Ask Me Help Desk - I have to get braces at 22.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChihuahuaMomma

First off, I don't like being called honey by strangers. And why would you beg me to have braces?

Hmmm... my bad? I treat AMHD regulars like I would friends, and since I've thrown a few greenies your way, I've seen some of your posts, and you've even PM'd me in thanks, I mistakenly thought I could talk to you casually as I do and have with many other AMHD regulars. Note taken. "honey" isn't ever going to be thrown your way again. "stranger" it is.

And if my supporting you in this rubs you wrong too, hmmm... guess piling on the bandwagon was the wrong thing to do as well. Again, note taken. Loud. Clear.

I'm happy to spend time on others who aren't offended. Oh well. Can't win them all.

y'know kp, you never called me honey.

But then again, I never called you honey... so I guess that's fair.

I'm beginning to feel left out.

You want to be called honey too wondergirl? To be honest, I don't think I've ever called anyone honey...

Baby... sweetie... pumpkin, I have done. Honey, I have not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChihuahuaMomma
Thanks for the balancer!

no problem!

I probably deserve half the reds I get just for my common loudmouth, in-your-face approach... but that guy dinged you for starting his thread off to a thoughtful start. Ra-hude.

maybe he's just way down on his luck but still... I think he wouldve dinged you no matter what you said... for posting fourteen whole minutes after he asked the question... where the heck were you?! Not at his immediate beck and call apparently. He beckoned and called and you were doing what? Something selfish I bet.

and why the heck haven't you been working on your esp, young lady? Don't you know we can't all be bothered with providing all the info? Stop slacking! I expect you to be working on that, missy.

=)

have a great night

crap.. I called you missy and young lady in that PM too. Retroactive apologies twofold.

still think you should get the braces, but that's just me. And isneezefunny and wondergirl and...

mkay... I think I'm done. My panties are all bunched up and I need to fix them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISneezeFunny

you wanna be called honey too wondergirl?

Actually, I prefer "The Amazing and Resourceful Queen of Libraryland Cataloguing." "Dear" works too (sometimes).

... def bring it up to fr_chuck to have EXPERT changed to ARQLC.

Wow. Way to get bent out of shape because I don't like being called honey by someone that I don't know (that makes you a stranger). I appreciate your ( and everyone's) help and support.

:rolleyes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISneezeFunny

...def bring it up to fr_chuck to have EXPERT changed to ARQLC.

TPTB have been trying to figure out what kind of an expert I am, what "title" I will have. ARQLC might solve their problem. Thanks, Sneeze!

hi I had braces for 2 years till I was 18 and I thought it would b bad to have them at 18 but really u get use to them people don't really pay much attention and when I got them off so many people said how nice my teeth were and how straight they were so it really is worth it and the difference you feel after they come off u will then understand that is was worth it good luck x x x

Good thoughts above from JAYMELOU! Let's not forget that you can also get braces in a number of different styles now that may make a difference as to how you feel about wearing them.

Also, I don't know of a site where you could alter your image so that you look like you have braces on. But, I do know of at least one free image altering software where you could draw braces on yourself to see what you might look like.

Chihuahuamomma: I wore braces for 4.5 years (yes... they were growing through my nose, heehee). Now, at the age of 31, I am getting them again.

The biggest piece of advice for you (when you do get them)... wear your retainers afterwards, or get permanent ones put behind your teeth. Otherwise, you will be going through this whole thought process again later in life :)

Good luck and lotsa Tylenol to you ;)

rpg, you make an excellent point about retainer wear! It might sound like a pain, but once you've been in braces for a year or two, the retainer thing is no big deal. Some orthos use clear retainers (like Invisalign trays) which are great if you have to wear them during the day because no one can see them. After a period, you'll wear them only at night anyway, and then it's really no big deal!

Lots of adults have braces; there were two people in my college classes recently who were braced, and just the other day I saw an adult employee at a store with braces too. It's really not a big deal. :)

Some tell me that I'm bizarre for this, but the FIRST thing I look at when I look at a girl are her teeth. I HAVE to like your teeth if anything's going to happen. Seriously. If I don't like your teeth, keep moving.

Here's the kicker... I like teeth so much that I can

1) tell when someone's had braces (not too hard)
2) tell when someone's wore their retainers or not (again... not too difficult)
3) tell when someone's had whitening done
4) tell when someone's had... really... any work done on their teeth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISneezeFunny

some tell me that I'm bizarre for this, but the FIRST thing I look at when I look at a girl are her teeth. I HAVE to like your teeth if anything's going to happen. seriously. if I don't like your teeth, keep movin.

here's the kicker...I like teeth so much that I can

1) tell when someone's had braces (not too hard)
2) tell when someone's wore their retainers or not (again...not too difficult)
3) tell when someone's had whitening done
4) tell when someone's had...really...any work done on their teeth.

That's kind of shallow... And those aren't hard things to tell... so thanks for making me feel better :confused:

Thank you jaymelou, Clough, rpg219, jillianleab. You all gave great advice. As far as the different styles go, what do you mean?

That's not shallow... people have their own things. Some people go for blondes and hate brunettes... mine is nice teeth.

And I never said that I didn't like people with "not straight" teeth. I just got to LIKE your teeth.

I disagree... So if there was chemistry but you hated her teeth? What then?

No not chemistry. You know how a guy will approach a girl because he'll think she's pretty... because of her cleavage... her hair... whatever. Mine's teeth. I approach girls because I like her teeth.

