Hello! Newbie here :)

[wycket]

Hello! I'm brand-spanking new to the forum, and thought I'd take a minute to introduce myself. I'm 31 years old, and due to an awesome improvement in my dental insurance, I am scheduled to get my braces on 01/12/10.... just a few short days away!! I'm incredibly nervous (and trying not to be), and excited about the prospect of a new and improved smile! At the consult, my ortho indicated that I have Class I malocclusion and crowding (top and bottom), and suggested a treatment plan of 9-12 months.

Right now, I plan to get the Clarity SL brackets... however, after seeing a photo of the Damon clear, I would love to get those instead! I plan to speak to the ortho and see if this would be an option. Since they currently offer Damon metal, I'm really hoping perhaps they'll be getting the clear soon! (Fingers crossed)

Anyways, I really look forward to hearing about your experiences in braces, as I have absolutely NO idea what to expect! Any/all advice is greatly appreciated and encouraged.

[Sunny]

Great that you're soon to begin treatment Wycket!

It's totally expected for you to be feeling nervous at this stage, but ask plenty of questions and make sure you're well prepared with ... wax, travel sized toothbrushes, travel sized toothpaste, oral b superfloss (the type that comes in individual lenghts with a small hard end, so that it's easily threaded around brackets/archwires), interdental brushes, toothpicks, small mirror (one or two) and some mouthwash with fluoride. Having a small purse with these items in it, means you can feel confident when you're out and about to eat in public. It sometimes can take a little while to get comfortable eating out, but it's made easier when you drink as you go ... which washes food away from your brackets, and you have all that you need with you to brush your mouth clean, if it needs it.

The clarity SL brackets look like great brackets and have been around for a little while now, which means they've proven how stable they are. If this is what your ortho prefers to use ... then I think you'll be very happy with your decision to choose this ortho. With new brackets ... there are always going to be issues for a year or so, while 'real' people are used to trial them and find out what needs changing.

Advice for your early days - keep well hydrated ... in fact this is important for every day of treatment. When your body is well hydrated, your mouth copes much better with your hardware. If you're lacking in hydration, the brackets may feel scratchy and damage can be done to your mouth. Use wax generously ... that means if any bracket(s) are rubbing, cover them with plenty of wax and keep it on there except when you're brushing. It's better for your mouth to toughen by rubbing against wax, than to get sores, and for the healing process to mean the toughening has to start again. We recommend our patients continue using wax for 24 hours after they think their mouth no longer needs it. Make sure your oral hygiene is A1 ... and that means flossing once a day. To begin with it will take you longer to floss, but with practise it gets easier. It's best to buy a floss that's designed for people with braces and there's a couple on the market. The one we recommend is oral b superfloss. It's also important to use toothbrushes that are small and soft, and the same goes for using an electrical toothbrush ... (I use electric for my main clean at night and manual brushes for the morning and if I clean at any other time) ... oral b have a small head, as I'm sure others do.

Make sure you get shown how to brush and floss properly ... please don't leave your appointment without being shown, as there is a skill involved, that's important for the health of your teeth and gums. Many people over brush when they have braces, and this can cause loss of tooth enamel and gum erosion.

Eating ... hopefully you'll find you adjust quickly, but have a few soft options available incase you lack confidence in this area. The important thing is to keep trying to chew, until you get more confidence to do this. Cut your food into small pieces, which means if you don't chew it properly, it's still ok to swallow it.

On your big day ... make sure you go to the toilet before your appointment ... and make sure your lips are well coated with lip balm. The lip balm helps to keep them moist and means they'll feel better when this is all over!

Here's to the 12th being a great day for you, and please ask any questions ... as the people on this forum love to answer them.

Take care!

[wycket]

Sunny, thank you SO very much for all of your guidance and input!! After speaking to the ortho yesterday, I'll be sticking with the Clarity SL. The office I'm working with indicated that the Damon clear are not yet available for the full top and bottom, and as you pointed out, it will be better to be working with a proven product.

