A dentist gets braces! AMA!
As the title suggests, I am a dentist and today after lots of thinking, I decided to get braces as an adult.
I just got my top brace fitted this morning and my bottom brace will be fitted in a few months.
I know that this is a topic that many people think about and not many people are in the position of being a dentist and undergoing active brace (orthodontic) treatment. I think that this gives me a fairly unique perspective on things.
So fire away and AMA!
I just got my top brace fitted this morning and my bottom brace will be fitted in a few months.
I know that this is a topic that many people think about and not many people are in the position of being a dentist and undergoing active brace (orthodontic) treatment. I think that this gives me a fairly unique perspective on things.
So fire away and AMA!
Scroll to see replies
Original post by macy_m
why now? :')
Several reasons:
1. My family moved around a lot when I was a child and we didn't stick about long enough to start brace treatment for me. I am now in an area that I will be living in for some time (2+ years).
2. I am now in a financial position to be able to afford the treatment.
3. My wedding got delayed due to COVID-19 so I might as well get it done before then.
4. I found a lovely consultant orthodontist who i trust with my pearly whites. I was really nervous about getting braces as I didn't trust some practitioners especially as my teeth are virgin teeth - no fillings etc so I wanted to find an orthodontist who I really trusted and I have found one! I've seen plenty of ortho mishaps which kept deterring me and I am confident that this orthodontist is the right one for me.
Original post by BaileysOnTheRock
People in braces are so ewww.
Excellent oral hygiene is the key. I only got them this morning and I'm planning on upping my brushing to thrice daily.
If you don't look after them, they will look "so ewww".
Also, I am in a facemask most of the time and more so due to the pandemic so the risk of me exposing my brace-face to you is very low.
Original post by BaileysOnTheRock
People in braces are so ewww.
why so rude?
Nothing wrong with braces at all. I got them when I was 25 and I’m 31 now, no regrets at all.
Original post by Leelou9051
Nothing wrong with braces at all. I got them when I was 25 and I’m 31 now, no regrets at all.
Amazing! What type of brace did you get? Metal/Ceramic/Invisalign?
I just tried to brush my teeth with the top brace, it's so hard! I know all the tricks in the book but it's so much harder when you actually have to do it.
Original post by BaileysOnTheRock
People in braces are so ewww.
Right, I know your thing on TSR must be to be a pain, but honestly shush. Nobody cares about what you find 'ewww'. Do you not have anything constructive to say because on all the posts I have seen of yours, it's the same nonsense.
Original post by BaileysOnTheRock
Hey! Don't be so rude. I have the right to my opinion. Free speech.
I wasn't looking for opinions.
I just wanted to answer questions on braces as I think I'm in a unique position to do so.
Please express your free speech elsewhere, thank you.
Original post by Mangomilkshake
As the title suggests, I am a dentist and today after lots of thinking, I decided to get braces as an adult.
I just got my top brace fitted this morning and my bottom brace will be fitted in a few months.
I know that this is a topic that many people think about and not many people are in the position of being a dentist and undergoing active brace (orthodontic) treatment. I think that this gives me a fairly unique perspective on things.
So fire away and AMA!
I just got my top brace fitted this morning and my bottom brace will be fitted in a few months.
I know that this is a topic that many people think about and not many people are in the position of being a dentist and undergoing active brace (orthodontic) treatment. I think that this gives me a fairly unique perspective on things.
So fire away and AMA!
Firstly, welcome to TSR (I see you have joined a few days ago) !
I remember when I got my braces and they hurt so much. How is the pain for you?
Original post by BaileysOnTheRock
Hey! Don't be so rude. I have the right to my opinion. Free speech.
Hypocrite. you were being rude yourself
Original post by Hannah0505
Hypocrite. you were being rude yourself
PRSOM
Original post by 5hyl33n
Firstly, welcome to TSR (I see you have joined a few days ago) !
I remember when I got my braces and they hurt so much. How is the pain for you?
I remember when I got my braces and they hurt so much. How is the pain for you?
Thank you! Everyone has been so kind on here.
I only got the top brace this morning and it was fine. I went for lunch straight after with a friend and it was tricky to eat food. I had to take tiny little nibbles and head to the bathroom straight after to clean my teeth - not a pretty sight!
My teeth are feeling more sensitive now though especially when I bite down. I didn't have dinner tonight, I feel as if I've lost my appetite even though there isn't that much pain. This is very unusual for me, I love my food! Did this happen to you too?
