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since i'm going to get braces pretty soon, maybe when summer vacation starts, i was just wondering, if any of you guys ever had braces, what was it like? i've been hearing all these horror stories about getting braces from my friends (they drill them into your teeth, assistants refuse to numb you, the after-pain is about three times worse than pulled muscles, orthodontist is always in a bad mood and likes taking it out on his/her teenage patients, etc.). to be quite honest, i'm a little scared of what'll happen, especially since i'll have a new orthodontist (the fifth one i've had in three years), and i don't know what to expect. :-\ will someone give me an honest answer to what really happens when you get braces?

I haven't had braces, but I REALLY need to get them done.
So, anyone else with tales to share?

Soul if you feel that there isn't something right with any medical or dental provider let your folks know and get another one....its your body take good care of it...

If you don't mind listening to an old guy for a bit, I had them when I was younger.  I'm guessing the technology has advanced a bit since I had them, but I understand they are basically the same.  Typically they are attached to the teeth with a special dental cement.  A running wire is used to connect each tooth to the others and by manipulating the wires the orthodontist can gradually reposition the teeth.  It's uncomfortable, especially early on, but it gets better with time and after a while you kind of take it for granted.  Make sure you get a little obsessive about cleaning your teeth since you are at greater risk for cavities with the braces on.  Once you get the braces off, you will probably go to some sort of retainer.  Get obsessive about wearing it when you are supposed to.  And keep going to the dentist to keep an eye on those wisdom teeth.  They can undo all the good work of the braces later in your teens if you and your dentist don't deal with them in timely fashion. [/annoying old guy lecture]

I currently have braces. At first I really hated them. They were annoying and hurt really bad. After a few days, I got use to them. Now I have had them for a year and a half. It occasionally hurts and the brackets sometimes cut my mouth but they aren't too bad once you get use to them. As for the process of putting them on, there are a lot of myths. When I was younger, I was told then have to give multiple shots in the mouth so I was really scared the day I went but all they really did was put some sort of glue on my teeth and put the bracket over the glue and the wire in. I don't think you need to be numbed for it because it doesn't hurt until the wire is put on. It is uncomfortable throughout the process. They don't drill in teeth (at least mine didn't). When I first got them on I really wanted to go back and get them off but my mom wouldn't take me. I am very glad she didn't because my teeth are almost perfectly straight and I LOVE the outcome. Basically there is nothing to be afraid of. This is the honest truth about mine just make sure to wear the retainer afterwards and maintain good brushing and it will be fine! Wow this is the most i've typed in a while. LOL!  Hope I have helped!

well, my parents and i have done some research, and they're thinking of letting me have this new brace technique called the Damon System. it's basically a new thing that takes the pain out of getting braces, without extractions (i've already had five teeth extracted, but they were my last baby teeth and they had to go anyways), fewer office visits, and better dental hygenie in less than two years! i don't know if it'll require a retainer afterwards, since it moves the bone tissues in a natrual way, but it sounds like a better alternate than regular braces or Invisalign. 2laugh and luckily, this new orthodontist we're considering (the fifth one i've had) offers the Damon braces, so we'll go to him, even if it means driving down to Memorial City to see him. and apparently, he's into classic rock, plays guitar, and his name is Woody (like that doll from Toy Story (seriously an orthodontist who's a guitar player, likes classic rock, and his name is Woody?! this has got to be some twist of fate!!))

so here's a link to better explain these new braces: http://www.damonbraces.com/ (http://www.damonbraces.com/)

Braces are a breeze. Really. The spacers hurt a bit, but just take a painkiller if it really bothers you.
Getting the braces on is not painful but uncomfortable. For a few days after that they will feel weird, but if you find they cut into your mouth, like mine did, I was able to put this wax stuff on which helped.
   After that, it's easy. Don't be self-concious about them, people barely notice them. It can be annoying when food gets stuck in them (and VERY embarassing) but that's why i carry a toothbrush around when I was going out. (locked in a case where no one can see)
Really, they're no big deal. ;) And your teeth will look gorgeous after.

apparently, we found a different guy to do my braces, since the guy i wanted didn't take either of my parents' insurances. this guy is really nice, even though he kept doing the whole "bite down...open up...bite down..." thing during the consulation, which ended up being the same appointment when i got the spacers.

now that "bite down....open up....bite down...." thing has become an inside joke between me and my family. :P

Braces really are not that bad. All I recommend is that you use the wax they give you. When I had braces, I used the wax constantly. Just put it over the braces that are hurting you the most, for me it was my upper incisors (the "canine teeth"). It really helps. =)

I had braces for four years, and just got them off last August.
I'm going to be honest with you: when you first get them on, they HURT!!! Whenever you get them tightened or anything like that, they'll hurt a bit as well.
However, the pain is TOTALLY worth it when you get your new smile after you get them off. :)
They aren't as bad as people make them out to be. After a while, you won't even notice them.

