Here it is, the long version of my braces experience yesterday, with all the necessary and unnecessary details that I can remember haha.
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I could hardly sleep the night before, my heart racing with the possibility that in the morning I could actually, finally, be getting real metal braces on my teeth.
Finally slept and next morning I was energized. Got ready, took some last photos of my smile/teeth before braces, and started the drive. Felt surprisingly calm but nervous for the start of it, gave myself a little pep talk that this is the right choice and it'll be fine. But as I started getting closer to the orthodontists, the giddy nervous excitement kicked in. I buzzing almost, thinking I'm gonna get my braces on soon. But I partly still couldn't believe it was happening. My heart raced as I entered the building and checked in, and sent the last messages before my ortho came and called me back.
I said hi and told her I'm excited for this, then I followed her back and got situated in the chair. She then explained what we were doing today--removing my Invisalign attachments, then installing my braces. She said they're only going to do the top today, which if I'm honest, was a big let down at first. I wanted top and bottom and to have this huge change at once, so I was disappointed at that. She said its because of my TMJ and they dont want to tire me out. Eventually, I told myself its ok and at least getting the top on is muuuuch better than only bottom (would've not had fun at all if that). So I started to come to terms with it.
First she removed all my attatchments, which I'll skip over since that was uneventful.
Then she said "Ok, we're ready to put the braces on now. You ready?" And I was like 'yeah lets do it!" or something, while internally I was a bundle of nerves.
Ok so second semi-disappoint of the day--she said they're not gonna cheek retractors at first. Because of my tmj stuff, she stuff, they'd just use a finger and start with my back molars to apply the brackets. I was like "noooo" internally..I fantasized about the retractors so much, but I didnt have much say in it.
Another thing I didnt expect--she had an assistant come to help the process and also "study" from me. So an attractive young man came and sat on the right of me, and I was super embarassed to have another person there at first (especially attractive one) to witness me get metal braces on my teeth. But I had no say in any of it haha.
So it began--the ortho first put some cotton thing in my mouth, then held my cheek out of the way with a gloved with her finger. She used something to put the glue on my three farthest back teeth. Then told the assistant to open up a bracket (packaged in little things). She took it with a tweezers while I watched, then placed it on.
I was still trying to get over my disappointment of no retractors and the embarrassment of the assistant there, but when I realised that first metal bracket was now fixed on my tooth, I felt a surge of excitement and something like "oh my god, its happening, ahh".
So as this was all starting to happen, the assistant guy commented that I have pretty straight teeth, and she explained to him that I did invisalign before and it failed and im aligning my teeth for surgery now , and chose to go with metal braces. He seemed curious and interested in my story, asking questions to her that she answered, and she was like "yeah, this is an interesting case".
He was watching intently as she placed more on, and his gaze made me more flustered. I felt like I was this project/experiment being worked on. And I pretty much was--she would explain things about the specific brackets and glue used and he'd comment that its cool or wow he didnt know that. I was so flustered having this process treated like I'm this example project for him.
She also switched to having him hold my cheek back periodically as she placed brackets on, which was also embarassing for me.
On top of that, she had this other guy head ortho come and check and verify the bracket placement. So the process was very slow at first, there was some waiting for him to come by. He would come and inspect the placement and give her a heads up, they would all be chatting about other things..and meanwhile I cant talk and im just there in the chair with my cheek pulled back getting brackets placed on.
She made comments like "looking good" periodically, which I enjoyed and had me flustered a bit too. I was more nervous and embarassed in this initial stages than turned on, but those comments reassured me and me more excited.
So she went to do the other back side, with her instructing and the assistant guy helping and observing, making comments, and the head ortho coming by to verify things. It was pretty slow, and the slowness did make me lose a little excitement , though I was still flustered by it all.
I remember watching him open the pack with the brackets and watching the tweezer things pick them up to be placed on my teeth..felt like slow motion as I watched that and thinking its going to be placed on my teeth "for good".
So she finished the other side molars and told me she's gonna put retractors in to do all the front. I nodded, eager for them to go in. She put them in and I definitely felt more turned on...was able to relax my lips/mouth more and I felt really on display. I imagined how I must be looking to her, the head ortho, and the assistant guy who were all witnessing me getting braced, and it made me super embarassed.
The front row application was fun, and I was really hyper aware of it all. My heart raced as each bracket went on and she pushed it in tightly/picked at it with a tool and I felt the pressure of each one on my teeth which kinda turned me on. The assistants gaze during this part was more intense too--for my back teeth I felt less embarassed about them since they arent as visible. But having all my most visible teeth get these big shiny metal brackets placed on while this attractive guy watched and I had cheek retractors in....I was very flustered and embarassed. Especially my two front teeth..I was really like 'ahh, this is happening, no going back now ' and trying to act calm.
