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Ellebraced

Ellebraced is getting Braced!!! - PICS

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Ellebraced
, 12-14-2010 at 08:31 PM (392 Views)
Hi everyone

My name is Elle. I am 32 getting braced for the 2nd time December 16th, 2010.

Ceramic uppers, metal lowers, will have forsus springs for a lot of treatment to correct severe overbite.

History
- I was a thumbsucker until I was around 10 and then I got a retainer for awhile to correct overbite (I don't recall how well that worked)
- Had braces for up to 2 years, removed when I was 13. I think I wore my retainers until around 20ish (my husband said I was wearing them at night still when I met)
- For some STUPID reason I stopped wearing retainers and now I have a severe overbite and need braces again
- I have very healthy teeth and gums, a bit of recession. Wisdom teeth out when I was 18. Some fillings over the years but I was mostly always gone for cleanings every 6 months
- I don't really like dentist (sorry if I am offending anyone) My dentist hung himself in his office when I was maybe 12 and it has always bothered me.
- Always had good dental insurance until the last couple years. Now I have nothing. Always felt that my dentist were trying to rip off the insurance companies and doing anything they had to to get that extra $$$ even when I was only looking for a cleaning.
- Had some really really bad dentists over the years, I really despise going to the dentist. Just feel like they are going to mess something up. Do a bad filling or ???


Why I am getting braces !!!
- My upper front tooth really sticks out and it bothers me.
- I try to not be a vain person and accept my flaws and imperfections but somethings just bother me like my teeth
- I can not close my mouth It takes A LOT of effort. I know weird but it sucks. Because my teeth jet out and the overbite I feel more comfortable having mouth slightly opening that looks really silly
- In close up pictures you can see my big smile has a wonky tooth, makes me not want to smile
- My GRANDMA. She is 95 years old, lives on her own, she is a real sweetie BUT she has made a couple comments ...... (sorry for the details but its my story of how I got here)
She said to me infront of my closest 20 family members at a family reunion during lunch (EVERYBODY HEARD)
"What did you do to your teeth? Why are they so crooked? You did something? Your tooth sticks out, it looks bad?? "
I WAS MORTIFIED, I was so hurt, even typing this makes me cry. I tried to forget about it but did ask my last dentist and started the process of getting moulds, pics, and then he messed up husbands teeth with a lot of bad filing and filling and I stopped going to him. Then money and life was hard the last couple years
My Grandma over the last 2 years has made little comments like your lower lip sticks out, its swollen and then during a nice day shopping (October 2010) with my mother and her while I was visiting she was looking at me really funny, like something was really really ugly and with such disgust. I was trying on a top and I said to her Whats wrong GRAMS??? Thinking she didn't like the shirt and she goes...YOUR TEETH??? My mother told her to shut up and stop ruining our fun day shopping. A few minutes later after trying to make myself not cry my eyes out in the middle of the store. I said to her... Grandma my teeth are bad because I didn't wear my retainers and it is very expensive to fix and I do not have the money. She says they are very crooked and thinks ...... that my husband beats me and thats why they are crooked!!! OMG I was hurt, I am married to the most amazing supportive, kindest man in the whole world that would never lay a hand on me. He loves me and respects me. My grandma said she knows but is old and confused and didn't mean to hurt me but would want someone to tell me the truth.

Sorry for the long explanation but I am a little bit sensitive and thats how I got here. I guess honesty hurts sometimes and I always knew my teeth could use some improving.

-So after those comments in October 2010, I decided no more waiting, I asked my dentist who to go to (my Aunt asked him personally and not thru the dentist office) and he said he would not trust anyone in our town but the town over (35 minutes away). So the process started.

