Adult Braces Update 6 | Health Benefits of Adult Braces
Welcome to month SEVEN of adult braces! If we’re counting (which I totally am), I’m only 20 weeks away from having these babies for a full year and that makes the estimated 12-18 month journey seem to be flying by very quickly. Even if I have to wear them for the full 18 months, that’s still just nine months away. People grow humans in nine months. I can wear braces for nine more months if I have to, right!?
This month, I’m giving you my standard pic update and also wanted to share five of my favorite health benefits of adult braces. Several of you reading these posts may be considering braces or already have them and possibly struggling with wearing them. I wanted to bring up some of the PERKS of wearing adult braces to help us along the way. Here we go…
5 Health Benefits of Adult Braces
- Straight teeth reduce the amount of plaque that gathers in crevices, and less plaque can lower your chances for gum disease, which has been linked to heart disease and diabetes.
- Dr. Robert Bray, past president of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) explains that as you get older, your teeth shift and become crowded. This makes it uncomfortable to chew and difficult to floss. -Source no longer available
- Adult braces can aid to decrease and relieve potential jaw joint problems or pain (TMJ/TMD).
- One of the results of adult treatment from braces can offer higher self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Braces help to minimize the extreme wear on the teeth.
Now that you hopefully feel a little better about adult braces, let’s check out my progress…
What’s happened since the last update
I didn’t get rubber bands this month – as I had desperately hoped. However, we are making good progress. I was upgraded from rounded wires to rectangular wires on both top and bottom (YAY!). When you first start braces treatment, the wires are more rounded to ease the teeth into alignment. Once the teeth are mostly straight, you may advance to a more rectangular/square shape to really get those teeth perfect. You won’t get a rectangular wire initially (depending on your issues) simply because it would put too much pressure on the bracket and more than likely, pop the bracket off the tooth.
I’ve always had bigger (“chiclet”) top teeth, but with my narrow mouth, my smile was more narrow. I’m hoping the rectangular wires will help give me a wider smile, overall.
The new wire hasn’t really hurt. In fact, I didn’t even start to feel any discomfort until two weeks into wearing them. It was just slight soreness in my teeth and I can feel that my teeth are slightly flaring out a little more again (which is what helps straighten them out before they get pulled back in for good). I didn’t even need Tylenol, so really… not much pain at all.
The BIGGEST news this month is that I’m NOT WEARING SILVER RUBBER BANDS, lol! I was debating testing out ‘color,’ but I was forced to this past month because the office was completely out of my go-to silver rubber bands. I opted for navy blue. I figured navy wasn’t as dark as black and it would also make my teeth appear as white as possible (although my toothpaste and mouthwash I use continue to work miracles – read that post here).
I’d definitely get navy blue again, but that’s probably the most daring I’d go. I wish the pretty periwinkle wouldn’t stain because I’d try those, too.
As a reminder, here’s where we started seven months ago:
Here’s today:
Here’s the ‘aerial’ shots:
Check out last month’s shots here.
I feel a lot more positive about the braces this month. Maybe it’s the navy rubber bands, maybe it’s the rectangular wire. Who knows. But I’m still praying hard for this to be over before 18 months. I know so many have told me to assume they’ll be on even longer than 18 months, but I’m doing some mad science here and have calculated (with absolutely no idea what I’m doing and no medical degree), the following schedule, lol:
- rectangular wires – month 7 & 8
- rubber bands to correct bite – months 9, 10, 11, 12
- minor adjustments/detailing/”baking” – months 13, 14, 15
- GET BRACES OFF MONTH 15 – February 2017
I’m crazy, I know. Please just say a prayer with me so I can be the one person to get her braces off EARLIER than expected and break the stereotype! 😀
Check back July 29th for my 8 month update (Friday, instead of Monday… just this one month). I have no official ‘topic’ to cover other than sharing my progress, so if anyone has any ideas/suggestions/questions, please leave them in the comments or shoot me an email at brighterdarling@gmail.com and I’d be happy to start addressing them. Also, special shout out to those who have commented/emailed me and are more advanced in your braces journey. It’s been so nice to hear from you and be inspired!
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Happy navy rubber bands,
-Steffanie
Hey !
