Anyone else out there with braces on their teeth?

lainiefig

lainiefig

Cathlete
I just got braces a couple weeks ago and I'm still getting used to them (will probably still be getting used to them in 18-24 months when they finally come off). The good news is I'm losing weight because my eating has been limited. Food is either impossible to eat because it's too hard, or it's soft enough to eat but it gets stuck in my braces. Then after I eat it takes me so long to get my teeth clean that I have no urge to eat again for hours. Eating is no longer a pleasurable thing, so I'm not eating just because I'm bored or for enjoyment. I only eat when it's necessary now.

But ugh, I miss enjoying my food!

ETA: I forgot another issue--putting on lipstick. It hurts to put any pressure on my lips against the braces, so it's hard to put on lipstick, and even harder to rub the lips together properly when done. Then it's really difficult to get the lipstick back off. But I love lipstick! (I was reminded of this by the lipstick thread.)

Any other Catheites out there currently wearing braces? I know Evily had them until not too long ago, but I don't know if anyone else has them on now.

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=green]***Lainie***
fitness blog: http://fitnessfig.blogspot.com
http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif
"If you want to give God a good laugh, tell Her your plans."[/font]
 
I don't have them now, but I had them in my mid-twenties.

As for stuff between the teeth, one word: Waterpik!
 
I have braces! Im 26. I get them off in a month though! So excited. Eating has been annoying, but it hasn't stopped me :) I use a waterpik which is GREAT. It sprays out the braces in 1 minute. I keep one at home, and portable one at work. I have the plain metal braces, and wore silver bands throughout most of the time. But the last couple of months I got into the colors, pinks and purples. Fun! Well, goodluck!
 
I have them too - I'm 39 - turn 40 in August. I got them last year, and this is my second go around. I also had them as a teenager. I will tell you this - it does get better! At first, I thought about them nonstop and thought I would never survive two years, but now, they are a part of me. I have clear on top, silver (metal) on bottom. Like mentioned above, I have fun with the colored elastics (ties) too. Soon, the pain will go away and you will see your teeth moving into place - it is worth it :)

Also, Thursday night, I did Get Ripped 1000 and realized I had never sent you the layout of that. I will do that next week!!

Good luck with the braces - eating gets easier too. I have the WaterPik, Sonicare toothbrush, little brush things that go between your braces easily, under the wire (these are wonderful), and as much time as it takes, I floss too. My husband kids me that it takes 30 minutes to do my teeth at night! It is really about 10, but admittedly, sometimes much less when I am tired.
 
I get my off in five weeks and i absolutely can not wait!!! I hate them with the mad passion.I got them when i was 37.I was surpose to have them on for two years but i'm ahead of treatment.Once i hit the year mark i just had had enough of them.I'm so miserable and wish i could got them off now.Eating just plain sucks.Everything get stuck and takes foreva to clean them out.I'm so annoyed and aggravated all the time.I have an early morning appointment to get them off in July.Perfect way to celebrate is girls weekend starting that weekend.I'll be drinking lots of mudslide and eating all kinds of foods and will enjoy every minute of it!!!
 
I had them in my 20s. I'll never forget the first time I tried using my Waterpik, totally unprepared for high pressure, inground sprinkler action. :7 I (and nearly everything else in the bathroom) was soaking wet.
 
I'm 33 and have braces but I have Invisalign, the clear braces. The good side of braces is that you lose weight, like it or not, and your oral hygine is improved. I have to brush my teeth after every single snack, cup of coffee, anything. It gets so that instead of having to brush your teeth you just skip that snack or that extra cup of joe. It will be worth your pain in the end. Hang in there.
 
I don't have braces now, but I did as a teenager. I remember the first few weeks being difficult, but after that sort of got used to them, just like anything else you have chronically. I just wanted to say that now I am 39 and I am still grateful multiple times per day that I was able to have the braces, pain and all. I love my teeth and my smile and the self confidence it gives me every day is worth everything I went through.

Shayne
 
I had them when I was a teenager also and HATED them. More because of the looks than anything ha! (I thought boys wouldn't like them) The first few weeks were horrid, but then they stop hurting, except for the checkups when they tighten everything, and you get used to them. I know I complained alot. My poor parents who spent all that money on me! I'm glad I did now that it's all over. It felt SOO weird when they took them off. I had to get used to just feeling teeth in my mouth again!

OH and I don't remember it hurting my eating except in the beginning when it hurt so much. I didn't loose weight from it!
 
Yup, I had braces recently. I got them off last July, after wearing them for 17 months. It really wasn't that bad. The worst part, for me, was having food stuck in them. I always carried around a little dental kit with me so I could keep them meticulously clean. You MUST get some of those little dental brushes, if your ortho doesn't already provide them for you. They are a lifesaver! Yes, the Waterpik is an essential tool for cleaning your braces out, but you can't take the Waterpik with you everywhere you go. So use the dental brushes when you're on the go.

