Age 26 - Started out Rough... Getting Better

4139anon
Not Sure
Cost: $5,000
Overland Park, KS

So I turned 26 and got engaged. I had braces when...

5 Apr 2010

So I turned 26 and got engaged. I had braces when I was 12 but after wearing my retainer for two years I stopped once I was in high school. My teeth shifted and I started feeling self conscious about my smile. I told my fiance that I really wanted to get them fixed. After visiting two orthos and a dentist we decided to go forward.

The first day they put 6 attachments on my teeth. 3 up top and 3 on the bottom. The bottom ones didn't bother me but the top ones did. I started to feel even more self conscious than ever before! I had a pretty bad lisp. You could also see my saliva in my trays and it grossed me out so I kept thinking it must gross everyone else out! My fiance, friends and co workers all swear they can't see the attachments unless I point them out. I also tend to snack a lot during the day at work..only because I get to work at 7am so I usually have oatmeal and a banana and then lunch at noon. Its a huge hassle brushing and flossing all the time especially in public. Today, my boss was watching me brush my teeth in the bathroom and I felt a tad uncomfortable!

I will say that I'm doing better this week. The first week was really rough on me. Its not painful, it is more of a self conscious matter of people staring at my mouth. I take the trays out whenever I'm in a social situation where I don't feel comfortable with them in..Like going out at night with my fiance..or even getting my make up trial done for my wedding. Any time I know I will be out to dinner with friends or happy hour etc. That is very liberating but at the same time I want to make sure I wear them enough so my teeth move!

This isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. I have to have them for 10 months. I took the first 6 trays out of the package to see the process of my teeth moving, and it is very very slight. It seems like 10 months might drag on for a long time.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but until I see results I think I will continue to struggle. Hopefully each week gets better than the last, this is only my second week.

Good luck everyone.

Comments (2)

kate325
June 2, 2010

I'm 26 as well and had a similar experience as you - got braces ON in the 3rd grade and off in 6th...after 3 different retainers I finally stopped wearing it (big mistake) As you can imagine, with that and getting wisdown teeth out, by 25, my teeth had shifted a ton. I've always been irritated at how much they moved since at 13 years old my teeth were perfect. Anyway, I started treatment in December, and right off the bat I hated it. I felt so stupid and hated having to brush my teeth at work, and after every time I wanted a snack. The attachments gave me really bad cuts in my mouth. Right now I'm on tray 10 of 18, and I have to agree with Amy, it actually feels weird without them in. By now everyone is used to them and though my speech is somewhat affected, it's worth it. My teeth and bite are already 100% better and I still have 8 more trays. They added more attachments but I'm used to those too even though they're a bit uncomfortable. Hang in there, I promise you'll be glad you did it!

amy31481
April 11, 2010

I too have had the uncomfortable sight of brushing my teeth in the restroom at work. It does get easier as you go. I am on tray 19 of 24 and have seen some movement. I have a couple of teeth on the bottom that are being stubborn, but my dentist is keeping track of these. I didn't get my buttons until my third tray. My dentist didn't do them because they wanted me to get used to them before attachments. I do occasionally take them out for the day or evening. Like around Thanksgiving and Christmas I did this. I sometimes will wear the trays a day or two longer than the two weeks. This is easy to do when the time between appointments is exactly the four or six weeks my dentist chooses. I wish you the best of luck with your invisalign. I doubted my decision the week I got them, but I have adjusted to them and now it feels weird not to have them in.