Getting braces?

I had a checkup on Wednesday and my dentist said that I'm probably going to get braces and that he's going to refer me to an orthodontist. If you've had braces, share some experiences?

E.g how to prepare for getting them, how long the process took, what foods to not eat afterwards, how to clean your teeth properly with braces, did it hurt, which colour did you get etc

Also can they give you a lisp?

Thanks guys

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

username2088165

I had braces for about 18 months, and I got them off about 2 years ago.

I really don't want to scare you, but honestly, I found braces to be incredibly painful and uncomfortable (but then, I have a very low pain tolerance so that probably didn't help!). Getting them put on didn't hurt as such, the pain began about a day later when they started to work, and came back whenever I got them tightened.

Actually getting them put on didn't take very long, although I can't remember how long exactly. Basically they put retractors in my mouth to hold my mouth open, then they cleaned my teeth. Then they glued the brackets on (the square things which stick to each tooth), and then threaded the archwires through each bracket, and clipped the ends of the wires to stop them poking into my cheeks (if they poke you, definitely let your orthodontist know, as they are seriously painful otherwise and can cause ulcers).

Obviously foods to avoid are hard foods like apples, and sticky foods like caramel and toffee. It's likely that your teeth will feel sensitive and painful for a while after getting them put on, and after each time they are tightened, so make sure you have plenty of soft foods on hand which you can eat, like mashed potatoes and soup. I often blended a lot of my meals with a stick blender, which made eating less painful. If you can take them, painkillers like Ibuprofen are really helpful for reducing the pain.

Cleaning your teeth with braces feels very strange at first! As well as cleaning them with your regular toothbrush, I also suggest buying some interdental brushes so that you can clean around each individual bracket, and remember to floss! Flossing is a bit fiddly as you have to thread it in between all the brackets, but it's well worth doing. I'd definitely suggest using mouthwash as well. Also, I recommend avoiding using any whitening toothpastes, as they may only whiten the teeth around the brackets, so when you get your braces taken off, the areas on your teeth where the brackets were will be darker.

I always chose silver bands whenever I got them changed, as they blended in with the metal of the braces (I didn't really like the idea of coloured bands). Mysteriously though, my bands always turned green whenever I ate curry, perhaps it was something to do with the spices?

Talking with braces is a little weird at first, but I don't think you'll get a lisp from them. You'll soon get used to them and probably won't even notice you're wearing them after a while!

I apologise for the length of this post, I didn't think it would be this long! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck! :smile:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

JumpingFun

Original post by alexdunn07

My friends got them when we were in our third year in the university. We saw her everyday and sort of learned how it was. She said it was VERY hard for the first month. They hurt ALL the time and she could only drink yogurt and nothing solid. It was really a pain for her. But in a year's time she came back super happy and smiling :smile:

Looks like she things it was worth it :smile:

Reply 3

carajayne

Getting braces on was fine, it's afterwards that hurt. Your teeth will feel very sore and tight and it'll be difficult to each most foods because of the pain so perhaps stick to soup at first! It gets better though and I found that the pain would fade within a few days and only returned when I got them tightened, but that got less painful each time!
I had my braces for about 2 years and I'm so happy I went through with getting them, it's made such a difference to my appearance! Good luck!

Reply 4

Pro Crastination

The movement of the teeth after you get braces is the greatest in the few months after you start wearing them. This is both a good and a bad thing, I wasn't able to properly eat stuff without some pain for a few weeks, and I had a constant mild pain (nothing that doing other stuff can't take your mind off of, though, plus I never took pain killers), but within a few months my teeth straightened out to the extent that I was thinking 'why do I need to keep these things, now?' If you don't have any complications (e.g. wisdom teeth causing problems, or the movement of one tooth pushing another in the wrong direction) you shouldn't have to wear braces for very long - I did unfortunately and had to wear them for over two years :frown:

. Also if your dentist is a perfectionist, they will ask you to keep them for longer than is strictly necessary, but it's safer to just go along with their advice because they may be thinking about long term consequences of a slightly wrong bite - e.g. teeth extraction - so be sure to know that things are going to be safe long term before you bug them about removing the braces. Once you've had them removed you'll feel great for having had them, as you'll have a near perfect set of teeth to impress (and confuse Americans) with.

Reply 5

alexdunn07

Thanks guys. :biggrin:

Reply 6

bibliboo

Original post by alexdunn07

I'd say go for it, the results are brilliant. Once the treatment is over. I had to wear them for a few years, about fifteen years back. It's painful for a few days at start but you get used to. It won't give you a lisp. The orthodontist should explain how to care for them and what to eat.
Once they are removed it feels fantastic that you can actually brush each tooth without missing the awkward tight corners between each tooth :smile:

.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

alexdunn07

Thanks. Will I have to wear a retainer?

Reply 8

alexdunn07

Will I need to wear a retainer?

Reply 9

Sacred Ground

Original post by alexdunn07

Will I need to wear a retainer?

I had braces for 3 years and was ordered to wear a retainer when they were taken off but I haven't worn my retainer once

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 10

catzilla

Original post by Sacred Ground

I had braces for 3 years and was ordered to wear a retainer when they were taken off but I haven't worn my retainer once

Posted from TSR Mobile

Why? You teeth are going to go back as they were.

Reply 11

Mystery.

Everyone is saying they are really painful here but seriously I didn't find them painful at all. Only the first few weeks maybe, it takes some time getting used to but after a while you forget you even have them.

The actual process is fairly fast and doesn't hurt. They just clean your teeth with the vacuum and pretty much glue the brackets on. It's an odd feeling.

You can eat anything and everything.
They tell you not to eat pizza and apples and such but I couldn't name anything that I couldn't eat after the first month.

