Braces!?

For the most part braces are just uncomfortable. They don't hurt much, just make sure you're brushing and flossing properly. Spacers are teeny tiny little elastics they'll put in between some of your teeth to prepare you for the braces, you won't even notice them. There's nothing to really do to prepare for braces.

I had braces from mid 2001 to mid 2006 (5 years), in that time I also had the pleasure of experiencing elastics, headgear, and a spacer for the roof of my mouth. If you're having any teeth removed (so that there will be gaps) and you've got bare wires, use the wax. If you're going to have elastics and your brackets have those hooks on them, use the wax. Brush your teeth and floss properly (trust me lol).

 

I agree with CJliving, there's not much pain but they're just not very comfortable until you get used to them. However I was fortunate enough to have only had them for a year. But I'm so glad I did. It's all worth it in the end.

 

They don't hurt much the first day, but when you wake up the next day they'll kill. They also will hurt like hell the days after when they get tightened

 

For me they definitely did hurt much. My teeth were bend forward, so I had to use braces for quite some time. And yes, they definitely did hurt and especially when they "strengthened" its power, it hurt so much that it gave me headaches.

That being said, your teeth are backwards so the situation is very different. =) Besides, my teeth needed quite some fixes, so... (And even now it's still no good actually, I think, although most disagree with my opinion)

 

I had braces in 2003/04 to maybe 06-ish. It's been a long time, so sorry for my fuzzy memory.

* Do braces hurt when they're put on? Should I be worried? - The only thing I remember about them that "hurt" was when they were being tightened, but it goes away. If it helps, go get some ice cream or frozen yogurt if you can after. It goes down quickly. You don't have to worry.

*What are spacers? - Spacers I don't really remember much about, and I just had to go to Google to see. They're kind of self explanitory, they're used to put some spaces between your teeth so they can have some room to move if they're too close together--or so I understand. Do your best to not touch them or mess with them since they can fall out. I made the stupid decision to eat chewy candy when I had them in and pulled them right out. You also get to have these little rubber "o rings" on your brackets, which come in a wide range of colors (depending on where you go).

*How should I prepare for having braces? - There's not much you have to do really. With braces, you should be more diligent with brushing your teeth. Your orthodontist should give you an oral care kit which may include a flosser to between the wire, which looks like a little bristle brush. It's common sense, but be gentle with your braces and teeth in general. Miscare can, again, cause brackets to come loose and it's a pain in the ass to sit there and have them get fixed.

Along with this, avoid chewy candy like taffy, gum, caramel and the like; which, as I said, can get caught in your wires and possibly pull out brackets or spacers. And trust me, it's not very fun to have to explain what happened and sit in the chair longer to get new ones put on.

Honestly, the worse part of the process is the gross taste of the cement they use to put on your teeth and the whole molding process unless you went through that already. In general, it's not too bad. It could be way, way worse. I'm sure you'll do well and take care of your teeth better than I did since I was too lazy with my retainer years later and a problematic tooth I finally got straight is crooked again.

 

My braces didn't hurt at all. Whats really awful is headgear. Spacers are little plastic rubbery things they slip between your last and second to last teeth, or at least in my case, they make room or space for some bigger thing that will be on your back teeth, in my case metal rings to fit in headgear. I don't really think that there is a way to prepare for braces. also, don't worry about the foods "your not supposed to eat." I ate everything you were supposed to stay clear of when i had braces and nothing ever happened.

 

No problem! You'll be alright, just be smart about things and don't be forgetful like me.

 

I don't think ill ever have to get them

 

My upper teeth had braces for around a year. In my experience, it doesn't hurt getting them 'installed' and later removed. Although you might experience mild discomfort because your mind is thinking of worst case scenarios. By the time of the 2nd tightening, you'll probably be used to it and feel much better.

The tightening process didn't really hurt. Although I remember a very slight pain for around 15 mins afterwards. You'll hardly notice it unless you're eating or talking. If you're really worried, just take painkillers in advance. Problem solved.