Original post by Mangomilkshake
Thank you! Everyone has been so kind on here.
I only got the top brace this morning and it was fine. I went for lunch straight after with a friend and it was tricky to eat food. I had to take tiny little nibbles and head to the bathroom straight after to clean my teeth - not a pretty sight!
My teeth are feeling more sensitive now though especially when I bite down. I didn't have dinner tonight, I feel as if I've lost my appetite even though there isn't that much pain. This is very unusual for me, I love my food! Did this happen to you too?
I only got the top brace this morning and it was fine. I went for lunch straight after with a friend and it was tricky to eat food. I had to take tiny little nibbles and head to the bathroom straight after to clean my teeth - not a pretty sight!
My teeth are feeling more sensitive now though especially when I bite down. I didn't have dinner tonight, I feel as if I've lost my appetite even though there isn't that much pain. This is very unusual for me, I love my food! Did this happen to you too?
Oh, yes I remember those times.
I used to brush constantly because it was disgusting having food stuck in my teeth. I love food too! That was one con of braces.
For me, braces hurt a lot so I too also lost my appetite. My mum got fed up of making things for me to eat because I would refuse to eat any of it. Have a lot of soft foods x
Will you be staying on TSR?
So I got braces in 2016 (aged 13) as I had a crossbite and an overbite that needed fixing. From the day I got them, my gums became inflamed. I took a photo the day after I got them on and you can see a difference from where the gums were normal before to when I got them. My dentist has always said I brush my teeth well and I used the little tooth brush you get with braces and brushed my teeth like normal but they still got worse. I got an electric flosser for cleaning between the braces, as advised by my orthodontist but that did nothing and I was prescribed a mouthwash by my dentist but that also didn’t ease the inflammation.
Eventually, I was told that my braces had to come off as the gums were going to overlap the brackets. My orthodontist told me at every appointment that I wasn’t brushing my teeth when I was and so when they took them off, I was left with a gap between my bottom two front teeth (that wasn’t there before) and my bite was never fixed as I only had them for a year (May 2016 - May 2017).
We have come to the realisation that I may have been allergic to the nickel in the metal brackets because whenever I wear earrings, my ears go bright red and itchy for a few days. I should really get tested for the allergy to see if that was the cause because I don’t want to believe I wasn’t cleaning my teeth properly as I had done perfectly well 13 years prior to getting braces. I would have to pay for braces if I want them again, which I do because my bite isn’t pleasant. So my question is, do invisalign braces work for fixing bites because I don’t think I could have metal ones again? Sorry for the very long story but I hate my smile and have done since my braces have come off in 2017. I’ve worn my retainer every night since because I want to keep whatever progress they made with the braces, though it didn’t seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things. Thanks.
Eventually, I was told that my braces had to come off as the gums were going to overlap the brackets. My orthodontist told me at every appointment that I wasn’t brushing my teeth when I was and so when they took them off, I was left with a gap between my bottom two front teeth (that wasn’t there before) and my bite was never fixed as I only had them for a year (May 2016 - May 2017).
We have come to the realisation that I may have been allergic to the nickel in the metal brackets because whenever I wear earrings, my ears go bright red and itchy for a few days. I should really get tested for the allergy to see if that was the cause because I don’t want to believe I wasn’t cleaning my teeth properly as I had done perfectly well 13 years prior to getting braces. I would have to pay for braces if I want them again, which I do because my bite isn’t pleasant. So my question is, do invisalign braces work for fixing bites because I don’t think I could have metal ones again? Sorry for the very long story but I hate my smile and have done since my braces have come off in 2017. I’ve worn my retainer every night since because I want to keep whatever progress they made with the braces, though it didn’t seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things. Thanks.
(edited 3 years ago)
Good luck, I have my braces since january and the first few weeks were painful as I had to eat soft food and it was horrible
Original post by 5hyl33n
Oh, yes I remember those times. I used to brush constantly because it was disgusting having food stuck in my teeth.
I love food too! That was one con of braces.
For me, braces hurt a lot so I too also lost my appetite. My mum got fed up of making things for me to eat because I would refuse to eat any of it. Have a lot of soft foods x
Will you be staying on TSR?
I used to brush constantly because it was disgusting having food stuck in my teeth. I love food too! That was one con of braces.
For me, braces hurt a lot so I too also lost my appetite. My mum got fed up of making things for me to eat because I would refuse to eat any of it. Have a lot of soft foods x
Will you be staying on TSR?