As for colours, I got silver first and that was probably my favourite. Just get your favourite colour the first time. You can experiment afterwards as you get them changed every 6 weeks.
I wouldn't recommend transparent though as it will get stained very easily.

I just got them out four months ago and my teeth are so straight now! I love them.

If you can't tolerate pain that well then just remember it's worth it in the end. :biggrin:

Good luck!

Reply 12

Mystery.

Original post by alexdunn07

Will I need to wear a retainer?

Yes, I only had to wear mine for three months. However, the retainer is transparent and it's not noticeable so don't worry about that.

Reply 13

FrappÃ©

Personally my mouth adapted to braces very easily- no one realised i have braces until i open my mouth auper wide. So i have no lips- most people don't either.
It takes 1week for them to be bearable and 2-4 to get comfortable i think.
You will end up eating everything the orthodontist told you not to after they stop hurting :smug:

Just be careful.

When i first got my braces i went straight to nandos!
- i found they don't hurt as soon as they go on but the pain develops after a few days.

The most painful thing was spacers for me(you might not get them) the elastic things that go between your teeth to widen the gap for the rings.
I felt like crying everyday- PAINKILLERS

Its really gross when your teeth feel loose and you can literally move them(when they get "tightened") and that hurts a lot too.

I would say if you're over 16 probably get silver or clear because you don't want to feel too childish.

My orthodontist got bored of my silver all the time but oh well lol!

Just avoid anything that you feel might break them- big hard apples are the hardest for me (just take small bites)

Oh and i would say get a braces toothbrush and whitening toothpaste because braces can make your teeth yellow because you can't reach all spots as well.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 14

bibliboo

Original post by alexdunn07

Thanks. Will I have to wear a retainer?

Your orthodontist will talk it through with you, I had to wear them for a few months before permanent ones were put on. Then for about two months at the end, when they were taken off.
I strongly recommend Doing exactly as the orthodontist says for best results :smile:

. If you do have to wear retainers, ask about how to look after them and prevent them smelling, as they can become horrible, smelly things. I don't remember my orthodontist advising me about that and I was too shy to ask back then, but make sure you do lol.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 15

Sacred Ground

Original post by web-girl

Why? You teeth are going to go back as they were.

I haven't had braces for 2 years now and they haven't moved an inch

Reply 16

username943595

YOU'RE GONNA LOVE BRACES!!!!!!!

Jks. They're a right pain in the butt.

When they first went on, I was like dang they don't hurt or anything nor do they scratch the insides of my mouth. Then the same night, the pain kicked in and I got like 3-4 hours sleep that night.

Prepare yourself for eating mashed potato, soup and puréed stuff for the next week or two(mine was about 5-6 days), because those are the only foods you'll be able to consume.

I did take pain killers(homeopathic ones), but they didn't help so I guess that's why I suffered a bit. Also, if you're constantly distracted (like laughing a lot, or having a heated debate), you don't tend to notice the pain :smile:

Retainers are fun too. I got my braces off in April, after 18 months of torture, and my teeth did move slightly(probably because i only wore them at night, and not 24/7 oops). But they fixed that at the next appointment I had, so it's all good :smile:

Have fun when you get them on! :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 17

username2088165

Original post by alexdunn07

Will I need to wear a retainer?

It's highly likely that you will, otherwise your teeth will move back to the positions they were in before braces (or at least, they will move fairly significantly). When you'll need to wear it and how long for varies, for example I've always had to wear my retainer at night, however other people are told to wear theirs all the time at first, then switch to only at night etc.

Make sure to keep your retainer clean, you can use Retainer Brite to do that, and rinse them whenever you take them out, because they can get smelly and unpleasant if you don't. Also, if you grind your teeth at night like I do, they will probably break or crack and you'll need to get new ones. I've lost count of the number of retainers I've chewed through :biggrin:

Reply 18

NatashaLee

I've had my braces on for 18 months now, my dentist told me that I'm nearly there so hopefully they will be off shortly. At first when I was told I needed braces I was really nervous, at the time I was about to go 18 and I just wished that I'd been referred sooner, but never the less I went through the process and got them on, despite the pain, the inconvenience sometimes when eating etc I don't regret it and I'm sure it will be worth it in the end.

In preparation for getting my braces on I had to get some fillings re-done, (I doubt this is very common) but they turned out to not have been done very good in the first place so the orthodontist told my dentist that they would need re-doing. I was lucky in that I didn't have to get any teeth out, but that sometimes is required. One of your first appointments will probably involve them taking x rays, photos and moulds of your mouth. Once all that was done I was booked it to have my braces fitted, I can't remember exactly how long it took, I think it was around an hour but the process wasn't painful.

I think the amount of pain you get from them will vary depending on how much your teeth need to move, again I've been lucky with my braces at most of my appointments my teeth have been sore afterwards but I've managed to eat through the pain, I tend to get pain after I've finished eating so sometimes I would just take tablets before eating if they were being particularly painful.

When you first get them on, and when they're tightened if you are struggling to eat then soft foods are always the best, soups, mash and of course Ice cream!

As far as cleaning goes, I would recommend getting a a toothbrush specifically for braces, you should be able to get them at the dentist. I would also definitely recommend getting some interdental brushes for cleaning around the brackets etc - I found these are also good to help get food unstuck when my general brushing doesn't do the job.

Getting braces and learning to live with them can be uncomfortable, but It's worth the end result.

Reply 19

username943595

Also, don't eat toffee when your braces are on!! Worst nightmare ever. If you do eat toffee, you can only suck on it(the quality street toffee ones), and not chew it. :P

Posted from TSR Mobile