THE ORTHO PLAN

-I always thought this would be an EASY process, a short easy fix because I didn't realize my teeth were THAT bad and didn't think they could fix my overbite if they didn't 20 years ago ( I was told by a dentist years ago that I had tongue thrust and could never fix my bite without fixing that, my current ortho does not think that this is a problem though)
-The truth, this is NOT an easy or cheap process
-I thought I would have invisigln and that it would take under a year........NOPE
-It is very important to me to have this as not noticeable as possible. I can get very shy and do not like to live the house on the best of days
- My husband is a couple (okay more than a couple......... more than 10....okay 13.5 technically) years older than me. It is just not an issue, never has been but in the world it can be looked upon (hey I look at couples with an age difference and think things) as bad or confusing. In the past 13 years together I know of 3 times he has been mistaken as my father and not my husband Oh well what are you going to do. I guess its not "normal" to have an age difference so large and I do look young and am afraid how young I will look with braces soooooo I have decided to look at this as a funny thing. I will now be starting what I will refer to as the COUNT
How many times my husband gets mistaken as my father- Pre-braces -3 Braces -0 (not on yet, 2 more days so I am sure that # will increase)

I would LOVE any suggestions as to what I can say back to people that will be funny and cute and make this situation not so uncomfortable for all parties involved. So please let me know what you think I should say back to people that say something!!!

okay back to the plan........


- CERAMIC uppers
- Metal lowers
- Forsus springs to fix the overbite
- 2+ years
- About $7,000 for the treatment, lower permanent retainer, upper retainer, 2 year follow up
- I have NO insurance
- Was told have smaller lower jaw, grew upwards ??? , anyway surgery was recommended but for $3,000 I decided no and don't have the $$. I don't like to go for surgery any more than I have to

My concerns
- Looking funny - that people are going to point and me and laugh (ok I know this is NOT going to happen but it might)
- looking like a teenager
- Pain (kind of but not really, I have endometriosis which is a VERY painful disease, I take painkillers every 4 hours for a few days each month just to survive the pain, which gets so bad I throw up and am not able to leave the house for days. I have had 2 surgeries to remove the growths with no success)
- EATING- I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE crunchy hard foods, I eat popcorn, apples, nuts, granola bars and something crunchy every meal I have. I have had spacers for a week and I thought I might hurt someone I was sooooo hungry from not having enough to eat.
-$$$ I am REALLY REALLY cheap, I don't mean to be but I was raised to be obsessed with money and numbers and its hard to let that go. I married a man who could care less about $$$ and so it's a good balance. I try to not focus on the $$ but the outcome

How I am getting ready for this journey
-Found this website and archedwire
-Reading everyones blogs and comments and feeling supported and hopeful
-Got a waterpik and new oral b professional toothbrush, lots of toothpaste, mouthwash
-Got lots of soups and soft snacks ready
-Have a very supportive husband that loves me no matter what
-Trying to stay positive and realize 2 years will go by fast and it will be worth it
-Think this might be the best or worst diet ever......... no more crunchy foods so found horrible popcorn twists to satisfy crunchy food craving
-Spacers in for a week, on pain scale of 1-10 only like a 2, more annoying than pain, hard to chew, lots of advil first couple days, more anxiety than anything
-Drinking..... I know but my nerves are getting to me, anxiety attacks and snappy and Christmas stuff isnt helping. I will have to do a cleanse in the New Year



My Outcome hopes
- That my upper tooth will move back and look normal
- That I will be able to close my mouth
- That I will be able to wear lipstick without it coming off on my teeth
- That my Grandma (who does love me dearly and has been a very important person in my life) will stop making comments
- That I can stop being so sensitive
- That it will be worth it and I can be proud to smile again
- That it will not leave that big of a dent in my bank account and I will not even notice the $150 monthly payments for the next 2.5 years (probably will be good cause I won't eat out and can not eat my favorite crunchy foods)


Thank you to everyone on these websites for helping me make this decision and for sharing your comments and for being supportive and helpful. It makes this experience less scary.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE taking pictures so will be updating on a regular basis.

