Braces experiences?

[Mr_Keroppi]

So I have not had braces yet but I am kind of scared. My brother had like not messed up teeth but his were a bit umm... "jacked?" I dont know his teeth were not perfect but not really really bad. I get mine like either this summer or next and I am so scared. My brother's orthodontist said I would only need them for like a few months but whenever I do, I AM READY. I AM READY FOR SOME AMAZING TEETH THAT LOOK GREAT. I want even better teeth because I love taking photos! I CANT WAITTTT

 

[uwuzumakii]

I had them until fifth or sixth grade.

I ****ing hated them. Was the metal spring like, on the roof of your mouth?

And I had the same feeling! I am absolutely convinced that my teeth were straight enough and that they just wanted to keep them in longer for more money. Dentristy is a scam, imo. Invest more money into regrowing enamel, god damn.

They gave me a retainer but I was so disgusted by it. It was so gross! And I stopped wearing it. my bottom front two teeth went back to being slightly crooked. I did have either an overbite or underbite (cannot remember which) and that didn't come back, so at least there's that.

It wasn't on the roof of my mouth, but it connected my upper and lower law. Imagine the rubber bands they make you put in, but it's a metal spring and you also have to keep it in all the time and it also pinches you constantly and causes the inside of your mouth to bleed a lot.

 

[oath2order]

Oh that sucks! I definitely didn't have that then!

 

[Drawdler]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I know this sounds so generic but I genuinely appreciate everyone sharing a bit, even if I don’t have a lot to add.

do braces really hurt getting on? i have severe overcrowding of my top row of teeth (my front two teeth literally make a V towards each other) but now im hesitant after reading people here say they hurt.

The replies make me feel a little lucky lol, at the 2 week mark mine aren’t hurting anymore at all. It hurt chewing for the first couple of days, but in the last week it hasn’t at all. The sensation right now is more like having stuff between my teeth kinda annoyance rather than any pain. When it hurt it was kind of like a worked-out muscle. I think I already mentioned this, but I have heard readjustments make it hurt for a bit again. By far the most annoying part is just flossing and that’s because of the time it takes more than anything so knock on wood. However I might be an exception in general because I actually feel getting dental work done is really relaxing for me.

They used tools to dry the surface of the teeth and put a cheek stretch thing to actually get the glue and then brackets on, but after preparing bits they were fast. Like the overall process takes a while, but I didn’t need to wait half an hour as they fitted a wire into place or something. And if you need molar bands then PLEASE make sure they aren’t heavily scraping the top tooth and make sure the cleats aren’t scraping your tongue a lot and don’t be afraid to ask for a replacement or cleat adjustment (they can be pushed in a bit). Even though mine was only really high for one day, when I got a replacement it was an immediate improvement and I haven’t had any significant pain from it since then. That stuff is if you even need the rings. Again this YMMV because here basically these extra consults/adjustments are free, the overall plan has a fixed price we pay over time, and I don’t know what the process is for paying in other countries.

Obviously the best thing to do is visit an orthodontist and ask, have you done a consultation for it? If that’s an option for you? It shouldn’t be so expensive, I guess just look into it to see if you can trust the doctor there. Mine was really helpful and for some other reasons I trust her so her judgement of how my teeth were made me more confident. Can always get second opinions.

Aside from that more obviously do you have discomfort from it? Really misaligned teeth, I assume could cause some health problems but if it isn’t really uncomfortable and your dental health is generally good or you have strong teeth or something then maybe you could pass without it. Personally I had TMJ since my adolescent years so getting braces was long overdue for me. That’s also assuming you didn’t want it for cosmetic reasons and if you do want it for cosmetic reasons it’s very fair.

 

[Kitsuragi]

Obviously the best thing to do is visit an orthodontist and ask, have you done a consultation for it? If that’s an option for you? It shouldn’t be so expensive, I guess just look into it to see if you can trust the doctor there. Mine was really helpful and for some other reasons I trust her so her judgement of how my teeth were made me more confident. Can always get second opinions.

I haven't been to an Ortho since '18. They suggested tons of things, surgery/braces/Invisalign ETC. Tons of options that I didn't want to go through because it was extensive and expensive, I have insurance now so i'm a bit more ready for them.

Aside from that more obviously do you have discomfort from it? Really misaligned teeth, I assume could cause some health problems but if it isn’t really uncomfortable and your dental health is generally good or you have strong teeth or something then maybe you could pass without it. Personally I had TMJ since my adolescent years so getting braces was long overdue for me. That’s also assuming you didn’t want it for cosmetic reasons and if you do want it for cosmetic reasons it’s very fair.

No, no discomfort really. But aesthetically it's a huge hinderance. I don't smile because of it which makes me come across really rude/standoff-ish and I don't talk a lot because of it.

