Braces

[g-bebe]

So I'm at a kind of crossroads with my teeth this summer.

As a child, I grew in a bit of a different pattern. In my early elementary years, I was one of the biggest kids I remember. As I got older into early highschool, I was just average, and from late highschool until where I'm at now, through two years of university, I've grown quite a bit, and thus, because of my late growth, my teeth have grown as well. I've always been happy with the way my teeth looked, even though I had to wear a retainer while I slept for a year or two when I was about 13.

The way my jaw has grown, the inscisors (sp?), the front middle teeth on the lower jaw, have crowded and have overlapped a bit. However, my bite is still fine, I'm comfortable with it and how my teeth and face looks.

My orthodontist is giving me the option of doing nothing (obv), getting jaw surgery and then braces (which I've already ruled out), and getting one of the inscisors removed and then get braces (which is my top option, if I choose to do something). This would mean having to take a few weeks off of work probably, in addition to the 1-2 years of braces.

The whole background for this was whether or not braces are as big a pain in the ass as they seem to be? Do they require insane amounts of cleaning so you don't get [censored] stuck in them whenever you eat? Is it harder to eat, do they hurt? Do they require too much maintenance?

I'm leaning toward not doing anything. I like the way I look right now, but my parents think I should do it because of the dental care plan I'd be on right now, and because they don't want me to regret passing up the option right now if my teeth get rough later in my life.

[JackInDaCrak]

just do it, you wont regret it.

[catalyst]

Not to hijack, but does anyone on this board have experience with Invisalign?

Edited to add: I think it would suck having braces my last two years of college

[mbillie1]

How old are you? If you're 18 or 19 it will probably be very, very unpleasant. Still probably the right decision, just be prepared...

[Nonfiction]

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Not to hijack, but does anyone on this board have experience with Invisalign?

Edited to add: I think it would suck having braces my last two years of college

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ive wondered about invisalign too... having braces in your 20s would be awful.

[Dilznoofus]

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Not to hijack, but does anyone on this board have experience with Invisalign?

Edited to add: I think it would suck having braces my last two years of college

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ive wondered about invisalign too... having braces in your 20s would be awful.

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I have regretted for a long time not getting braces when I was a young teenager. I'm now 27 and thinking of looking into the invisalign whenever I get some money.

OP, get the braces. Two years of irritation is worth it for a lifetime (or at least a long time) of good straight teeth. If in a few years your teeth get bad you will be so strongly regretting that you didn't just get it done when you had the chance.

[solids]

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Not to hijack, but does anyone on this board have experience with Invisalign?

Edited to add: I think it would suck having braces my last two years of college

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My ex got Invisaligna few years back. Her teeth weren't even that crooked, barely noticable even, but they bothered her a lot so she went for it.

Her experience was very good. Her teeth look great now, and the braces themselves were virtually unnoticable. No one even knew she had them, in fact. The best thing about Invisalign was that she could take them out any time she wanted -- while she ate, drank, gave me head, etc.

I would definitely recommend them to anyone over the age of 16. No way would I ever go through college with metal braces. They are more expensive, but probably worth the investment if your social life means anything to you.

[g-bebe]

Okay, I'm liking the feedback.

I do like my smile the way it is right now, but I also want to be assured when I'm older, I'm just as happy with my teeth as I am now. Which might not seem like the case if my teeth keep crowding.

Can someone explain to me what Invisalign is? I noticed the receptionist at my dentist's office had these nearly transparent braces, and you only saw the one metal bar across the teeth -- quite unnoticable. Is this what they are?

[kkcountry]

the fall before my senior year of high school, i decided to get braces. i made this decision after visiting an TMJ expert who told me i would be at a high risk for TMJ dysfunction later in life, as my lower jaw was too long for my upper jaw, putting pressure on my TMJ joint. i was put on a 2 year program that involved braces, rubber bands, bite planes, and many other devices that i had to wear 24/7 for some amount of time, as he was just not straightening my teeth, he was reseting my jaw.

well, i half assed it and 2 years turned into three. i'm scheduled to get them off finally (fingers crossed) next monday.

as far as how braces affected my social life, they didn't. modern braces are so much smaller than their older counterparts that required a metal band around every tooth that many people cannot tell i have braces at first glance (i've also got smaller teeth so less of them show when i smile) that said, i can't wait to get them off.

my advice to you is that if getting braces today will prevent further complications later in life (i was looking at chronic jaw pain by the age of 35), by all means do it, but don't half ass it. wear your devices at all times no matter what. you'll be glad you did it.

[Drew16]

Do the braces. They arent that bad and they will fix your mouf. Usually you get them adjusted once a month and they are a little sore for about a day. Other than that they dont really bother you.
They arent that much harder to clean just brush your teeth.