I just got braces..

Erm, well, any advice I could get? Anything I should know..? *Very worried/ashamed/confused.*

 

I never had braces. So, uh, I hope you don't like gum that much.

 

I never had braces either. I sure hope you don't kiss your lover.

 

Ehhh never had them either.
Although this now mean, you can no longer eat:
Taffy, gum (chew, not eat), and a load of other sticky foods.
First few weeks, it hurts or something (or was it days?) but then it gets better.
This is all from hearing about it from others, so I wouldn't recommend listening to any of us so far on this issue.

 

I have top braces currently. Days 1-3 were a nightmare, but they get better pretty quickly. I had to take some tylenol for the first few days though.
They don't affect me too much - I can still eat most of the same stuff. It feels weird eating at first but you get used to it. I actually forget that i'm wearing braces for long periods of time.

 

Brush twice a day and floss nightly. Braces will teach you good dental hygeine habits if only because braces get really fucking nasty if you don't keep them clean.

 

Thanks! I have to have them for 18 months.
But, the thing is that I LOVE gum and shit like that...
And I'm technically forever alone, so the lover thing; that's not a problem.

 

Darn, I feel for you man. My dentist first told me I needed braces when I was eleven, but I was so vehemently against it and dismissed the topic every time it came up over the next two years. Finally when I was thirteen my mom put her foot down and made me get braces. I had them for a little bit over two years.

As far as good things to be aware of, I'm assuming your orthodontist has given you the basic rundown. Don't chew gum, don't eat taffy, don't eat any really hard candy. Still floss even though it's hard, 'cause there are a lot of cases of people getting cavities while they get braces. If you haven't been told that, then you can get most of that information from a quick google search. But here's some additional information you won't find many other places and some tips and tricks that most orthodontists don't want you to know bother to tell you:

• The orthodontist's estimation of how long you'll have your braces is generally six months off. When my sister had her first set of braces, she was told she'd have them for a year; she ended up having them for a year-and-a-half. When my sister had her second set of braces, she was told she'd have them for a year-and-a-half; she ended up having them for two years. When my cousin got braces, she was told she'd have them for a year-and-a-half; she ended up having them for two years. I was told that I'd have my braces for a year-and-a-half, but I ended up having them for two years. Notice the trend.
• Most crunchy foods can be eaten. As long as you chew it with your molars, it's pretty much safe to eat most hard and crunchy foods. For the time that you have braces, your molars are your friends.
• Chewing gum probably won't take your braces off. Yes, orthodontists strongly discourage it, but almost everyone I know who's had braces did it anyway, and none of them suffered any consequences. I'm not saying I advise you to do the same (I don't really like chewing gum, so I never faced this dilemma), but it is accurate to say that orthodontists exaggerate the dangers of chewing gum with braces. Some don't have a problem with you chewing gum if it's sugar free.
• You don't necessarily have to floss very often. If all you do to keep your teeth healthy is brush your teeth after every meal and snack, then you should be in good shape. The only times that I ever flossed my teeth while I had braces was when the orthodontists would take the wire off my braces for me to clean them before putting a new wire on it (they do that at every appointment before they tighten your braces). And when I got my braces off, I had no cavities. Granted, I only know it works if you're very diligent about brushing your teeth after every time you eat something (which is somewhat of a hassle during the first couple of months). If you don't brush your teeth that often, you might not be able to get away without any cavities without flossing.

Eventually, some day, it will be worth it, and you'll be glad you had your braces. Hang in there.

 

Well, I just got my braces off sometime last year. They are quite annoying, so good luck with that. To be honest, no one really follows the rules like No gum, or no chips, and it wasn't really a problem for me so I wouldn't worry *too* much about that(as long as you do everything else your orthodontist tells you to do) After you get your braces off though, you'll have to use retainers 24/7 for a few weeks, but afterwards you just have to use them at night.

 

I see. Ah well, I hope my "1.5 years" will be in time for my senior picture. Freshman now.

 

I see. Ah well, I hope my "1.5 years" will be in time for my senior picture. Freshman now.

if only there was some way to know for sure

 

You must be the smartest person in the world if you have that problem

 

I think he means for his ID photo for Senior year. Always taken during Junior year.

 

^
That's what I meant..
Ugh, does anyone have a skip-forward-in-time-by-two-years-inator?

 

^
That's what I meant..
Ugh, does anyone have a skip-forward-in-time-by-two-years-inator?

Jump out a 2nd-story window and if you're lucky you'll hit your head just right to go into a coma for that long.

 

^XD

But, SHIT. The PAIN just kicked in!! T_T

 

that's kind of a thing that happens

 

It feels like sharp, jagged pebbles were glued to my teeth!

 

Aw yeah, I know that feeling. My braces would leave imprints in my mouth sometimes. And the wire would poke out on other occasions.

Really, those were the only real irritations that bothered me about braces. I got them when I was still in elementary school, so I don't recall too much. Brushing, like the others said above = absolutely crucial. Not only that, but there's a certain way you need to brush as well. I did the regular brushing, but the orthodontist kept saying that I hadn't brushed my teeth. You need stiff bristles to brush and get in between the wires. Brushing them regularly won't do.

I don't recall chewing gum with my braces on, though I did it with a retainer (the wire kind) and it got stuck on there. I managed to pull it out by chewing another piece of gum. :/ Not saying it works all the time like that though.

Things could change for better or worse, so maybe you'll get them off earlier than expected. Likewise, they may stay on longer, but by taking good care of your braces/teeth, you should be fine.

 

^
Thanks! I'm actually going to listen to and do what you guys recommend.
But HOLY HELL, THE BOTTOM BRACES HURT.