 

[slzzpz]

I had braces as well. I always thought picking the colors for the bands was fun. I always hated the tightening of them because it would make my teeth super sensitive. I eventually had invisaline retainers and kept throwing them away in the trash when I'd go out to eat. lol

 

[Darkesque_]

I had braces for 4 years, and they were somewhat miserable tbh. I play the French horn, so when I had braces it would be painful to play for long periods of time because the metal on your teeth is carving into your lip because you're pressing against another piece of metal: the mouthpiece. Even today I still have a scar from where my braces carved into my upper lip. When I got them off I had to get a permanent retainer on my bottom front 6 teeth, and I had to wear the plastic retainer on my top teeth. I rarely wore my retainers because they were a hassle taking them in and out when I ate, played my horn, etc. My teeth are straight today, so the pain paid off I guess!

 

[Bluebellie]

My teeth weren’t that bad and I got them. I only had a slightly crooked bottom tooth. Just remember to wear your retainers after! I didn’t and my tooth is a little off now. I want to get braces again just for that one tooth.

 

[Bluelady]

My dad made me get braces during my freshman year. I had them for two years. The process was botched from the beginning. There was a miscommunication between the dentists and my wisdom teeth weren’t removed beforehand. Towards the end, my parents tried to fix this by getting my wisdom teeth removed. However, I think that two never ruptured and it would need surgery.

Having braces was an unpleasant experience. I didn’t want them and had to cut off food that I liked like candy, soda, and crunchy food. Then there’s the weird rubber band thing that would hurt my jaw whenever I yawned. I did lose about twenty pounds though. Once I found out that the retainer was permanent, I said screw it and stopped using it. My teeth are somewhat crooked again, but I’m content.

 

[MiniPocketWorld]

do braces really hurt getting on? i have severe overcrowding of my top row of teeth (my front two teeth literally make a V towards each other) but now im hesitant after reading people here say they hurt.

Putting them on didn't hurt, but having them tightened each time did for a few days.
The braces themselves cut my cheeks and I still have some scarring, but they do give you wax you can put on top of the braces to help protect the inside of your mouth.

I think it just kinda depends on your mouth. Others here didn't mention cheek cutting. My mouth is small because I'm a small person, and dentists don't like working in my mouth as a result. I get complaining from them as they actively do whatever in there. As a result I can't get anyone to remove a bar on the inner side of my bottom teeth that was suppose to be removed years ago.

 

[magicaldonkey]

got my braces removed a few years ago in the summer (maybe 16 years old??). had them for like 1-2 years or so. i had a slight overbite thing and my bottom teeth at the middle were a bit crooked. a rather high fraction of my frendos had them back in the day

 

[petaltail]

i had them for a few years and they weren't too bad. they did cut up the inside of my mouth a lot tho - that was definitely the worst thing about them lol
i remember when i got them taken off my teeth looked HUGE and it took a while to get used to lol

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I remember having braces and the worst part is I was expected to use regular floss instead of the of the special kind specifically made for braces by my abuser. She kept punishing me for not flossing even though I told her that I literally couldn’t floss because I couldn’t get it in between the tiny gaps of the braces. I even showed her but she thought I was faking it. So she eventually complains to the hygienist during a dental check up about how I “refused” to floss and when the hygienist asked if I was given the special floss for braces, my abuser said no and was told that was why I wasn’t flossing and that I wasn’t being lazy. A year and a half of being punished for something not my fault and I finally got what I needed to use to floss and I never even got an apology for all that trouble. My aunt tried to help me by giving me a tiny piece of fishing line to pull up the floss in between the gaps but I lost it on my way home from her house in California and I didn’t have any more fishing thread to make a new one. My abuser also refused to let me have any of the colored bands that went on the braces which I wish that I could have had blue or green bands at least once.

 

[Drawdler]

I’m just coming back ofter getting two adjustments to say I’m still not having severe pain, but the orthodontist said I’ve done remarkably well. I got my bottom braces in during the first adjustment sporadically. Flossing still sucks though. My teeth are unrecognisable compared to before

also I’m really sorry Jiggs. Sucks having a medical thing getting done, having pain with it, and then having more pressure thrown on to say the least. Really sticks. Hope you’re doing alright and away from them.

 

[Kitsuragi]

I’m just coming back ofter getting two adjustments to say I’m still not having severe pain, but the orthodontist said I’ve done remarkably well. I got my bottom braces in during the first adjustment sporadically. Flossing still sucks though. My teeth are unrecognisable compared to before

also I’m really sorry Jiggs. Sucks having a medical thing getting done, having pain with it, and then having more pressure thrown on to say the least. Really sticks. Hope you’re doing alright and away from them.

ooh i forgot about this thread. im curious, are you allowed to use water flossing/waterpicks when flossing? i had sincerely considered getting braces after reading this post but have to wait until next year hah

 

[Drawdler]

My orthodontist actually suggested them so yep! I honestly had no idea they were commercially available until then lol!