i think the worst, so far about them is that i cant be as rough with my guys, cause they could cut open my pper lip if i fall on them hard enough, seeing as i only have top ones.
i have had top braces for 3 1/2 months and the other bad thing is the second wire hurt the most, though the orthodontist said it wouldn't, and then my inside of my lips have PLENTY of scars from them too. and my wire's are always poking me. but there not too bad. 3yay
WORTH IT FOR STRAIGHT TEETH!!
retainers are MUCH worse. (though sometimes i miss it, like something is missing without it in.)

at first it feels a little weird and you'll fing you lips getting pulled by the braces but then you get used to it.

also, you'll get a little pain on your teeth for two days, but then it'll be gone

braces arent that bad, and the results are WONDERFUL! ;D

ok folks, i just got my braces two days ago. putting them on wasn't as bad as i thought it would be; they came on a little mold, but the thing is, the braces themselves were on the inside of the mold. so all they had to do was spray the glue on my teeth and put the mold on! pretty cool, eh? however, i also had a palatal expander put in, whichh annoyingly cuts across the middle of my mouth, making swallowing harder.

and just like everyone has said, these first couple of days have been pure hell. eating hurts, drinking hurts, when i talk, i sound like i have a lisp (thanks to the stupid expander! 1pfft). plus, my front and bottom teeth are extremely sensitive, and even when i brush them lightly, it still hurts. the ortho told me to cut out hard cardy, which sucks, cuz i love Jolly Ranchers and Skittles. i can't even eat eighty percent of my favorite foods cuz eating hurts so badly. but hey, that's just another excuse to get me more smoothies/Starbucks frapuccinios! ;D

Gosh, how I hate braces.
I have them now.
I have had them for three years.

Before I got them, my friend said that there were little needles on them that hook into your gums. She scared the living crap out of me. XD

They do hurt for a while after getting them on, even a whole week maybe, but it should stop after that and the only thing that sucks is I have scars in my mouth from the sharp wires that got longer in the back,
and even one that is a FLAP OF SKIN in my mouth where the wire cut it halfway.

I HATE IT! DX

And no hard candy. If you do, trust me, it really will break the brackets. I'd thought, I'll be careful and it won't! :DDDD

But it did. And we had to pay for more brackets glued on.

Anyways, when I get them off, I'll be soo happy. Getting the bottom off on July 28, 2009!!!
:D

Good luck with yours!

now i am afraid for the time to come of my next appointment, because i am almost dont with my top ones and then they'll put on the botoms soon, and then the top will come off after that... but my friend told me that it hurts the most to get them taken off cause they RIP THEM OFF YOUR TEETH!!?? but i guess as long as they dont rip any of my teeth out i will be a-okay...

my cousin had braces when she was my age (she's twenty-three) and she said most of those rumors weren't true. she also had a palate expander and didn't mind it too much. what can i say? she loved going to the ortho when she had her braces. and it was all because she wanted to be dentist. where was i? oh yeah...

and 0BretttterB0, my cousin also said that they don't rip them off. they just put something on your teeth that's supposed to melt the glue and they just come off. see? it's that easy!

Edit: ladies and gentlemen, i am offically a liar. after doing some research, it's apparent that when you get your braces removed, they do pull the brackets and such out. i just want to say that it was a slight misunderstanding and i am truly sorry. :-\ now, feel free send me all the hate PM's you want, for lying about how they get rid of them and smashing your hopes of pain-free brace removal.

Really?
Thank god that's how they get them off.
My mom said they rip them off, and sort of chissel them off.

well that is okay i guess, it is too late now, they are allready on. my brother Ryan had them, and he was fine, so am i, but my sister Alisha is kind of weak, she told me when she got hers they hurt her teeth unbearably everytime a spoon even touched her teeth. i don't feel any pain, and barely any when i first got them. they hurt most when they put the second wire in.  ;D

ok, so about a week and a half ago, I noticed that the cement holding my expander started to chip off, bit by bit. I started to worry a little bit because I thought something bad was happening to it. when my mom called the orthodontist, one of his assistants, Hugo, said that sometimes it's normal for the cement to chip off and to start worrying if the expander itself was starting to get a little wobbly. after that call, I just rubbed it off, until three days ago, when, guess what? the expander started wobbling! :eek:

so, I went to the orthodontist's office this morning, and apparently, the expander situation was worse than we thought. he said that the expander looked "all jacked up". yep, that's Dr. Schimek's scientific word for my problem. so they had to take it out and put it back in, and now I have to start all over again with my 20 turns of the expander.

darn! and I was so close to finishing! I was only one turn away from being complete! oh well. at least they put it closer to the roof of my mouth so it's not in the way of everything. :P

oh, that's just GREAT isn't it??? i had to keep mine on for a month longer than normal. my friend Ben had his for one month, and i got three, but mine wasn't cemented. we both got our braces the same day, and i'm getting my bottoms the same day as he gets his tops!!!