If anyone can help with suggestions on what to say to people that confuse my husband for my father or what crunchy foods I can eat would be so helpful

Elle

Getting braced December 16th 2010

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Categories
Adjustments , Need Advice , Getting Started , Off Topic , Introductions

Comments

  1. Phantom Muse's Avatar
    Hi Elle,

    Welcome! This was quite an entry, and I enjoyed reading it! I am almost one year into my journey having had a similar situation as you. I wore braces as a teenager, never wore retainers, ended up with the very same wonky front tooth that you have with some crowding on the bottom (your teeth already look quite nice, by the way), AND my husband is 13 years older than I!

    I spent a little over seven months with Invisalign and am now in retainers (just got my permanent retainers today), and my wonky tooth is now fine, as is the lower crowding. For me, the first few weeks after getting the Invisalign moved rather slowly, but then time sped by thereafter, and unless I was eating, I often times completely forgot about my teeth. You will too, AND you will be thrilled when all is said and done and you love your teeth again. Just be sure to find a retention plan that works well for you.

    Since my teeth have been straightened, more people mistake me for my husband's daughter than ever before, so you might have a lot of years of that ahead of you! Maybe straight teeth makes us look more youthful; I don't know... I have a whole pocketful of responses when someone mentions to my husband that he is such a good father to his two daughters (our daughter is 16, and we do carry a strong resemblance). They range from "You are so kind and my ego appreciates you," to "Oh, no! He's not my father, he's my sugar daddy!" Not very elegant, I know, but sometimes I just can't resist! Often my husband chimes in before I can (probably to keep me from saying he's my sugar daddy) and tells the person that he simply feels blessed to be married to a woman with whom he shares so much love. On one occasion, my daughter chimed in and said, "Oh, you are mistaken. {Pointing to me} She is my daughter, and I am {pointing to my husband/her father} his wife!"

    I have been married for over 20 years now, so I tend to just take it all in stride. Laughter goes a long way toward letting these sorts of "offenses" slide by.

    Good luck on Thursday, and let us know how it goes!
  2. lisah's Avatar
    Wow Ellebraced, your blog is a great read, and I bet it felt good for you to get that all out, very theraputic this blogging business, isn't it? And poor old Grandma, I guess when you get to 95 you've earned the right not to self-censor, even to family!

    I can relate to so many of your concerns, especially the eating and people pointing and staring part (yeah, you know they're not going to, but that doesn't mean we can't worry about it!).

    Thanks too for your comments on my blog today. We are indeed mad to be doing this right before Christmas, like we need another reason to have a short fuse during the "festive" season! I also hate that I am going to have to watch what I eat this Christmas, as I was pregnant last Christmas and couldn't eat all the yummy stuff then either (a summer Christmas in Oz, so lots of seafood, shellfish etc.) Anyhow, at least I can get drunk this year!

    Well goodluck for the big day! Will definitely stop by your blog for an update to see how you went.

    Oh, for a quick comeback to those insensitive/dumb/thoughtless people who may comment on your age difference with hubby - just tell them that you are going though an "Anna Nicole" phase, or that your husband is actually your professor and that yeah he's a bit older, but he buys you great jewellery Or to quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman "I'm just using him for sex!"
  3. moonie's Avatar
    Good luck and hope that brace day goes well!!

    Will check back to see how it goes! I have similar concerns as you... especially about food. Egads. I'm slightly worried there!! The teenager bit, I don't mind so much As long as they don't think I'm the same age as my niece!

    I'm having similar treatment with the ceramic on top, metal on the bottom. But, I told my ortho I didn't want the forsus springs and that I promised to wear my elastics religiously instead!!

    Let us know how it goes, am slightly curious about the forsus springs..
  4. Sunny's Avatar
    Elle, an interesting first blog entry and it's great that you find yourself strating treatment.

    Advice ... forget about everyone else and do this for you! Your teeth and smile look lovely, so this is about doing something for you and you only!