You might find yourself eating different foods because it's easier. I broke my braces eating french fries. I had a little wire sticking out and irritating me until I got an appointment to fix it. You might sound strange when you talk until you get used to having braces. I found that to be the most infuriating issue.

 

Look into invisalign

 

It's not that bad. Unless you get four teeth out like me. That hurts. Yeah... After that, I got my braces, which hurt for about a week, but got used to them after that. Then I got a metal... Ermm... Thing... On the roof of my mouth, which has made an imprint on my tounge, really strange... And then I got elastics. Braces aren't as bad as they sound. Trust me.

 

I looked forward to having braces. The cute kids all had braces, and the rich kids. Then for some reason mine were delayed and I never got them installed until I was 16, by which time nearly everyone else was getting theirs taken off! I think its because I had to get some teeth pulled first. Then to make things worse my parents took me to the cheapest guy around who used some sort of antique 50s-era braces which consisted of individual bands on each tooth. They were different from everyone else's and they just looked weird because instead of being shiny, they were sort of dull and gray like they were made out of lead. Maybe they were. I don't think I smiled for three years.

 

I've had braces since I was 17 with at least another year or two to go, plus an operation next month.

First of all, congratulations on having them on the NHS and for free.

The first week for me was not good. I dislike pain a lot - the reason why I never pulled any teeth out unless under local anesthetic. Getting used to eating was difficult. Depending on the crookedness of your teeth, the wrist thing could be the archwire (wire going through the brackets and bands) poking out of the back and into your cheek. A couple of mm to over a cm can cause many ulcers and bleeding. But your dentist will go through it with you.

If you have ever had teeth taken out at the dentist, they put some gel into you mouth before local anesthetic. This gel is like what they put into your mouth before starting.

Be sure to have routine visits to the normal dentist to clean up your teeth and general health of your gums and teeth.

Are you having top and bottom braces on at the same time?

Finally, enjoy them. They will be in your mouth a while. Next time you go see your ortho, ask questions; as many as you can, such that you come away convinced that there is nothing to worry about.

 

I recall that on the first day I had braces it took me ages to eat dinner. After a while I got used to them. It just took time.

 

They're not too bad. I had them for a year and a half, which is a pretty short time compared to those who usually get them for two years. I just had some slightly crooked teeth and an overbite. It was great for my tight budget.

It's just the couple of days following your braces tightening appointment. At first, they would hurt but after a few more monthly appointments, they just feel uncomfortable but not painful. The dull pain set in for me a couple of days after I got my braces. I recommend some ibuprofen and aspirin for a bit.

Don't eat extremely hard foods like toffee, peanut brittle, ribs, or any cut of meat with tons of bones. You'll regret it when a bracket pops out or when you cry out in pain because it'll hurt if you're eating that stuff the day after tightening your braces.

 

CJ pretty much covered all the bases for this thread. But I'll toss my thoughts in, anyways.

I've had a lot of dental work done on me, and I'd like to think I'm slightly knowledgeable about it all by now. How much braces hurt really does depend on your pain tolerance, and how much your teeth are going to be moved by the braces.

That said, I didn't find the installation of the braces to be too painful; it's more tedious than anything else. A couple of hours afterwards, however, you can definitely start to feel the pull. After you first get them put on, I suggest popping a few tylenol before they start hurting. The mornings after having my braces tightened, were also times when I could feel really the pressure on my teeth. But, it's different for everyone.

Like CJ said, wax is a great way to stop the jabbing of long wires. I was always kinda shitty with handling wax, and ended up swallowing more than what stayed on my braces. I more often found myself just popping down to the ortho office, and asking if they could quickly clip the excess wire for me, which they always accommodated. If anything feels more uncomfortable than you think it should, make sure to verify with the hygienists, or whoever is overseeing your braces.

Spacers are little elastics they floss into the spaces between your teeth. This is done to allow room for the gear.

There's really not a way to get ready for braces, except to cherish how easy it is to eat food. Understand that you will constantly be picking food out of your braces But in the end, it'll be worth it. Good chompers are precious.

Good luck.