Hi! I'm 35 year old mom to 3 busy boys. Just got braces about 2 weeks ago and can't stand them! I got the metal ones b/c ceramic ones supposedly stain badly when you drink lots of tea-which i certainly do. but was wondering if i shouldn't have got those instead-are the ceramic ones smaller? do they hurt your lips less than the metal ones? Fortunately, i have just got the braces bonded to top teeth and haven't gotten any teeth removed yet until after my 6 week check-up. If this doesn't get any better-i'm thinking about calling ortho next week to get these off. It's not my teeth that are hurting-they are fine. It's my lips-they are sore from abrasion and dry,cracked-plus the metal feels like it's sticking out a foot and my lips rest on metal-ugh! Can't stand that-also my speech is terrible now-can't say "s" or words with "f" in them.

and i'm supposed to have these things on for almost 3yrs.?!

add to this-i just got diagnosed with lupus-an immune disorder where your body immune system attacks your body. boy what a wonderful two weeks!!!

anyway-anyone here have any views on the metal braces and the ceramic ones? If the ceramic ones are smaller and don't cut your mouth like these metal ones-i'm asking her to change these out. otherwise-i'm thinking braces aren't for me right now. (i was getting them b/c a tooth on my lower gum has been pushed back into my tongue cutting into it severely and no dentist would pull it-always would refer me to ortho-it has been hurting very bad lately). thanks for your views-tina

edited for p.s.-my oldest son has braces and he says they don't bother his lips-how do all these kids go with braces? My dh asked me if i was thinking it would be a cakewalk-i thought it wouldn't be That bad-the kids who have braces don't seem to be bothered with them. And forget about kissing dh-braces get in the way-i guess kids wouldn't be that bothered about that aspect! :0)



[This message has been edited by bluey5 (edited 08-04-2003).]

i'm an adult too and i just got my metal ones. at first they did bother my lips and inner cheeks but not anymore. i just ignored the discomfort and i think i just got used to them. i've had them for a few weeks now and no one says anything!?! i don't get it. then again i'm good at hiding them when i speak.

as far as clear vs metal goes, i think the jury is still out. my ortho said that they would cost me more (at least at his office) and that they didn't work as well. so i got the metal ones. afterwards i asked the question to another ortho and he said they worked just as well and didn't really cost more. i guess it depends on which office you go to and if you really want them. regardless if type of brackets there is still a "getting used to it" period to deal with. i actually like mine 'cause i know my stubborn teeth will be straight soon. i love the tight feeling 'cause i know the braces are working. they were being unreasonable; no one told them to grow like that anyway. now they have to pay for that...LOL!!

I got metal braces on when I was 12. And they were definitely painful, they really tore up the insides of my lips and cheeks. My orthodontist told me beforehand that they would do this. There's just an adjustment period and you have to get used to them. After awhile my mouth toughened up and it wasn't so bad. I have no idea about the ceramic ones, but I would just give it some time rather than change them.
They were a pain and an annoyance, but the end result is well worth it. My teeth were so messed up before, and now they are absolutely wonderful and I love them. I am so glad I did it.

I also had difficulty talking, but that goes away as well. As for the kissing, I wasnt kissing anybody back then so I didn't have to worry about it. But like everything else I bet you'll eventually get used to it. I've known people that have done it and its a little tricky but not impossible.

[This message has been edited by 22ad22 (edited 08-06-2003).]

I had metal braces all through high school. In the beginning, they did tear up my cheeks and lips. It didn't help that they had taken out my wisdom teeth 2 weeks earlier and I was still tender from that. I also played clarinet (still do), and that was very difficult when I formed an embature. I could barely get a decent tone in the beginning because my teeth were also rather sore when biting down. My orthodontist gave me some wax to put over the braces in the beginning to help with the soreness and tenderness of my cheeks and lips. It helped. Eventually I got used to it, and the only time I was bothered by it was when I played for long periods of time. A clarinet teacher told me to buy those denture holding things called ezo pads and cut them up into pieces and put them over my teeth when playing. You might try that just for everyday use. Wax is very helpful.

I've heard of a new kind of brace system called invisiline where you just use this clear, plastic looking thing in your mouth. Supposedly it's more like a retainer and appears to be removable from what I've observed on commercials. I could be wrong on that one.

Hi,
I'm a 40 y/o mom of 4 teenagers and I've been wearing braces for 8 months. Because I work in a doctors office I decided on the ceramic ones. I didn't want the "metal" look. I'm happy to say that I haven't had any problems with pain from these (just when I had adjustments). For the first two months my orthodontist put something like a small clear rubber hose on my wire so it didn't cause me irritation. When I got use to the braces, he took it off and I've never had the usual irritation sometimes caused by the constant rubbing. I've read that the ceramic ones are a little bigger but to me it's worth it. I've also read that treatment is longer but my estimated treatment time is 15 months (which may be shorter if I had the metal ones). My daughter also has braces but she has the metal ones. We have different orthodontists but we have the same treatment. I'm paying $700 more for hers and she also suffers from canker sores. Luckily I haven't. I hope this helps someone trying to decide which type of braces to get. Even with the metal, the pain will eventually subside.