Hello lemmies,
Yesterday was a bit of a shocking moment for me as my dentists told me I need to get braces to fix the alignment of some of my teeth. For context; as a young kid (11years)I broke my four front teeth, and had them replaced with fake ones (i believe they are known as veneers in English). They are now slowly falling off, as I have had them for a while (I am now 24). But before they can put on new ones, they want me to straighten out the positioning of the current ones, with braces.
Obviously this is the right choice, but I’ve always hated the thought of getting braces, especially this year as I will soon be starting work life and meeting new people.
Was therefore wondering what experiences people have with braces, especially if you had it as an adult / young adult. Anything I should know for upfront?
I’m 43 and am doing Invisalign as we speak.
I had braces in my teens but my orthodontist was an escaped nazi scientist who reveled in cruelty. I completed the course, but it gave me a phobia of dental work so I kinda… avoided dentists after.
Long story short: Invisalign and modern orthodontics is a world away from the 90s. No more mallets to hammer bands into teeth, no more night braces, etc. 3d models, computer aided treatment, it’s all like magic.
Do it, you’ll be happy you did. If you want more deets hit me up
My wife wants to try invisalign and we’re in our late 30s. She just wants to straighten her upper front teeth (slight overbite). Did your orthodontist say anything about expectations for adults and if there’s any difference?
Nope no difference! Other than adults can be more trusted to wear them (some kids take them out and don’t put em back in so generally kids get normal braces). He figures if an adult pays and doesn’t wear them, not his problem.
I got some knockoff Invisalign from smile direct club, I wouldn’t recommend them because they’re undergoing a chapter 13 realignment or something but before 1850 bucks they did the job.
I have a much better smile, I don’t hide half of my teeth when I’m smiling, honestly it was one of the better decisions I’ve made.
I’m sure there’s some other company out there that can do just as good of a job, but ask your doctor if you’re a good candidate for Invisalign and if you are then go for it.
I had them as an adult. They were annoying but worth it once they were removed.
No one made a big deal about them. They could make my teeth sore when I first got them or had anything adjusted, but again - more of a minor annoyance than outright pain. Nothing to be afraid of and I’m glad I did it now.
My wife got hers last year and is turning 30 soon. No one cares, and any comments she gets are people liking the colors she picked.
Remember, 99% of people you encounter are so self involved they won’t notice or remember something you think is super noticeable.
Buy a water flosser, though, because you absolutely have to brush and floss twice a day when you have them.
There’s low level constant pain that’s not easily comparable to anything else, which gets worse the day after any adjustments are done. And make sure you get a retainer you can wear each night.
My mistake was not asking for an alternative retainer, and grinding teeth at night kept breaking my retainers until it got too expensive to keep getting new ones. Now I’ll have to get braces or Invisalign or something to redo the straightening.
Good news is, I can still eat better than I could before I got braces.
In other news, seeing the Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist about my sinuses ended up curing the grinding along with mouth breathing and swollen sinuses.
I had braces in my early 20s. Its not a big deal. Just be ready for it to feel like youve been hit in the face with a train.
I’m an old adult and i went for Invisalign instead of braces two years ago.
Was pricey but an absolute breeze compared to the horror of having braces i experienced over two decades earlier.
I’ll see if I could have this instead, seems alot better.
Don’t be put off by the initial discomfort. It’ll feel weird at first.
Periodic tightenings are also slightly painful, but if you’re a weirdo like me then you’ll actually come to enjoy the feeling when it happens.
Obviously this is the right choice
Is it? It’s ok to get a second opinion from other dentists.
If their current position isn’t causing you pain or tooth/jaw wear problems, then straightening them is a cosmetic decision. And if you didn’t even realize they were that crooked until the dentist suggested straightening them, then the cosmetic aspect hasn’t been bothering you.
In my country (US), dentistry is notorious for upselling unnecessary cosmetic procedures.
For example, I went to a new dentist and he found two “developing” cavities he wanted to proactively drill out and fill and a “flaw in the enamel” he could fix with a veneer. I thought that was weird since I have never had a cavity before in my life and the “enamel flaw” was cosmetic only and never bothered me. I went to another dentist for a second opinion and she told me my teeth were fine. 5 years later and those “developing” cavities never formed.
I had the same thoughts when my dentist suggested it, but fortunately nowadays we have more choices for doing it.
I don’t know where you live and how much you can expend in it, but I’ve decided to use these removable invisible aligners (like Invisalign) and had no regrets. They’re faster to do their job, more trustable to get the alignment you need and, well, they’re not too visible as regular braces.
As other people said, correcting your teeth is something you will enjoy for the rest of your life. So, if you can afford invisible aligners and can follow their instructions (like using them for 20h per day, regularly brushing your teeth etc), I totally recommend going this way.
Besides what method you’ll choose, remember that everyone of them is temporary and you’ll be really happy with the results in the near future. I get the concern about what other people will think, but you should remember you’re doing something for you and to feel happier with yourself! :)
My wife did the Invisalign thing in her early 40s. Worked great! Nobody even knew she was wearing them. She’s much happier with her smile now and everyone benefits from even a small daily confidence boost. Expensive, but money well spent imo.
I’ve seen even people in their 40s using them. I don’t think that it’s a big deal, or that it’s too late for that.
50s and just spent a year in braces after dental surgery the year or so before screwed up my teeth. Now I am in my retainer. In all that time I cannot think of a single person who wasn’t excited for me or at least interested in the fact I was wearing braces to get my teeth aligned.