    Remember you don't have to have orthodontic treatment ... this is your choice and a great choice it is. It's fantastic that you've continued to look after your teeth so well, even though you keep referring to negative thoughts about dental people.

    Your concerns -
    Looking funny - you won't ... and even if you did, you're doing this for you, so who cares!
    Looking like a teenager - you won't ... only you could think this, or other shallow people who don't know what to say. The age you look is not affected by your teeth ... but instead by how you behave, your attitudes and maturity.
    Pain - most people don't have any. If you should have some, take care of it with wax, keeping your hydration levels high and if necessary, over the counter pain meds.
    Eating - should not change, or only a little if you prefer to live on corn on the cob. Some people still eat corn on the cob, but report it's not as easy or as much fun when you have braces.
    $$$ It's important to realise that this is a specialised service you're requiring and you do need to pay for quality. Talk to your ortho about what is covered by them, as some include the cost of retainers and other's don't. You need to make sure you floss well once daily and this means using a floss that is suitable for a person with braces, which means paying a little more. You will need to replace your toothbrushes more regularly and you may need to change to a toothpaste for sensitive teeth. It's important to use a mouthwash with fluoride twice a day ... plus a few other things will be needed that you don't need for your oral hygiene without braces, Also seeing your dentist/hygienist twice a year is important to keep your oral hygiene A1.

    Here's to everything going well for you and your outcomes being everything you wish for!
  5. Ellebraced's Avatar
    Hi guys

    Thanks for the replies.

    Phantom Muse - I love the sugar daddy reply, I will be using that one for sure. I also thought I could say, Oh he's not my father. I know I look like jail bait but he waited until after I was 18 to marry me.

    LisaH - Its nice to be starting this journey with you. My husband does buy me nice jewerly so I will be using that one. The comments by people make me laugh but my husband is a bit offended. Yes at least you can get drunk, I am going to a Christmas party Saturday night. If I can not eat, I can at least drink and if anyone asks why I am not eating I will tell them I don't want to ruin my buzz.

    moonie - Those forsus look SCARY but if it speeds up treatment and they are not toooo noticeable I will be using them. I will let you know how they go, I should be getting them after a few months in.

    Sunny - Thanks for the support and all the great hints. I don't want to generalize about Dentist I know they are helping a lot of people and have a hard job. Just my experiences have not been the best and I hope this will be a positive experience that will change my attitude about Dentist. I am only doing this for me and I am glad I finally made the decision with a little help from my Grams.

    I will let you guys know how the first couple days go. I am thinking happy positive thoughts.

    Elle
  6. kelley1978's Avatar
    Hi Elle! I just joined and also just got braces and reading your blog, i can't believe how much similarities we have!

    I'm 32... my teeth on top look like yours where my one tooth jets out a bit and overlaps the other. This is my first time getting braces and I think its so much harder at our age! Ive got clear on top, metal on the bottom..and if one more person asks me if i'm getting colors on the bottom, I'm going to flip!!

    I was devasted at first after getting them... i even briefly considered popping them off with plyers that night and kept thinking I made a huge mistake... 2 months in, I'm used to them and they're not all that bad..

    So, from someone in the same boat - I wish you luck in your journey!!! I hope you get the result you wanted

    Kelley
  7. Rynne's Avatar
    hey Elle!

    Just read your blog and really enjoyed it! My fiance is two years younger than me but because of being "folically challenged" he looks a lot older. I got linguals because I was told they would take less time and time is of the essence. We are getting married in 11 months. I would embrace it and make fun of it and try to find the humor in it. There are a few times in life where you have to look horrible and I have just done my best to look my worst lol. Like when I had my son. If I'm gonna be fat, then bring it on! And then when you get the braces off you have such a dramatic improvement suddenly you'll get a lot of compliments and congrats so it will boost you up. And you'll forget all about the comments.

    Good luck and look forward to following your journey along!