I now know that cereal bars/protein bars are a big no-no with braces!
I'm just blending a lot of stuff at the moment and drinking through a straw. Now that the gyms have opened up too, I'm hoping to get absolutely ripped as I can't snack all the time!
Yeah, I think I will be. I've only been on here a few days and I have received very helpful advice. I'm no longer a student but it's a nice forum to connect with graduates too.
Original post by stillcrying
So I got braces in 2016 (aged 13) as I had a crossbite and an overbite that needed fixing. From the day I got them, my gums became inflamed. I took a photo the day after I got them on and you can see a difference from where the gums were normal before to when I got them. My dentist has always said I brush my teeth well and I used the little tooth brush you get with braces and brushed my teeth like normal but they still got worse. I got an electric flosser for cleaning between the braces, as advised by my orthodontist but that did nothing and I was prescribed a mouthwash by my dentist but that also didn’t ease the inflammation.
Eventually, I was told that my braces had to come off as the gums were going to overlap the brackets. My orthodontist told me at every appointment that I wasn’t brushing my teeth when I was and so when they took them off, I was left with a gap between my bottom two front teeth (that wasn’t there before) and my bite was never fixed as I only had them for a year (May 2016 - May 2017).
We have come to the realisation that I may have been allergic to the nickel in the metal brackets because whenever I wear earrings, my ears go bright red and itchy for a few days. I should really get tested for the allergy to see if that was the cause because I don’t want to believe I wasn’t cleaning my teeth properly as I had done perfectly well 13 years prior to getting braces. I would have to pay for braces if I want them again, which I do because my bite isn’t pleasant. So my question is, do invisalign braces work for fixing bites because I don’t think I could have metal ones again? Sorry for the very long story but I hate my smile and have done since my braces have come off in 2017. I’ve worn my retainer every night since because I want to keep whatever progress they made with the braces, though it didn’t seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things. Thanks.
Eventually, I was told that my braces had to come off as the gums were going to overlap the brackets. My orthodontist told me at every appointment that I wasn’t brushing my teeth when I was and so when they took them off, I was left with a gap between my bottom two front teeth (that wasn’t there before) and my bite was never fixed as I only had them for a year (May 2016 - May 2017).
We have come to the realisation that I may have been allergic to the nickel in the metal brackets because whenever I wear earrings, my ears go bright red and itchy for a few days. I should really get tested for the allergy to see if that was the cause because I don’t want to believe I wasn’t cleaning my teeth properly as I had done perfectly well 13 years prior to getting braces. I would have to pay for braces if I want them again, which I do because my bite isn’t pleasant. So my question is, do invisalign braces work for fixing bites because I don’t think I could have metal ones again? Sorry for the very long story but I hate my smile and have done since my braces have come off in 2017. I’ve worn my retainer every night since because I want to keep whatever progress they made with the braces, though it didn’t seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things. Thanks.
Oh gosh! What an experience you've had!
Nickel allergy is quite a big concern for us dentists. I'm glad that you now know that it was the nickel.
When it comes to braces for adults, there are three main options:
Fixed options, these stay on your teeth, you can't remove them as you wish:
1. Metal ones - cheapest but as you have said, they are very visible.
2. Ceramic/tooth coloured - more expensive than metal ones but more subtle. Ceramic also stains so you have to avoid curry etc. I have ceramic ones.
Removeable:
3. Invisalign/ clear aligners - a bit like retainers, you can remove them when you want but they are the most expensive. The range and type of movement is a bit more restricted with Invisalign compared to the metal or ceramic ones. However the technology is constantly developing and they do work really well with some cases. You'd have to speak with your orthodontist whether Invisalign is good for you, I can't say without seeing your teeth and plus, I'm not an orthodontist.
I did not want the metal ones so for me the choice was between ceramic and Invisalign. My pain threshold is -1000 (I stub my toe and lie in bed for 3 hours). Invisalign requires very good compliance from the patient and confidence that you will wear your aligners for 22+hours a day. For me, I knew that as soon as it started becoming sore, I'd just remove the aligners so I didn't trust myself with Invisalign. So I needed something fixed and ceramic was the answer for me.
If you like, I can expand more on the type of braces and I hope this helps!
Original post by rxyaltyx
good luck, the pain is unbearable. i had to eat soft foods for a week
So far, so good! No major pain, just a little tender to bite. I'm more concerned about food getting stuck for now but people keep telling me it'll become very sore when I get them tightened in September.
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