For people who have or have had braces?

[Anonymous]

I have had really bad teeth ever since I can remember. My top teeth are straight but I have a small gap in the front and they just need to be closer together. However, my bottom teeth are so crooked, I think its 4 of my bottom front teeth. My parents never took me to the dentist until I was like 16 and the last time I went I was 18 (I'm 22 and a half now) I really really really really want to have nice straight white healthy teeth, (preferably before I turn 25) I have a pretty good self esteem but my teeth don't make me feel beautiful. I really want to get braces but I'm a little scared and have a few questions:

1. Did you have to get any teeth extracted?

2. Did you have any jaw problems afterward?

3. Did it change the appearance of your mouth?

4. Did it make your mouth bigger?

5. How long did you have to wear them?

6. (kinda dumb question) did your upper teeth move up or down? (I don't wanna show my gums) :)

7. Did it affect he way you talk?

8. How's the pain?

9. Do you have to wear those rubber bands?

I am a little afraid of the dentist, and I have TMJ, and I'm not able to have my mouth open for long periods of time but I really want to transform my smile!

[kayotik]

A lot of it is going to depend on your dentist and the way your mouth is naturally.

For me, it sounds like I had a similar problem to you: my top teeth were alright, just a little crooked, but my bottom teeth were very overcrowded. I had two teeth that even grew in almost completely sideways.

1. I was told at first that he was going to try to leave all my teeth in but I may have to have some removed if it didn't work correctly. I ended up keeping all of my teeth. I haven't even had to get my wisdom teeth out.

2. No, not at all

3. Other than having straighter teeth? No

4. No not really

5. 3 years

6. No, they don't really move. If you don't brush your teeth well enough your gums can recede but if you have good oral hygiene, it won't really change at all

7. A little bit. Braces change the way your lips fit over your teeth because suddenly there's something in the way. But you will adjust pretty quickly. It's hard if you have the rubber bands in because sometimes the configuration was so tight I could barely open my mouth. But that was only for about four months total (not consecutive). Other than that, though, it didn't make a huge difference in the way I talked

8. Depends what they do, and on your personal pain tolerance. It hurt so bad when I first got them on, that was the worst. I cried on the first night when I was trying to sleep and it was just constant pain (I was 12 when I got them on, btw). It hurt for usually 2-3 days after getting them tightened. And any time they changed the configuration of the rubber bands my jaw would be sore for a few days or a week

9. I had rubber bands for about 1/3 of the time I had braces. The point of rubber bands is to fix your jaw alignment so it will be different depending on how your mouth is. I had a really bad overbite so it sucked for me, but I knew people who had them for less time, or at least had looser bands and it wasn't that bad. there is also a different type of rubber band that is like a chain that goes around all the brackets. Unlike the other bands, you don't ever take this one out, and they will let you pick the color. It's supposed to move your teeth closer together to close gaps. Hurts a lot at first but after a while you won't even notice it at all.

I hated having braces but when I got them off, it was completely worth it

[Catie101]

i have had braces on only for a month now so I can't answer all your questions but I can answer some. first off my main issue was a few small gaps in the front of my mouth, 2 baby teeth, and a slight overbite. I got the clear brackets which were more costly but worth it because theyre so much less visible.

1) yes I had a surgery to extract my baby teeth (eye teeth a.k.a. canines) because they never came out when I was younger. they attached chains to the adult teeth and at my next appointment I will get them attached so they can be pulled down and into the right place.

4) right once I got them on it looked so odd because I could barely close my mouth it was so jam packed in there, but after a couple weeks my braces kinda "broke my mouth in". it no longer looks abnormally big.

5) my treatment time expected is 30-36 months but my ortho prolongs the expected treatment time so people don't get upset when they don't get them off at the expected time. (im sure it will take less time).

7) at times it does if too much saliva builds up in my mouth, which is rare.

8) not pleasant to be quite honest. like 4 hours after I got the braces on I was nearly crying in pain but advil helps. its still quite sore but it is getting better.

9) I will have elastics to fix my slight overbite if that's what rubber bands you mean.

within 3 days of having my braces on my gap at the front was almost filled completely and after a month the two front teeth look basically perfect!

if you are getting braces don't go to a dentist for that go to an ortho!

[carguydc]

I got braces late. I got them at age 18. I had an overbite, but my teeth weren't that messed up, but messed up enough to need braces. The true purpose of braces is to fix your bite and make sure your teeth line up well so they don't wear oddly. Cosmetics is really the secondary reason for getting braces.

1. Yes. Because I got braces too late, my jaw was done growing and they couldn't fix my bite without pulling two top teeth. Getting my teeth pulled wasn't exactly fun. I opted for only local anesthetic. Apparently it wasn't quite enough because I still felt it and it hurt a lot when he pulled them out. All the crunching of the bone and teeth inside your head wasn't very pleasant either. Afterwards, it hurt, but not quite as badly as I thought it would.

2. No, no jaw problems caused by braces.

3. Yes, it made my mouth and teeth look better.

4. No, it made it look smaller if anything because it got rid of the overbite.

5. Because I got them late, I had to wear them 3 and a half years.

6. No, everything with my gums stayed the same.

7. No.

8. It hurt. Each time they were tightened, it hurt badly for a day or two.

9. Yes, in order to close the gap that was left when I got my teeth extracted, I had those little rubber bands. Those hurt the most of anything.

I really don't like the dentist either. It was a rough time. Unfortunately, my teeth have moved since I got braces because I did not have my bottom wisdom teeth out and they scrunched things together so now my bottom teeth aren't straight anymore.

[Anonymous]

1. I had both my wisdom tooth grow out and they shifted everything so I had to get them removed first.

2. The first week my mouth was sore as hell.

3. I felt like I couldn't close my mouth no matter how hard I tried.

4. I felt all bulky in the face and puffy cheeked.

5. I wore mine for 2 years before I got a retainer.

6. I didn't exactly have a gummy smile but my teeth adjusted perfectly.

7. It didn't really effect the way I talked I was just more self self conscious cause I always thought there was something stuck there.

8. I won't lie, it's painful. Sometimes, you wish it was over but you get used to it over time and you adjust.

9. Yeah the rubber bands help a lot.

[starlight124]

1. Yes 4 teeth

2. No

3. Not really

4. No

5. 5 years

6. Umm neither

7. Nope

8. Only hurts when you first get them on and try to eat solid foods, I suggest eating soup the first week

9. Sometimes yes

[Asker]

why did you have to get 4 teeth extracted?

[starlight124]

They were baby teeth and we're in the way

[CindiluvsFriends]

I've never had them but my ex has. He also had a gap between his two front teeth.

He wore them for two years and had to have them adjusted every 6 wks. I believe. and each time he would get them adjusted,he would be in pain. But it was worth it(to him)in the end.

And of course,while wearing them you can't eat certain foods.

Hope this helps!

[rhea825]

I had a gap in my teeth as well. I finally got braces @ age 17.

1. No teeth had to get extracted

2. I have not had any jaw problems.

3. Yes, it looks much better now.

4. No, mine actually appears smaller because my teeth are now pushed together.

5. 2 years.

6. They did not move up nor down.

7. A little at first. But not now.

8. It wasn't that painful for me except when I had to wear rubberbands.

9. I was supposed to, but I rarely wore them and they haven't said anything. lol