Just wanted to post a quick comment and say how much I loooove your blog ! I myself just got adult braces (I’m 23) and for the 6 weeks I’ve been wearing them I can definitely say I’m facing the same struggles! (And it’s barley been TWO months!!! Lol) I noticed that you’re using whitening toothpaste and mouthwash, I was hoping maybe in your next update or if you could just let me know, is it safe to use those with braces !? I hear so many horror stories about whitening products damaging the cement holding the braces as well as whitening products leaving stains. I adored my whitening toothpaste and how white my teeth were before the braces, and I’m really noticing a difference in the colour of my teeth since I stopped. So needless to say it was hard to give up ! 🙁
Any feedback would be great 🙂
Hey! I am so glad you are finding my posts helpful! Here’s my thoughts on the pros and cons of whitening products durIng braces: Yes. I have heard the horror stories, too. I understand the idea behind NOT using whitening products during braces, however; like you, I always used whitening products before braces (I even did white strips the week I got my braces just because I wanted the spot where the brackets went to be as white as possible since I knew I was going to continuing using the same stuff). Additionally, like you, I also noticed how insanely fast my teeth started turning slightly off white/yellowish when I didn’t use the products. It wasn’t just in my head either, I took photos to be sure. It’s inevitable that the teeth will get yellow faster with braces because food just clings in the teeniest nooks so easily. Finally, at the end of the damn day, i feel like 98% of ppl who had braces have to get their teeth professionally whitened ANYWAY once the braces come off so what is the difference if I use or DONT use whitening products during treatment?! I wouldn’t advocate using actual whitening gel or white strips during braces, but toothpaste and mouthwash I think are just fine. My ortho has never said to me, “your teeth are too white… Stop using those products.” So yea. I know it’s controversial, but that’s just my feelings on it haha! My husband is a dentist and he has to whiten people’s teeth regularly, so if he hasn’t scolded me about it, and my orthodontist hasn’t… I’m ok with it! 😉 HTH!
Your teeth are coming along amazingly well! I got incognito braces almost 3 months ago, which go on the back of your teeth. I got it to close my Madonna-gap and it’s already nearly closed! I’m so impressed with the speed of it, but it has been uncomfortable at times.
I’m impressed at how white your teeth are, mine were a bit grim before I even got braces but I think I’m going to power through and sort it all out when the braces come off.
Looking forward to following the rest of your journey!
Thank you so much! I just went to my ortho yesterday for my 8 month appointment and I’m excited to share some progress news in the next post. I’ve read about those incognito braces – a lot of celebrities apparently get them (even Theresa Guidice/Real Housewives of NJ has/had them). Of course, they can be more difficult to wear/manage, but that’s amazing that the gap is nearly closed. The movement/changes certainly started slowing down for me around month 6-7 so far. That’s probably why I felt so inspired initially… but just a head’s up, it slows down haha. Changes are just happening more “behind the scenes” than you can see. Keep me posted on how your progress goes! <3
Thanks for the heads up with the slowing down part. I’ve been so stoked with my progress that I need to be careful not to get carried away! Mine are only due to be on for 9 months so hopefully by the time the slow down starts, I should be near enough to the end to not mind so much.
Looking forward to seeing how you go in your next post, and yes I’ll keep you updated!
I just commented on your IG. I got Damon braces June 20. I’m 31. I definitely had more pain than most people. I couldn’t sleep for almost 4 days. On day 7 I started having migraines for 7 days straight. I came very close to popping each bracket off myself. So my “meltdown” has pretty much been a constant stage since about 8 hours after they put them on. I am just correcting a mid-line shift. I have a very small mouth and my teeth were super crowded much like your flossing problem. When I was little, my mom had the dentist pull one of the teeth coming in. But we didn’t pull one on the other side. So my smile is kind of like Tom Cruise just not as noticeable. After I got the braces, almost everyone kept saying “I didn’t know you needed braces. ” It was rather frustrating to hear after just spending $6500 on “something I didn’t need” but I did it for me. I tell all my girlfriends, “well you wanted bigger boobs, so you went out and bought them. I want straight perfect teeth, so I am buying them!” …well braces anyway. Seeing your progress photos really helps gauge how far along I should start seeing a difference. I’ve had mine for 3 weeks and I am already frustrated that they haven’t moved dramatically. Lol….yes I am very impatient. Thanks for posting all of this. It helps to know I am not alone in the 30 with braces struggle. 🙂
Hi! I just read your IG posts and here I am responding to you here 🙂 So happy to share my story to help another in similar (uncomfortable) shoes, haha. Maybe the increased pain has to do with the Damon system… isn’t it known to be a little more faster-working than traditional, metal (like I have)? I could be totally wrong. But I completely agree with you about telling others it’s FOR YOU. You know I completely understand that mindset! Just because they can’t really see it, doesn’t mean you don’t at the end of the night, plus, in the long run, it could help alleviate other issues so ::sticks middle finger up to anyone giving us a hard time:: LOL. A good friend of mine got Invisalign a couple months after I started these, and she’s also super impatient. I definitely saw the most activity in the first 6 months. I’ll be honest… it’s slowing down now and I hear the closer you get to the end, the slower it goes. Don’t worry… when this is all done, we’re going to have the prettiest teeth until the day we die so it will be worth it haha. Keep me posted on if your pain starts to seriously subside as you get further into treatment. Thanks for stopping by! XO!
