Adults with braces

[Deleted User]

I had braces fitted yesterday. I am in a lot of discomfort, finding it tricky to eat and everything it swollen. I hv large ulcers.

Please share yr positive story to help me through these early weeks. Plus any tips would be appreciated. I feel so self conscious.

meritaten

my cousins wife had braces fitted as an adult - and carried on singing in pubs and clubs. nobody seemed to notice or if they did they didn't comment. she was in her thirties.
my DD when she had braces found the first few days the worst - paracetamol helped!
you will get used to them - but in the early days if you find it painful - take paracetamol or aspirin. and follow the advice given!

GwylimT

I had them when I was twenty as I had an under bite fixed, if you have ulcers dry the brace and tooth area completely and use brace wax, it's fantastic. I found for the first few days chewing pressure was quite painful, but it wore off very quickly.

arbroath_lass

I had them in my thirties too. It will get better. The first few days are the worst. Take paracetamol if you need it and use the brace wax.

[Deleted User]

Thanks guys. Am off to bed, so will clean and use the wax. Hope the swelling will subside by the morning.

Hollypop_2

I feel your pain for you Bailey, I know exactly what you're going through!

4 years ago I had 'train track' braces fitted. The first few days were awful. I remember sitting in bed crying as I was in so much pain; Paracetomol and ibuprofen helped along with ice packs for a short while. After a few days your teeth will settle down and you'll be fine.

You'll get to a point where you kind of forget about them, until you go back for the elastics changing and tightening - then it goes back to been painful for a few days.

You just have to remember the reasons why you are doing this and my advise is to take lots of pictures - at first my teeth moved really quickly and I didn't notice much till I looked back at the pictures. :eek:

I finally had my braces removed in April this year, and got clear retainers (like invisaline braces) which now have got down to wearing just on a night time to help keep the teeth straight.

My case was a little extreme as last October I underwent a 6 hour double jaw surgery operation, where they broke my jaw, took bits out and re-aligned it so that my teeth and bite were perfect. I'm still suffering with some side affects from that - but that's a whole other story!

It's taken a long long time but my overall appearance and confidence is now a million times better than before it all started so my advise to you is to keep smiling and get on with it as it will be over before you know it!!

Oh & P.S ... The few days you can't eat is great for losing weight

atolaas

I had a brace for 5 years...I found that yoghurt and ice cream really help with the discomfort after I'd had the braces adjusted, does an excellent job of numbing the mouth...avoid eating whole apples and corn on the cob, they can snap the braces right off your teeth. Get some Iglu (sorry if the spelling is wrong) to treat any ulcers. If you're really suffering go back to your dentist/orthodontist and have them adjusted so that they are more comfortable...don't suffer in silence. My top tip is to run your tongue over the brace once the adjustment has been made to see if there are any sharp bits. Get the brace wax on ASAP to prevent any rubbing or irritation to your mouth...Good luck and think of the lovely smile you'll have at the end

janb5

I had Invisalign in my 50s! Should have braces when I was much younger but spots + glasses were enough at that time.


Really glad I did it particularly as before this I couldn't floss and my teeth are so much better! Good luck!

sinizterguy

Use the orthodontic wax. After a few days your ulcers will most likely settle and you'll get used to the braces.

Just do take the extra time to clean all the new bits in your mouth.

jaylee3

My friend had a brace at 30-ish and she tolerated it for 5 days. She lost 5 pounds in weight (in 5 days!) because she couldn't eat!!!

It really got her down. It caused blisters/ulcers and welts on her tongue and cheeks. Maybe she could've persevered, but she was in too much pain and distress, and went on to leave the crooked tooth as it was.

Hope you will be OK OP.

pandora205

I had braces fitted in my 50s. They were for functional rather than cosmetic reasons, as I had a severe overbite that was wearing my lower teeth down. It took two years for them to come off (longer than I had expected) but the results are spectacular. Lovely even straight teeth. I went on to have some reconstructive work (composite bonding) on my front teeth as well as tooth whitening and now I have wonderful teeth which are much more attractive. It's also improved my profile and taken years off me. So it is all worth while. I wear clear retainers at night only and dont even need check ups for those now. I go annually to my specialist dentist though, as well as regularly to be usual one.

On the comfort front, yes they are very uncomfortable at first and after each set of adjustments. Dental wax helps hugely but is quite fiddly. I also used Iglu to help with ulcers. Eating is a bit of an art. I found I could eat just about everything after a while, chopping up apples, etc. and avoiding toffee and chewing gum. I was meticulous about cleaning, used dental brushes, etc. and Corsodol (as instructed by my orthodontist) not least as he showed me some horrendous photos of what can happen if teeth aren't cleaned well.

There is an adult brace wearers' forum which I found useful (arch wired).