Adult Braces...- Seoul, South Korea

I had my first tightening this past Tuesday. The orthodontist put two power chains to help close my gaps on my top row of teeth. They also put metal ties to each bracket, which I learned the metal ties help the wire work better. My teeth were hurting just an hour after my visit. Unlike when they first put on my braces, this time the pain was only for about two days. My teeth are still sore, when I try to bite. Luckily, I learned to cut my food then eat it vs. just eating it (example.. I can't just eat a hamburger, I need to cut into pieces first.. It helps lol). Thank you so much for your suggestions Megan. I appreciate it. My next tightening is in another two weeks. I can't wait to have perfect teeth!

I am 20 years old and I never really seriously thought about getting braces before. Simply because my flaws were really minor.. I have slight over crowding on my bottom row of teeth, which was caused by my wisdom teeth growing in (I have since removed all four of them), and I also have a very slight over bite. OH I also have this really tiny gap between my top canine tooth and the tooth in front of it. My teeth have always been near perfect according to my dentist. However, I recently went through a "crisis"...well I wouldn't call it a crisis.. More like the urge for self improvement. So since I am still covered under the insurance I decided to go ahead and get braces to fix my minor issues. I mean, I am stuck with these teeth for the rest of my life, might as well invest to perfect my smile! I consulted an orthodontist (Columbia Dental Clinic) in Apujeong, Seoul, South Korea... And to my surprise (well not really) he told me I was a candidate for braces or invislign. I went ahead and opted for braces instead! As I know invisilign sounds terrific and all, but I know I would probably always find an excuse not to wear them. So ceramic braces it was! The orthodontist explained to me about the cost and how much my insurance will pay (I have TriCare). The total cost of my braces was $4500 and the insurance is paying $3500. So I would only be paying $1,000 out of pocket, which isn't bad from the research I have done. The orthodontist also told me that it would take approximately 6 months - 1 year max to correct my teeth. He explained to me 6 months is realistic as long as I go in on time for all of my check ups and don't eat any of the forbidden foods while I have braces.

The next week I came back and had my braces put on. At first it was painless and I was second guessing if they even put the braces tight enough... A few hours later I was in the most pain I ever felt in my mouth. My teeth have never been so sensitive in my life! This is day 3 with my new braces and I want to cry every time I try to chew anything. SHOOT! I want to cry even when I'm not chewing anything! I anticipate that this sourness will go away in a couple more days. Until then I will be popping advil and rubbing orajel to help with the pain. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Any suggestions for the pain from the soreness will be GREATLY appreciated! With that said, I go back to the dentist in two weeks to get them tightened. I am eager for the next 6 months to fly by fast so I can have my perfect teeth already. ;D