Getting Braces - What to expect?

[hurfdurp]

I had that lovely roof dividing apparatus that was like some sort of medieval torture instrument where you are forced to turn it and increase the pressure/pain yourself. After having that, my braces are a godsend. Your mouth is tender after they change the wire every so often, but it's not really that bad. I have to get three teeth pulled in the upcoming weeks, ughhhh when will this end?!

 

[BanthaFodder]

have you gotten spacers yet? those little buggers are the worst part. it's a little annoying when the wire is tightened, but other than that, it's a cakewalk

 

[Teroch]

Oh my god, half of the posts in here are greatly exaggerated!
I got my braces about half a year ago, and first thing I did after getting them sticked to my teeth was going to subway and buying a footlong sandwich.
It was kinda hard to eat, but still it isn't that bad. 4-5 days, then the pain sould be as good as gone.
You just have to get used to eat more carefull if you don't want to bite something off you might want to use later.
The one and only thing that keeps annyoing me is food getting stuck in the braces. Te worst is over after 2 months, but in that time you will have half of the stuff you eat right between your front teeth. It will get better lateron, but even half a year later it still can be annoying as hell if there's something stuck somewhere, and you can't get it out.

All in all, it's annoying, but besides the first week doesn't hurt. Don't be too afraid

P.S.: Don'T get your hopes up too high to get rid of the braces early, since I got them the time I'll keep them has already doubled...

 

[Shraggler]

When I was a kid, orthodontists told my parents I'd need oral surgery and braces. Unfortunately, they were expensive and we didn't have any money. It signified a measure of affluence to me as a kid and although I resented them, I didn't envy the kids at school that wore braces.

I've always been annoyed with the fact that I can't smile or mimic anyone else in the mouth department because I lack an overbite. I don't have either an overbite or and underbite, just a bite. My teeth sit right on top of one another. It ruined me during my schooling days because the photo-op people taking yearbook photos would say "Smile! Smile! I want to see some teeth!" and I'd just make my face contort into more and more ridiculous smirks so I looked like a smarmy jerk.

I just know I'm fucked though. Fucking broke childhood.

To answer your question - just be excited for the end. Your teeth will look aesthetically pleasing and people will find you attractive. Take advantage of that because it doesn't last long.

 

[EOD Tech]

This topic must be utterly alien to all our British members.

I was just thinking why do yanks think perfect teeth are so important? makes people look really evil like aliens or robots. most people i know have teeth like vandalised graveyards and its hasnt held them back or had any bad effect on there lives

"most people i know have teeth like vandalised graveyards"

Lord, what a resounding endorsement for government-run health care. Thank God the House just repealed it.

EDIT: "vandalise"...I do love your crazy British spellings.

 

[SovietSecrets]

Okay, so imagine the worst pain you can. Imagine a combination of aching, cutting, and burning beyond the limits of all the pain you've ever known. That's inside your mouth--inside your teeth--twenty-four-seven, three-sixty-five, for four years. You'll have to learn new ways of eating and talking unless you want to cut your lips to ribbons, and if you're lucky you'll only get one or two stray wires lodged inside your tongue. Your mouth will know nothing but agony and numbness, in that order, until the day you get them removed.

It'll make your smile nice and pretty, though. So who cares?

What kind of braces did you wear?

OT: Just some pain the day and day after they get tightened and it will hurt to eat those two days. Your entire mouth will hurt those two days. As for learning what foods you can and cant eat? Screw all that. I still ate whatever I pleased and everything was fine. Had my braces off in 2 1/2 years.