brackets, which seem to be inevitable, and were down to a combination of poor food choices on my part, and failures of the bond, it's all going very well. Contacts have opened nicely, allowing movement, and top is coming well into line. Bite is much better too, even with the blocks in place.

More to come in three weeks or so.

Straycat · 17-04-2015 10:52pm

so Im thinking I have two prob three more visits. I now have two elastics on a button up top to the outside notches on the same side to force out my two back teeth (so the back teeth are seen more when i smile) they are sore but bearable, not much room for movement. My midline is better but one of the front teeth is slightly overlapping so we are addressing that. next visit is permanent retainer bar on inside bottom, and some finishing (what ever that means!)

Pelvis Parsley · 19-04-2015 11:14am

I'm assuming that's a scale, polish, bit of filing? Maybe a whitening treatment?

I'm getting filing at the end too, will make a big difference.

Straycat · 19-04-2015 9:49pm

not sure really think he mentioned finishing elastics? im in a bit of a panic over the weekend, on thurs what ever he did to the upper tooth its moved overnight but it is now behind the other one, making that one much more prominent! dont know if his plan is to do the same to the sticky out one next visit, or has the tooth moved too much? might have to ring but i dont want to come across as a panic-er!

Digiby · 21-04-2015 11:37pm

Still waiting on the gaps to close in on my upper arch. Thankfully it's reaching the final stages. One side should be at least touching by the time I return (I hope).

I've got double power chains on my top arch and I'm back wearing elastics again to bring my arch back in line as it has slightly moved to the left. Maybe all will be closed in two more visits and the end will be in sight.

Pelvis Parsley · 22-04-2015 1:21pm

Things seem to be at a standstill at the minute, in terms of movement for me. Then again, painstakingly scrutinising the bathroom mirror every day, is one sure way not to see progress. Still, a bit to go yet, and as some of you are finding, or have found, it has to, in some cases, get worse before it gets better.

Anyone else having trouble with brackets coming adrift, or am I just the patient from hell?

Pelvis Parsley · 22-04-2015 1:23pm

Elastics are to align the bite as far as I know.

Don't panic too much about the movement. The grand plan will reveal itself in time I'm sure

Straycat wrote: »

not sure really think he mentioned finishing elastics? im in a bit of a panic over the weekend, on thurs what ever he did to the upper tooth its moved overnight but it is now behind the other one, making that one much more prominent! dont know if his plan is to do the same to the sticky out one next visit, or has the tooth moved too much? might have to ring but i dont want to come across as a panic-er!

lovelystuff · 22-04-2015 1:26pm

Got my bottom braces on, they're metal whereas my top braces are ceramic. I have to say I'm quite upset with them,especially as the wire is so crooked but I know it will be worth it

Digiby · 22-04-2015 8:42pm

Pelvis Parsley wrote: »

Things seem to be at a standstill at the minute, in terms of movement for me. Then again, painstakingly scrutinising the bathroom mirror every day, is one sure way not to see progress. Still, a bit to go yet, and as some of you are finding, or have found, it has to, in some cases, get worse before it gets better.

Anyone else having trouble with brackets coming adrift, or am I just the patient from hell?

I've not had any issues with my brackets so far and the top ones have been on since 2013. Some of my bottom ones were replaced but it had to do with some issue with getting the wire into place.

lovelystuff wrote: »

Got my bottom braces on, they're metal whereas my top braces are ceramic. I have to say I'm quite upset with them,especially as the wire is so crooked but I know it will be worth it

You'll be surprised at how quick it straightens. Mine were a zig zag mess on my top teeth and after 6 - 8 weeks there was a huge difference.

lovelystuff · 26-04-2015 12:11am

So I'm 4 days into having bottom metal braces and they're still very uncomfortable and still very hard to eat. The brackets seem very sharp though, the two furthest back are really sharp and I keep cutting my cheek on them. I'm using wax but sparingly because I know my mouth needs to toughen up. I almost feel like they need to be filed down or something so I don't keep having bleeding cheeks, is this at all normal?!

Pelvis Parsley · 26-04-2015 7:38am

Maybe the arch wire needs to be trimmed, but it's more likely exactly that. I persevered without the wax tbh, for the very reason you're trying not to use yours. Give the surgery a call during the week if you're not improving and perhaps they can rule out the wire issue?

07-05-2015 10:36pm

Got my top arch wire replaced today. Was quite painful getting it on because my roots are being moved, but once it got on there it doesn't feel bad. Can still eat just fine.

But, my orthodontist informed me that he intends to fit elastics on my next visit. I'm really wondering how that will go, not something I'm looking forward to.

funkey_monkey · 07-05-2015 10:55pm

I found the elastics fine. Each new one is initially a bit tight, but the sensation fades quickly. It can be a bit awkward gettign them on initially, but like all things related to braces you get accustomed to it very quickly.

BettyBoo2011 · 11-05-2015 8:28pm

Hi all. This thread is great and very encouraging to those of us considering a leap, thank you.

I'm 35 and am absolutely petrified of the dentist and have pretty neglected teeth. Had a bad experience as a kid with a school dentist and pretty much avoided them since then. A few years ago I bit the bullet and went to one and got wisdom teeth removed and lots of fillings and some root canals. I have not been back in a while again but going in this week.

She is not an orthodontist but I want to see what condition my teeth are in and how bad the long term prognosis.