So did you go for your 8 month? The Damon system you only have to go every 6-8 weeks so my next appt is Aug 22. That will be just over 2 months for me. The pain has subsided. My cheeks just hurt from all the cuts. I start the day with silicone covering them, but as soon as I eat, I swallow all of it somehow. Lol. My stomach is full of it. Hope its not harmful. Lol. I am not sure how much this next wire change is going to hurt. My dentist said its hell. Im looking forward to the movement but not the pain. Hopefully I wont have migraines this time. That was the worst. I have been snapping pics almost every week to see changes. I love your progress pics. They give me hope. Haha Like you, I don’t want to wear these things for 22 months. So I want to do whatever I can to hurry this process up. Pain or not. 🙂
Hi again! I’m struggling with posting another monthly update (which was due this week) this time because not much happened, TBH. My ortho upgraded my bottom wire so it now is the same strength as the top one, but no rubber bands yet and I personally don’t feel like taking photos will show any significant change since my last update. The assistant DID tell me that this is the last wire they use before they upgrade me to a stainless steel wire. The stainless steel wires are a lot stronger and the kind that go with the rubber bands (I guess the wire I have right now is still too flexible/soft for rubber bands). Fingers crossed. I was thinking of changing to post an update every 2 months going forward since my progress seems to be slowing down a bit… at least until I get the rubber bands! Aw… I’m sorry you are having all the cuts! I also got them and continue to get them (especially if I’m talking A LOT for a few hours/days in a row). Always keep that wax/silicone with you (I have three containers… one in my purse, one on my nightstand and one in the bathroom LOL). Now it makes sense how the DAMON system moves faster… you go to the dr less often, but when you DO go, it’s a major upgrade. Definitely has its pros and cons, haha! I literally have had 0 pain in at least 3-4 months. I’m kinda hoping to feel some more pain soon so I know something is happening HAHA! Anyways, I go to the ortho next Friday (8/5) for my going-into-month-9 appointment. I really hope I get the damn rubber bands.
Well under the “pros” of Damon they say they are more comfortable and less painful. That’s a lie from Satan. Lol. I would rather have another knee surgery than go thru the first two weeks of having these things. I watched to jump off a bridge. I am so impatien . My Ortho suggested since I had so much pain the first two weeks that this next wire we won’t do as hard as normal. But I’m going to tell him no. I’ll just take the strong one and hate life because I don’t want to wear these torturous things any longer than I have to. I attempted to put some rubber bands on the brackets to see if I could get my teeth to move faster. Girl I broke the damn bracket OFF. Lol. Oh wel . So I’ll be getting a new one of those on Aug 22 also. I’m exactly 7 months behind you. We should have a brace off party when its all done. After enduring this pain, I’m doing something drastic for sur . Ha ha
LOL! Yea you can handle it, girl! Just pop that Advil or Tylenol. I’ll keep you posted what happens to me on Friday after my 9 month appointment. I better get the rubber bands or I may have a mental breakdown in the chair.
You are much stronger than me! I had braces depression every single day I had them, so I commend you for being so positive while having them on! Out of curiosity, did you have the option to do invisalign? Why or why did you not choose to do that? I’ve had my braces off for a couple years now and tried out invisalign and found I couldn’t even go back to anything like that. Now I just wear a retainer, but your teeth look great so far! 😀
Hey! Thanks for stopping by. It definitely is frustrating, but I just keep my eye on the prize, lol. Yes… I addressed all of those various, go-to questions in my very first braces post here: https://brighterdarling.com/adult-braces/ Hope that helps!