Braces!

KikiMira

Urgh TK ate my post.... I hate you today TK, That is all.

 Anyways.... 

  HI Ladies,

  So at the ripe old age of 27, its been decided I need braces. I figured I would and I decided to do it. I will also need a to have my jaw expanded. Firstly, I hate the dentist (I had a couple bad experience with a dentist when I was younger) so im totally freaked out about this. Secondly, my jaw.... I have 1 of two options. Surgery which is the most effective and quickest route but you also get to have a wired jaw for a few months because they have to break and reset it. Expander is the other option which takes a while but apparently they try to avoid it. 

So has anyone had braces? or expanders? Whats it like, painful? uncomfortable? Im freaked out.... Any info or opinions would be helpful....

bethsmiles

Take the expanders. Jaw surgery is b!tch. My jaw is actually aligned wrong and my dentist still says I should avoid surgery to fix it (unless it becomes a problem other than causing the occasional headache) because of how much jaw surgery sucks.

I had expanders in junior high. It was no big deal. They weren't painful and they weren't any more uncomfortable than braces.

KikiMira

Me bf talked about it and I'm not going to do the jaw surgery, he said his friend broke his jaw and he said it was awful. I have to wait until July to do it, so I'm going to see what my other options are. I've already had some teeth removed already... Invisiline I don't qualify for I wish I did.

thejucheidea

The only thing that sucked hard about my expander is that my mom kept losing the key for it, so she'd use a seam ripper instead. HORRORS.

dwest2201

I think that is awesome.  One of FI's best friends' wife just got braces from her H as her Christmas present, she's in her late 20's.

I had an expander in jr. high...it wasn't horrible unless you went to your Dad's house for the weekend and forgot the key and had to make up for it Sunday night!

KikiMira

Yeah I am in situation where I can afford it now and BF just told me last night he will pay for them fully up front and I only have to pay back half im going marry this man. I super nervous but I am excited for the results!!

OMG I could imagine the seam ripper no thanks, or having to make up for it for missing a couple days. Im good. No seam ripper and or missing days. 

nholvick

I had both. I had the expander for about 6 months. It really wasn't too uncomfortable. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that I talked a little funny and it covered my molars. I cant remember if it was the back 3 or 4 on both sides. They might make them a little different now seeing as how this was 15 years ago. But the part that covered my molars was made of some plastic-like material. They used that dentist cement stuff to attach it to my teeth. Then there were 2 small bars that came out of each side which were attached to a little square "box." Everyday I had to insert the key and turn it. It doesn't sit directly at the roof of your mouth, theres maybe 1/4 inch or more between the "box" and the roof of your mouth. The only thing I really felt was a little bit of pressure. Any "major" pain is quickly eased with some ibuprofen or asprin. I never had pain like that with the expander though. I was actually pretty surprised when they took it off because it didn't hurt me at all. They just popped it right off.

When it comes to braces it really depends on what your orthodontist thinks you need. You can get the invisalign braces. That is the clear, plastic piece that you place over your teeth. Since you need the expander your orthodontist may want you to have the traditional braces. That will allow the use of a G-Bar, which will keep your jaw from getting narrow again. You can get the clear, ceramic braces or get the traditional kind and just get colored bands. You could also talk to your orthodontist about lingual braces. Those are placed on the back of your teeth so nobody will even see them. You will talk a bit funny at first but you'll quickly adjust.
I had the traditional kind. The expander made my jaw wider so when it came time to put the braces on my teeth weren't as crooked as before. The process is rather simple. They place the brackets on your teeth, attach the wire and put the bands on the brackets to hold the wire in place. You'll feel pressure at this point but it will take a few minutes for you to feel any real discomfort. I had them for 2 1/2 years and can honestly say I was never in any unbearable pain. Ibuprofen or asprin will take care of it. Just stick with soft food for a day or 2 after you get your adjustment. 

The braces popped right off just like the expander. They'll remove any extra glue thats on your teeth and give you some sort of retainer. Some orthodontists will glue a wire to the back of your front teeth, others will give you the removable retainer made of wire and plastic. I had a clear retainer that fit all of my teeth. It was basically the same thing as the invisalign braces. It was really difficult to talk with it at first but I eventually got used to it. I had to wear it all day and night for 1 week, then every night from then on. Make sure that you wear your retainer and follow your orthodontists instructions religiously.

Sorry this is so long but I just figured I'd give you all the info I could. If you have any other questions feel free to send me a message. Good luck and don't worry, it really isn't that bad. Plus, you'll have an even more amazing smile to look forward to

KikiMira

Nholvick - wow thanks for all the info! That helps calm things down in my mind! I can't wait until its done!

nholvick

You're very welcome