Your orthodontist should be able to show you different styles from which you could choose, much like when selecting eyeglasses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISneezeFunny

that's not shallow...people have their own things. some people go for blondes and hate brunettes....mine is nice teeth.

and I never said that I didn't like people with "not straight" teeth. I just gotta LIKE your teeth.

ISneezeFunny, there are physical traits you like. That's not shallow.

My wife has a few "likes" in men that I'm not a perfect match to. Doesn't stop her from liking me well enough, it seems.

It isn't like you are obsessed about many physical "imperfections"... that might be shallow, or a self esteem issue... that's not what you said, at least by my read.

I think by "styles" you might be thinking of "clear" ligature braces, metal ligature braces, self-ligating "clear" braces, and self-ligating metal braces. Some orthos also offer metal shapes, like hearts, footballs and stars. Sometimes they even offer gold braces.

Now that I've throw all those words out, here's what they mean!

"Clear" ligature braces are ceramic and sort of tooth-colored so they blend in with your teeth. On some people, from a distance, you can't even tell they have braces. But, if they have ligatures (those are the tiny little "o" rings that come in all sorts of colors), you see the colors, not the brackets. You will also see the wire, unless you have a super fancy ortho who has tooth colored wires!

Metal ligature braces are the traditional metal braces with the colored ligature. These are very, very common.

Self-ligating braces don't have the ligature; the bracket works differently so it's not required. This means no colors, but in a way, that can be good. Ligatures stain when you eat certain things, and some colors stain worse than others. You also don't have bright colors which some people think adds to a "juvenile" look. There is a brand of self-ligating ceramics out now, but your ortho might not carry them. I had self-ligating metal.

Not all orthos offer all these kinds, and depending on your case, it may not be recommended you use one type over the other. I really, really wanted ceramic, but my ortho strongly pushed me to metal, so I listened. There is some "evidence" that indicates self-ligating brackets move your teeth faster because there is less friction, and that metal are stronger than ceramic and should be used in more aggressive cases.

My teeth aren't that bad... just kind of outward than they should be. I will ask the orthodontist about all the different types that they offer. I wouldn't want colored ones, as I am a freak about matching colors. And to be honest, I want them as invisble as possible. I have already been told that I can't have invisilign. It's okay, I wouldn't want them anyway, as I was told they don't correct an overbite, which I do have.

Thanks for all the information!

If it makes you feel any better my mom had braces when she was a teenager and now when she's 47. Her and I both wear retainers now.=)

So, you have to wear a retainer your whole life?

Yep... that's why I suggested permanent ones. Most often, after taking the braces off... you should wear them all the time... then it gradually dies down to just at night while you sleep.

LAME! The permanent ones are the ones behind the teeth, right?

Sure is... it is a metal bar that is cemented behind your teeth... you can't see it at all... this is what my brother got after his. His teeth are still pretty as can be... like he just got his braces off (it's actually been about 15 years).

It's important to remember the permanent retainers aren't always really permanent. Most of the time they fall off after several years (your brother must be lucky, rpg). Traditional retainers really aren't that bad; most orthos require you to wear them all the time for six months to a year (take them out for eating, brushing and flossing), then nights only, then just a few nights a week. My ortho requires night only wear from the beginning, so it's really no big deal.

Yes, you are right jillian... he has had to have it recemented a few times. That's the pain of a the permanent one, I guess. :p

That, and you have to use stupid threader floss! :)

I have a young teenage friend who had to wear braces for nearly 18 months, she hated them. Now they are off she has the best teeth and smile I have ever seen and she just loves smiling for a camera. She also says her smile now was worth all the trouble.
Hope that helps.
Frank

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy711

If it makes you feel any better my mom had braces when she was a teenager and now when shes 47. Her and I both wear retainers now.=)

I meant to say she got braces when she was a teenager. Her teeth moved and she had to get them again. We both have been wearing our braces only at night, but if I forget one night, they hurt in the morning. So a permanent one might be better/.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guinness683

I have a young teenage friend who had to wear braces for nearly 18 months, she hated them. Now they are off she has the best teeth and smile I have ever seen and she just loves smiling for a camera. She also says her smile now was worth all the trouble.
Hope that helps.
Frank

That does lift my spirits a bit, thanks you.

Hey, it could be worse. Your teeth could be missing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by love is abby

hey, it could be worse. your teeth could be missing!

I am missing some...

Damn. love is abby got shot down.

I guess what she meant to say was... there are worse things in life than getting braces. You'll look back on this day a year or two from now (not sure how long you need them for) and look in the mirror and smile, and realize it was all worth it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISneezeFunny

damn. love is abby got shot down.

I guess what she meant to say was...there are worse things in life than getting braces. You'll look back on this day a year or two from now (not sure how long you need them for) and look in the mirror and smile, and realize it was all worth it.

I know. And your both right. I'm just focusing on the NOW, and not looking forward. Which I tend to do a lot. Oh well. I'll live. Thanks guys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChihuahuaMomma

I know. And your both right. I'm just focusing on the NOW, and not looking forward. Which I tend to do alot. Oh well. I'll live. Thanks guys.

It's not uncommon. Trust me, I did the same thing. I couldn't seem to look forward to the future, no matter what. But believe me when I say, it is worth it, it is so, so worth it. Hang in there, you can do this, and once you do, you'll be so glad you did!