I would really love to have straight teeth but am so scared.... Silly but true. I have 'fangs' and am so conscious about smiling. Some other teeth are also a bit crooked too. I'm worried though that if teeth have apt of fillings and other probs that if I got braces, maybeong term I would still need something more drastic like implants etc.

Could anyone send me recommendations on PM of where they get their braces done in Dublin? And why you chose where you went? Id ideally like a female orthodontist just as it took me years to get comfortable with my current dentist. I'd also like somewhere that does full range of options and is very modern place. My current dentist had options like sedation for big procedures if very nervous etc too. Is there anywhere that do like modelling of what your teeth will look like after?

If anyone else is a very nervous patient I would love to hear from you and how you coped.

I'm also worried as I neglect/bury head in sand about teeth at the mo and with braces would clearly have to really mind them. Also very scared about the impact on speech and visually as my job means I am in front of people all the time and I would feel so self conscious.

All prob sounds silly but hopefully some folks on here may have been similar and can help me out. Any advice or recommendations very much appreciated

Electric Boobs · 11-05-2015 10:14pm

I have grinded away a considerable amount of my teeth. They're fine as regards functioning, it's just I now need to wear a night guard. I don't think my top set of teeth were ever really visible when I talked... even before I grinded. Kind of like Roger Moore, or Charlie Sheen's would appear for example.

So I'm wondering how could this be corrected? So as well as straightening them up, would it also be possible to force them downward over time? So that forcing them downwards would created more growth in the alveolor bone of the root... so that they'd appear more prominent eventually.

There's also a slight corner out of one of the top central incisors. So in other words when my top teeth DO begin to show, all you can see are the front two ones with the corner missing on one. Apparently there's no point in filling in the chip, until I've gotten braces to re-correct my bite.

I'm not a 100% sure of the various procedures celebrities get, like capping their teeth and so on, but I might consider it long term, if I'm rich.

Straycat · 19-05-2015 8:57pm

ooh, 25 june is my removal day! or so i hope. the upper left is still a little crooked so we are hoping a final push will do it, so along with a little shave of the upper right it will be more even looking. I got a semi permanent retainer on the bottom today, and will get the top one on the day of removal. cannot believe I am at the end of treatment.

lovelystuff · 21-05-2015 12:24am

Finally had my first braces failure! I managed to pull the wire out from the back tooth of my bottom teeth eating tough meat. I'll have to ring my ortho in the morning, the wire is pulled out just between the back tooth and the one next to it but I've managed to kind of tuck it in so it's not cutting me! Has this happened to anyone else, is it a big deal to get fixed? I'll have to be even more careful eating now!

Hello123 · 21-05-2015 8:44am

yeah that happened me at Christmas. No big deal at all fixing it, so try to get in as soon as you can - can be a pain with it sticking out.

Hello123 · 21-05-2015 8:47am

Electric Boobs wrote: »

capping their teeth and so on, but I might consider it long term, if I'm rich.

I think dentists can do bonding on teeth to build them up and perfect them. Nowadays, anything is possible!

26-05-2015 12:26pm

I popped a bracket!

I stupidly bit onto a mint that I should have just sucked on. Have to see if I can get in to my orthodontist later.

Pelvis Parsley · 26-05-2015 3:41pm

It happens. I seem to be having a better run of it lately. Three months in now, and everything's still where it should be (despite a few early mishaps with crusty bread etc)

27-05-2015 5:20pm

All sorted. My orthodontist just asked me if I bit on something hard or if it just came off. I was expecting to be lectured!

lovelystuff · 02-06-2015 1:41pm

So frustrated, i managed to pull the wire out on both sides at the back, eating a sandwich! I'm due in tomorrow anyway but it's such a pain. I really hope I get get the thicker wire soon, because I feel like I'm being very careful with my braces.

Straycat · 05-06-2015 7:21pm

ah lovelystuff that seems very unlucky, or else ive been very lucky ive never popped off a bracket or pulled out the wire thank god. worst ive had is the prodding at the back of the mouth when the teeth move in and the wire pokes out, but even though its a pain its a great sign the braces are doing what they should.

20 days!

Digiby · 05-06-2015 9:15pm

lovelystuff wrote: »

So frustrated, i managed to pull the wire out on both sides at the back, eating a sandwich! I'm due in tomorrow anyway but it's such a pain. I really hope I get get the thicker wire soon, because I feel like I'm being very careful with my braces.

Something like this happened me during the start of my treatment too. I was eating Garlic bread of something hard like that and I managed to pull the wire out of the bracket at the back. I somehow managed to get it back into the bracket at the time.

My last visit was two weeks ago and my Orthodontist said that if my gaps are closed in when I return at the end of the month he should be able to set a date for when they'll be coming off. One side of my teeth is pretty much closed in now but the other side is still much slower at closing in so I'm not going to get my hopes up too much. But I can almost see the end in sight

Straycat · 22-06-2015 10:49pm

three days! archwire is poking into the back of my mouth, giving me gip right up to the last minute!, one thing im not too pleased with is they do not clean them after removal, i would of assumed this would be part of treatment but when i rang last week i was told no, and in fact they did not have a hygienist on staff in the office, so i will have to find one to do a good cleaning after they come off. bit dissapointed but look, ill be glad to see the end of them.

Adult Braces Experience

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