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New member just starting the journey, concerned about reactions to braces!

(11 posts)
12

  1. viv
    Member

    Hi all, found this site today and feel better already knowing there are other "wonky chops" out there and supporting each other.
    I'm a 33 year old female and am at the starting point, its confirmed I will need braces and surgery for my fairly bad underbite and crossbite.
    My first question is how did your partners react to you having braces? having been self concious about my mouth/teeth for many yearsI am struggling more with the idea of braces and what my husband/family/friends/anybody will think than the surgery itself, how was it for you???

    Posted 7 months ago #

  2. Abbil
    Member

    Hi Viv

    I’m 32, 33 next month. I’ve had my braces nearly 3 years and my surgery is in 10 days.

    I started this journey just before my 30th birthday. I had a boyfriend whom I had been seeing for 6 years. He then dumped me in the November on my 30th birthday (nice) I had my wisdom teeth removed in December and braces fitted in the January/February time.
    I put an awful lot of thought into whether to go ahead with the braces (at this point surgery had not crossed my mind!!) as I was now single. Thought I would NEVER find a boyfriend whilst I had braces.
    I decided that nothing had changed and even if he wasn’t about I wanted to do it for myself so went ahead. I have never regretted having the braces!!
    I have had many dates in the last 3 years and kiss/pulling lol has never been an issue. They are sore when they are tighten and food ALWAYS gets stuck in them but that is no problem. All my friends have been very supportive and I have even got a new job while wearing braces!
    I have my surgery soon and am single (again). Again this worried me, until I found this site!! Everyone on here is so very supportive and there is great advice from people going through the same thing or have already been through it.

    Although I have not yet had my surgery I do not regret any part of my journey so far. So go for it I say :-)

    Posted 7 months ago #

  3. RachelM
    Member

    My partner (who is now my ex-but it's nothing to do with my braces) said it reminded him of his first crush at school as she had braces and he thought they were cute. Once people have seen you with the once they don't even notice or comment to be honest. I'm 34 so a bit 'older' to be having braces too. Full metal brackets too as they were on the NHS. It really makes no difference and the only person who will be concious about them is you. All the best with your journey. My braces come off in 19 days and I can't wait!!

    Posted 7 months ago #

  4. viv
    Member

    Thankyou so much.
    I know that it will all be worth it eventually it just seems so far away at this point, I've hidden my smile for so long but I know there will be no hiding the 'train tracks' I just have an inner fear that my husband will be put off to say the least, probably has more to do with the demons in my head as he's a great guy and obviously not too shallow or he wouldn't of married me and my underbite in the first place!

    I will be going ahead as if I don't I will look back in a few years and think it would be all over by now and be kicking myself forever more.

    I wish you the very best of luck with your surgery and finding mr right, flashing your new smile should hopefully bag you a better one!
    Good Luck ;)

    Posted 7 months ago #

  5. viv
    Member

    Thank you also to RachelM (That made me smile as I used to be called Rachel Moore) I look forward to being on this site in afew years passing down the wisdom rather than asking for it and yes its probably not going to bother anybody but me, apologies for sounding like the vainest member already I only joined a couple of hours ago! lol
    Think I'm getting over myself already, thanks ladies!

    Posted 7 months ago #

  6. Abbil
    Member

    Any time. Keep us posted on your journey.
    And yes hopefully mr right will be round the corner :-)

    Posted 7 months ago #

  7. RachelM
    Member

    You're not vain at all Viv! I was really paranoid about my braces for about five minutes and then realised they are a real talking point. People were always amazed when I told them about the surgery I was going to have and there are so many poeple who had them when they were younger who will be telling you their stories too! Having braces in your 30s/40s is so much more accepted now and as I said, people get used to them very quickly.
    The time between having my braces fitted (10 July 2010) Surgery (8 June 2011) and having them removed (3 November 2011) has flown by and I've really enjoyed seeing the changes in my face and smile. I no longer hide my face behind my hands and feel so much better about myself. I've no regrets whatsoever and I'm sure you won't have any either!

    Posted 7 months ago #

  8. Abbil
    Member

    Viv if you ever need any advice or support Rachel is great!! Within an hour of being on the site I felt so much better. I think every one has their wobbly moments about their braces. I know I have! I have always ended up asking blokes I've been seeing why on earth they would go out with an adult who has braces?! They all had different answers but most where just like it will be worth it in the end, I don't even notice them, most people have had braces at some point. And like Rachel said all my friends were interested and most were impressed I was having it done for free and that I was doing it. I think secretly some were wishing they had the confidence to do that sort of thing. And you might think you lack confidence about your smile but once you see your teeth moving and realise that your smile is going to look so much better, even with braces you smile. I never ever had a complement about my smile until I got braces!! I use to say to people you are just saying that because of the braces and they were always like, no really its an awesome smile and if your smile is like that with braces wait it you get them removed.

    Posted 7 months ago #

  9. April
    Member

    I agree with all that's been said here...I'm 32, in my 2nd set of braces and about 3 1/2 weeks post-op. When I first got these braces put on, I was a little shy about it because I'm a bartender and have to talk to a ton of people all night long, including drunk obnoxious people, but they haven't been a problem. I got over the self-conciousness in the first couple days. Also, soooo many people have had braces at some point in their lives, so I found most people liked to relate their experiences. I've had people say they're cute...my fiance thinks they're cute. He's been so supportive of the whole journey and I have a feeling your husband will be, too. Chris (fiance) is so funny these days about the whole thing, he keeps telling me I should tell more people about all the screws and plates in my face, 'cause its so badass, as he says. haha He keeps saying he's so impressed that I had the guts to go through with it, but I couldn't have done it without his support. It took me 10 years to decide, and now that its over (almost) I'm so glad I did it. When you think about it, a couple years of dealing with braces and surgery is just a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of your life feeling healthier and happier.
    I'm so used to the braces now that I don't even think about them...what always shocks me is when a friend or acquaintance that I see regularly, says "when did you get braces?" uh...a year and a half ago! Seriously, some people just never even know they're there.

    Posted 7 months ago #

  10. kscott
    Member

    I had braces at the end of high school, when I had the brackets put on people thought I was going a bit OTT with the tooth gem craze, haha. I had them all through college and all through university, when I first got them I was mortified, but I kept being told to;

    "Embrace your brace!"

    It got to the point where hey, I was doing it for a good reason, I wanted my surgery, my teeth started to straighten out (yay!), I just got on with it. I never had a complaint from a boyfriend, I could still kiss, so a 16/17 year old boy didn't have much else to worry about, haha. My boyfriend at the moment has known me for 3 of the 5 years of braces and said that one of the first thing he noticed about me was my smile, the braces have never bothered him :)

    People were more interested in why I had braces since high school and when I had lovely straight teeth, the surgery became a talking point. This was once they even noticed I had braces. What I've noticed is how many people say "You don't need that, isn't it a bit extreme? There isn't much wrong with you" at the start, but then seem shocked at the results saying how good I look now... Take peoples opinions of your braces and choice to have surgery with a pinch of salt! Unless your living it or have lived it, people don't really get it. When I see people in braces now I always wonder if they are going down the same route, it's like we're a cool club or something, haha.

    Embrace your brace and go for it!

    Posted 7 months ago #

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