So, I went to the dentist and orthodontist yesterday. The dentist was for a cleaning, but the ortho was because my mom thinks I need braces. There's one spot where my teeth are kinda crooked, but it's really not a big deal. She's all adamant about getting it fixed. So, honestly, how bad do braces suck? :lol:

I've never had them, and neither of my kids did. But one of my sisters, my brother, and both of my nephews have and they hated them. They were very painful.

They ain't as bad as ya might think. I had them for 5 years.....Hated them while I had them. But looking back they weren't that bad.

I had braces for three years. They are painful the first day or two but after that you dont even know they are there.

What about maintenance? Are they a pain to keep clean?

2 out of 3 of our kid's had brace's. It hurt when they put them on, and also when they adjusted them. Funny thing is I have straight teeth and so does my spouse. Go figure that.

The worst part about braces are when they are taking them off if you ask me. With wraparounds on the bottom it feels like they are pulling your teeth out.

 

Rubberbands are a bit of an aggravation, but not terrible.

 

It's not too hard to keep them clean really. You just have to pay attention to detail when you are brushing and when you eat. You go to the ortho every month, so they take care of a lot of the big stuff really.

 

Just do everything this ortho tells you to do so you can have them on the least amount of time as possible. I didnt always wear my rubberbands and had them on about 6 months longer than I was supposed to.

 

Whether you believe it or not, your teeth will move when you get them off so wear the retainer regularly.

What about maintenance? Are they a pain to keep clean?

 

No, they aren't hard to keep clean. I do remember finding lot's of little rubber bands on the floor forever. (2 kids) :thumb:

The worst part about braces are when they are taking them off if you ask me. With wraparounds on the bottom it feels like they are pulling your teeth out.

 

Rubberbands are a bit of an aggravation, but not terrible.

 

It's not too hard to keep them clean really. You just have to pay attention to detail when you are brushing and when you eat. You go to the ortho every month, so they take care of a lot of the big stuff really.

 

Just do everything this ortho tells you to do so you can have them on the least amount of time as possible. I didnt always wear my rubberbands and had them on about 6 months longer than I was supposed to.

 

Whether you believe it or not, your teeth will move when you get them off so wear the retainer regularly.

 

Absolutely, wear your retainer... Your teeth will move after your braces are removed.

Absolutely, wear your retainer... Your teeth will move after your braces are removed.

This is true.

I had braces when I was younger. All in all they weren't bad. I did have a few problems while playing sports. If you do get them, be sure to get some sort of mouthguard, or your lips will look like hamburger.

When I first got them, I hated them. After a while, I got used to them. Once I got them off, I was sooo glad I had them put on.

 

My teeth looked so straight afterward. Like this --------->

Absolutely, wear your retainer... Your teeth will move after your braces are removed.

 

 

There is a "permanent retainer" that you can ask for. My neice has one and doesn't have to worry about a retainer.

 

Both my girls had braces and wore them for 18 months. The ortho told me a few months ago that he didn't think that my son would need braces. What a relief!

I had them for 4 years. They aren't all that bad, only the first two days. You won't be able to comfortably eat solid foods. Tightening days aren't too hot either.

Yeah, I remember trying to bite into a burger the first day I had them on and almost started crying. I promptly switched to mashed potatoes.