I appreciate the list of items --- I'm not sure what the ortho office will be sending me home with in the goodie bag, but plan to go out after my appointment to pick up any items they haven't provided me with.

I have arranged several days worth of soft foods, and plan to take full advantage of the wax -- I can only imagine how painful the sores must be, so I'll do all I can to prevent them! Luckily, I am a big water drinker, so hopefully I'll have no problems keeping myself hydrated!

Thank you again for your exceedingly warm welcome to the forum, and for your tips and advice... I look forward to sharing my experience, and gaining knowledge from you and everyone else on the forum!

[Kid Robot]

Good luck. I looooove this forum...it's the first time I ever actually participated in a message board, and everyone here is so helpful and supportive. I was so nervous about the whole thing, but I wish I didn't stress myself out as much as I did. Naturally, it's an adjustment that will feel different and look different. But like anything, you get used to it. I had really rough start with them, but it gets 100% better and they become just part of your mouth. It sounds like you're well prepared. Soft foods and wax are your best friends for the first few days. I wish you the best of luck! It's so cool when you realize that your teeth actually moving into the right place. Congrats on going for it, and good luck!!

[wycket]

Hello Kid Robot! Thanks so much for the comments -- this is really the first time I've been on a message board too, and I'm so glad to be able to share and learn from everyone here! As you can imagine, I'm obsessing over everything, and am probably working myself up for no reason! Trying not to worry is easier said than done, for sure! So, how long have you had your braces? And how much time do you have left? I look forward to hearing from you, and "comparing notes" during this adventure!

[Kid Robot]

I've had my braces since the end of September...just over three months. They say I have a total of two years, so I've resigned myself to that. But I can't get over how much everything's moved in the short time I've been in them, so I kind of hope it's going to be less than that, but I'm in it for the long haul so whatever. Good luck tomorrow! I have to admit I worked myself up something fierce about the "big day," but it wasn't worth it. I guess any change like that with a dash of uncertainty can do that, but there's a whole legion of us here that've made it this far, so it's not that bad. I'd say keep some Tylenol around for the first few days though, because so far for me, that's when it was the most intense. And I was trying to be warrior princess and not take it unless I realllly needed it. Anyways, it'll be fine and they're not kidding when they say you'll start seeing changes in two to three visits. Good luck! (Not that you need it...they do all the work.)

[wycket]

Thanks for the reply! It's really nice to hear from someone else sharing the same experience!

Well, I've been rockin' the braces for the last 8 hours, and so far.... it's pretty tolerable! I keep waiting for it to get worse, but I have been keeping my body well-stocked with Advil, (no warrior princess here, haha!!) and that seems to be working. I do think it'll be quite sensitive tomorrow, but no sense in worrying about that now! Indeed, I had myself quite in a tizzy over today, and of course it all worked out just fine, with no reason to be upset.

I ended up with Clarity SL on top, and Damon Q on the bottom.... I've been "sentenced" to 9-12 months, and won't go back to the ortho until March 23 (10 wks). I look forward to seeing the changes, and can totally understand your urgency, especially when you are seeing such rapid changes!

Keep in touch - I like having a friend to commiserate with... as understanding as my husband is, there are certain things I don't think he'll "get"!

[Sunny]

Great your treatment has started and it was better than you expected!

Your treatment time is short ... and hopefully everything will go so well it might be even shorter!

If you check the blog section, you'll find many people who're experiencing exactly what we are ... and you'll also get plenty of support if you need help with any querries etc.

Good luck - keep well hydrated and let wax be your new best friend if any brackets rub!

[Kid Robot]

Glad to hear it started off well! Hope that keeps up. We're always here for those questions the non-bracketed can't answer or support.

[wycket]

Sunny/Kid Robot,

Thanks you both for the well wishes! Indeed, I'm finding things are quite a bit more uncomfortable today, but take some comfort in knowing it means something is actually happening!! So far, the wax has kept me from any irritation, and for that I am grateful! Baby steps, right?!? Thanks for the input - I really appreciate it!