English > Orthodontic Treatment

For those of us who've had ortho treatment, what were highlights and lowlights?

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zaku1000:
Like many Americans, I had braces when I was younger, but I didn't really appreciate them at the time.  Aside from cervical headgear and a bulky retainer (that I didn't wear) for a year before the braces went on, the only really interesting/unusual part of my treatment was that I had big t-loop archwires (like these: https://dereferer.me/?https://dereferer.me/?http://anonym.to/?https://dereferer.me/?https://www.jco-online.com/media/22049/2007-12-756-a.jpg) for maybe the second half of my treatment, which I remember being very visible and digging into my gums.

Anyway, just wondering what other strange or unusal treatment anyone went through, or what were the highlights and lowlights of treatment? 

bradhov:
I'm getting braces on next month so don't know the good or bad right now.  I saw the picture you had on the bigger loop wires - what was that used for in your treatment?

23BRT:
Hey, I think this a great question

Did any of you feel the treatment was too much or annoying or even a mistake?
Did they ever get boring or wish you had a different applince?

What was it like to walk out of the office and be the guy (or girl) in braces?
How was morning after?
When you meet old friends and family?
Or the day to day life?

I really would love to hear about the good and the bad.

Miketehcat:
I had braces when I was younger - I appreciated them, but I'm much more into appliances. I was a bit miffed that I never needed anything except regular braces - I had a spring for one very crooked tooth for a few months, but no elastics, no expander, no bite blocks, nothing! I always wanted something extra that would give me a harder time, but I didn't need it. My teeth were crooked, but no bite problems, I guess. I still wonder what an expander would feel like, with say, a habit device!

Walking out of the office after finally getting them was very cool. I was a bit shy about them at first, but it was fine after a day or two. Like I said, because I didn't need any extra treatment with different appliances, my braces didn't stand out and ended up being a bit boring for me. Sometimes there was a bit of pressure on my teeth (to be expected) that I liked, but that was about it!

bracessd:
I started my treatment late, when I was 22. I had crowding and a slight overbite and my treatment options were limited as an adult. My orthodontist proposed a jones jig appliance combined with a nance button or to extract two permanent teeth, followed by full upper and lower ceramic braces and elastics. I wanted the best smile possible and went with the jones jig. When he first put it in, I was having definitely having second thoughts and asked if that was the only option, without extractions. It was that or headgear (I kind of wish I went with headgear). The nance was fairly easy to get use to but the jones jig protruded into my lips a bit and it caused a lot of soreness after adjustments. My total treatment time was about 3 years and then I got an upper essix and lower hawley retainer.

I was always self conscious about my smile and getting braces as a young adult heightened that feeling. I really didn't smile with braces and only one friend noticed and mentioned them, but it wasn't a big deal. I'm glad I took the plunge when I did but I wish my treatment included functional appliances or something more substantial!

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