they put the cement in wrong on mine, so when i went to the dentist he scraped it off my teeth!!! i was SOO happy it doesn't feel like OUCH in there anymore!!!

lol, Bretttter. I know what you mean! when they first took it out, I felt like the Tin Man in that scene from the Wizard of Oz. I was like, "OMG! I can talk again!", because that stupid thing was all the way down in my mouth and it was really hard for me to talk!

the good thing about it being put back in, though, is that it's closer to the roof of my mouth so talking's not as hard as it was before. plus, we just got my clarinet back from the shop, but I can't really play it right because of the expander. :( hopefully the DI's will understand and just let me be a decorative clarinet for now.

yupp... i'm gladd my instuments don't require my mouth, braces are grossnast like that... lmaoo... not really...

Boy braces came a long way since I had them only thing I rememember about mine Was my wire broke and came threw my lip. Only thing was it happened twice.

the wire went through your lip? yikes! I would totally freak out if that happened to me.

i think i would probably cry.

i feel your pain! i got them off last year! they hurt after getting them tightend and after you get them on... they dont drill holes. they paint your teeth and then stick them on... and put the wire on... they dont drill holes and they don't need to numb... oh and take pain killers like advil and such... BEFORE EACH VISIT!! IT'LL HURT AFTER IF YOU DONT!!!

oh and when they take them off.. all they do is they pop them... it sounds like it hurts but it doesn't... and it sounds like there pulling out your teeth but there not... then they melt the glue (or burn it) but it doesn't hurt.. HANG IN THERE THE RESULTS ARE FABO

You're lucky! When I got mine removed 6 years ago, they scraped my glue off! The lady had something that looked like a rusty nail that she was scraping my teeth with. She scraped so hard that she took off some of my enamel and cracked my two front teeth.

ow! well I sure hope they got smarter now...  :-\

About two years ago I got braces put on my top teeth. I've had them off for about 6 months and now have a wire behind my teeth. For me they didn't hurt when I got them off, and I'm such a chicken with pain. For me they used a sort of heat gun that heated the glue holding them on my teeth then they simply popped them off and it didn't hurt. Just feels like, if anyones ever eaten a redskin and got it stuck behind your teeth or on them, and then you pull it off, feels like that.

My teeth are offically worth thousands. After paying about $1000 for the braces, i've since had a everyday plastic retainer to keep them in shape, a night time retainer and now I have a permanent wire behind my teeth which will stay there. And then when I'm 18 I have to get my jaw broken then re-set because I have an underbite, which is really annoying when I go for checkups and they say bite together and its like 'I am!' But its also cool cause I can grit my teeth and still talk properly. I've also had my wisdom teeth out, which I don't really remember.. I remember going into the operating room.. getting that thingy stuck in my hand. then thats it. Everything else is blank until I woke up, when my mouth was numb and I kept dribbling blood and saliva. I looked like a chipmunk..

WHoa, you have an underbite? That's awesome! I have never seen a person with an underbite before.

Lol. I don't really look very different.. but where I have an underbite (thats what i think it is anyways. either that or an overbite) my top lip is incredibly thin but my bottom lip isn't. Looks sorta odd. Think of a cross between Angelina Jolie and someone with thin lips..
And I have trouble closing my mouth, so people think I'm staring amazed at them.. lol. quite funny actually.

A girl at my school has underbite, and if you have ever seen Hob the Troll (search myspace) her teeth stick uo like that sorta when she sings! lol!

I had braces. glad i did. i got a tandpasta smile now :D
BUT
do brush your theeth good. a friend of mine didn't and now you can still see where her braces were placed.

I had braces a couple of years ago, and i wasnt that bad... Yea it hurts a little the first 2 or 3 days, and that's it. People didnt even noticed that i had them  ;D Its kinda annoying with all that metal in your mouth, but youll be glad that you had it (;

I've had mine for a good while now.... rubber bands of DOOM.

Gee, that sucks Katie. :(

Now, I've had my braces for almost a year. It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, but, thanks to these braces I have, the pain doesn't last as long as normal braces do after a wire change. I only had an expander for two months, still no rubber bands yet, and my teeth look better than they did several months ago! :)

I had a retainer for four/five months, then braces for over a year... My teeth were TERRIBLE. They don't look so bad now! :)

I feel your pain literally because I recently received braces again and the part that stinks it that I won't get these instruments of torture off until nine to twelve months. P.S. I have my dad's jaw which pushes out a little bit which is why I needed braces again you'll get through it trust me I know I am.

I'm seriously convinced that all infections hook onto my braces, and that's why I get sick so often.

You know the best way to rid your teeth of infections is to brush them or if that doesn't work go see your orthodontist.

Not infections on my teeth. Things like the flu, and strep throat, and such... I mean I have a disease that causes a lot of immune deficiencies, but I've pretty much had it for my whole life (though I didn't know it) and  I swear things have been worse since I got braces.