Then the head ortho came in and inspected the placement after all my upper brackets were on. My ortho looked at me and observed and said they look great. She took the retractors out then, and I slowly felt my lips come down around the brackets. My mouth was dry and I remember taking in the strange feel of those chunky brackets..my lips could hardly get over them.
Then it was spacer time, which I didnt even know id be getting going in. She said she didnt have the usual tool so had to use floss to string them around my teeth. She had me open wide and the assistant observed as she put in those blue bands around my molars. She broke the floss on one and had to do it again, and kinda struggled with another one (I had four total).
She asked me around the time, maybe before, to pick a ligature color. I said I'd go with silver this time and she said its a good choice. The assistant commented that he used to do crazy colors with his braces when younger, like neon yellow or alternating bright colors, and i kinda laughed and said something about that.
The spacers were in. She took a minute to get the wire ready and then she said "wire time!" I was really ready to get it in at this point. Was excited to feel the tug of it and tension n my teeth, like others here had described. So she put it in, cut it at the ends, and snapped the brackets in tight and put in the elastics. It felt strange at first--both the brackets and wire felt so elevated from my tooth surface and it was a strange feeling having them on. I was getting nervous how I looked...still in shock and not yet processing the fact that I just got braces.
She said the silver looked good and is more "discreet", and I liked that she liked it I think haha. But then I ran my tongue over the brackets and wire...and kinda freaked out. It felt strange. I imagined it to feel like a smooth cold metal square shaped bracket and then wire and then another bracket. But it felt like some lumpy plasticky thing, all super elevated, over all my teeth. Couldnt really feel the wire separating the brackets either. I freaked out--thinking they put in some kind of ugly power chain on me and I just had some huge bumpy ugly thing over all my teeth.
I was also scared the brackets might've been placed super low or high on the teeth (couldnt tell, but I dislike either).
So she handed me a mirror to see it. I hesitated, slowly taking off the glasses I had on (they gave me these thick black rimmed glasses and I must've looked soo ridiculous with those and the braces , thinking back). I took the mirror, not wanting to look at myself, but took a quick glance. I just caught the sight of the shiny silver metal over my teeth--no where as ugly as I imagined--and put it down. I was flustered and shy to look at myself, and also not believing I had braces still.
But then she wanted to show me to how to floss with braces, so she had me hold the mirror up to my newly braced teeth, and loop the floss in with a threader. I fumbled, all flustered, trying to do it, and taking in the sight of those shiny metal things on my teeth, still in disbelief.
Quickly put it down when I could. Then she explained to me the aftercare stuff. I was feeling so excited now, taking in the strange feel of my lips over the brackets (trouble closing over them a bit), and liking that they were visible to her when I asked questions (I even smiled a few times with visible teeth...so bold for being so flustered! haha).
Then that was it--we scheduled next appointment and I got my stuff, said bye, put mask back on, and left. Still was excited but weirdly calm and in a disbelief type of daze.
I had my mask on still, but remember feeling like 'ooh no one knows I just got braces/I have braces under this' as I was walking past people to the parking garage. Got in my car, took it off, and then checked out my braces in the rearview mirror. I laughed seeing myself. It was a shock, definitely.
The braces looked amazing tbh--perfect center placement, got elastic hooks like I like, shiny nice silver, and on straight teeth looked aesthetic. But on my face altogether..another story haha. I'm not sure I love them objectively still and I feel silly smiling with them, but I kinda love that too? Rocking something unconventional, embracing the silliness.
I took photos then and also told a friend that I just got braces. She was like nooo wayyy lemme see! and was excited for me. She still hasn't seen them yet but will on Tuesday haha. Later I told another friend and she was more mild, said " I remember when that was me", asked what color I got, then changed subject". So I guess these are the two type of reactions I can expect haha.
kinda embarassing, but I went to a store after and I was checking out my braces in the rearview mirror without knowing someone was waiting on me to get out since they parked next to me, and was probably watching haha. I got out so fast and didnt look at them, lol, embarassing!
So my experience wasn't exactly as I envisioned, but thats okay. I'm glad I only got the top (cant WAIT for the bottom to complete it). The attractive assistant being there was embarassing but turned out into a turn on by the end. And I still had my cheek retractor fun moment.
I'm so glad I pushed through my doubts and went for it!! I still can't believe I can say "my braces" or "I have braces now" , it's crazy. Hope y'all liked hearing about the experience and feel free to ask me anything else