As for eating... my eating was very limited for the first few weeks too. But I was back to my normal eating soon enough - you just get used to the braces and they don't bother you anymore. The pain will go away too. I would say the first 3 or 4 adjustments (and the initial installation) were the most painful, and after that, it was a walk in the park. Always pop an Advil before an adjustment - it will prevent the pain from even starting.

Hang in there! Before you know it, you'll be getting those braces off and you'll have to get used to being "normal" again. ;) It's all worth it in the end.
 
Thanks to everyone for the info and advice. It's nice to know I'm not the only one suffering with adult braces. I'm 20 years late getting mine on, but better late than never, I guess. My teeth really needs them. My mom used to say things like "You'd be such a pretty girl if it weren't for your teeth." Gee, thanks, Mom.

Anyway, thought I'd share my scary braces photo:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/lainiefig/Photo220-1-1.jpg

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=green]***Lainie***
fitness blog: http://fitnessfig.blogspot.com
http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif
"If you want to give God a good laugh, tell Her your plans."[/font]
 
I got braces at 37 because my health plan paid for half! After I got mine EVERYBODY at work got them, too. Braces aren't just for kids anymore. Everyone's right, it gets a lot better. Does your orthodontist supply you with wax to put on your braces to keep the insides of your mouth from getting destroyed? I recommend you use copious amounts of the stuff. My orthodontist never gave me enough and I didn't get my own supply until after the scaring inside my mouth kind of messed up the shape of my bottom lip (it eventually broke up). That wax offers lots of relief.
 
I did Invisalign, and it went really well. No one ever even noticed unless I mentioned them and they look really close. I didn't really need or want braces as a teenager, but my teeth crowded a little as an adult and it bothered me. The Invisalign was perfect for me. The first three days of each set of trays was somewhat uncomfortable every two weeks, but advil did the trick. I learned to put the new trays in (and pop some advil!) before going to bed and by morning they would come out much easier because my teeth had already started to move.

The other person who posted about Invisalign was right on the money...you have great oral health because you are always brushing and you eat less often! I think any form of braces has that benefit! :) I am now in my retainers...they are clear and nearly identical to the Invisalign trays. I have four more months in them (have been in them for two) and then I am all done! But I plan to keep wearing the retainers at night so my teeth stay nice and straight!
 
I had them back in the 60's when they were a medieval torture device. I had the metal bands, headgear, criss crossed rubber bands and even had a "hayrake" that fit in the bottom of my lower jaw. It had curving back sharp spikes that kept your tongue from thrusting against your lower teeth. Ouch! Try reading out loud in 5th grade with that thing in. I even survived a bicycling accident where I fell right on my front teeth on the concrete, shoving my top lip into my braces, resulting in an emergency trip to the dentist's office to get my lip removed from the braces and a root canal.

Guess it was all worth it as I'm almost 50 and still get compliments on my teeth.

Jeanette
 
Jeanette your funny. In hindsite, as much as I like that invisalign is invisable, I would have preferred metal braces. Invisalign takes a heck of a lot of discipline and braces invisable or not hurt like heck! When I have to wear a new tray I'm worse than when I'm having PMS.
 
Ouch on falling on them! I had the headgear for a while too and I HATED it. I was supposed to wear it all day but I prefered to wear it all night even though I couldn't sleep. I wouldn't be caught dead with that on. ha! I did the weird rubber bands thing too.
never heard of a hayrake... ouch.

I recommend the wax stuff too. Can be a lifesaver.
 
I wore braces at age 34. It was well worth it.

A word of caution to adults with braces... MAKE SURE you are diligent about retainer wearing. Adult teeth have "memory", and will try to revert to their original position when the braces are removed. I chose to go with permanent retainers on the inside of my front upper and lower teeth. It's just a thin, strong wire cemented across the back of the middle 4 teeth. It will take some extra care with hygiene, but it is so worth it. It has been about 15 years since my braces were removed and I've not had a bit of movement.

Good luck to all you brace wearers! I remember those days well. It was the only "diet" I've ever been on, but boy did I lose weight! Not a good thing for me!
 
I got braces at 40 and wore them for a year. My braces were heavy duty, lots of metal and a real PIA to clean. A waterpick was my best friend. That and wax. I never left the house without it.

If your ortho gives you a choice get the permament retainers. I wear the plastic retainers and although I'm supposed to wear them every night I can get away with every other night or every two nights. Still, with a permanent you don't have to think about that. I'm considering going back to him eventually and having the permanent done.
 
I have braces to treat TMJ disorder. I had them when I was a teenager, but since the ortho back then didn't look for TMJ, I get to have go-round #2! Whoopee! I'm so lucky! I'm 38.

Anyhoo, mine are clear on top, metal on bottom, and other than that first month when my teeth were sore, I've eaten pretty much want I want. I got my uppers on severalm months ago, but just got the lowers in the last month. I'm hoping that in a year and a half, they'll be off!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top