Adult Braces: My Story

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adult braces | des moines moms blogMost of you know by now that I have been in braces for the last two years. It has been quite an experience — my situation was a little more invasive than your average adult braces wearer! Over the last two years, I have heard from so many friends and strangers that they were considering braces (as an adult). So, I thought it would be fun to share my experience and tell you a little bit about why I got them!

Most people couldn’t believe I was getting braces when I started the process. My teeth, to the eye, looked pretty darn straight. However, if you looked inside my mouth it told a whole different story. I never lost my baby “eye teeth” (a.k.a. fangs). Before my wedding I decided to get porcelain veneers to make my mouth look more mature. It was seemingly a great, semi-quick and easy fix. Little did I know that when I became pregnant a year later, one of my adult fangs/eye teeth would decide to descend through my gums behind my baby tooth (they were always there but had just never come down)! UGH! It was kind of a nightmare!

Adult Braces: My Story
My closed-mouth smile because I didn’t have my eye teeth! My girls followed suit!

After meeting with my dentist, he encouraged me to do braces. I was considering implants to avoid braces and being toothless, but he really encouraged me to keep my natural teeth. So, I followed his instructions and met with my orthodontist a couple weeks later.

My first appointment was a little nerve-racking! BUT, my nerves were soon settled when I met with Dr. Langwith (Iowa Orthodontic Solutions). He SERIOUSLY is one of the kindest people I have met! I could tell he genuinely felt bad for my situation but was confident he would be able to give me the results I hoped for! He got the game plan in motion. First, get braces on, so I looked “under construction”! Then, oral surgery (with another great doctor, Dr. Ryan Marsh of Oral Surgeons PC). This was to remove my baby teeth (yes, I had NO eye teeth for a good 6+ months) and to attach a brace and chain to the eye tooth still in my gum. The chain was then attached to the braces wire and tied tighter every week or two to force the tooth down. Sounds crazy?! It was!

Once you have the braces on it does take a little time to adjust to the new equipment in your mouth. I talked pretty funny for a while! After a couple months it felt like they were always there. I have discomfort from time to time when they tighten or adjust them, but nothing a little Tylenol can’t handle! I also love the clear option because they are less noticeable!

Adult Braces: My Story
Smiling big, braces and all! 🙂

I can tell you now, nearly two years after all of this began, that I am SOOOOO happy with my decision. I am nearing the end of my braces journey, and it has been a positive one. It has taught me to laugh at myself (especially when I was toothless and because I always have food stuck in my teeth — HA!)! It has allowed me to encourage people who are thinking about it but haven’t taken the leap! AND, it has made me feel youthful in a weird kind of way (maybe because most of the other patients are between 10 and 16 LOL)!

If you are considering braces, I say do it! It goes by so fast, and I already love the results even with my braces still on!

A smile that makes you feel CONFIDENT is worth it!

*** I searched and searched for a picture of my toothless smile but literally couldn’t find one! I think I was way too embarrassed at the time to even save them on my phone! UGH! I wish I had just one to share with you all!

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3 COMMENTS

  1. I am about to go through braces as an adult and it really helped to read this! My top lateral incisors are baby teeth and I no adult teeth (so they’ll do implants after my treatment) and my adult canines are impacted, one going right into the root of my upper right central incisor. Long story short, I’m going to have a lot of gaps right in the front of my mouth for a long time! I’ve been so nervous and self concious about it, but reading some of your story reallt helped me feel better about the situation!

  2. I’m so afraid and nervous to get braces 🙁 I was hoping for Invisalign but my orthodontist said Invisalign will only correct 80% not 100. My anxiety is through the roof! I’m thinking of all sorts of bad case scenarios like wonder if I’m allergic to them or if a piece falls off and I choke omg I’m scared

  3. Given these serious health risks, many adults see braces as a valuable investment in their long-term health. Decades of straight teeth and drastically improved oral and physical health are well worth a few years of awkwardness, expense, and occasional discomfort. for someone who isn’t sure about it yet you may check this article to know all about teeth straightening surgery.

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