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Wedding Braces...I need them, but before the wedding?

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allycat0303

allycat0303

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 19, 2004
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3,450
Hey ladies,

I am in a bit of a coil. I need braces, have needed them for while, but my smile never bothered me until now. NOW IT IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. So I went to cosmetic dentist yesturday. He said he could do some cosmetic, but he didn''t recommend it. He said my teeth will shift and it will break as it goes along. He strongly suggested braces. His reasoning is I reletively young, my teeth are pretty, I need to have it done.

So here''s the thing, he "thought" it might be done in 9 months, however he is not a specialist and it would be variable. I had seen an orthodonist 2 years ago, who said 2 YEARS. He explained however, not all orthodotists are made equal, and I should really see this one.

So here''s the dilemna (I don''t want to waste another 100$ consult fee if this is crazy). I would be squeezing it really tight for my wedding, 11 months from now.

So should I try to get it done before my wedding (and "maybe" have a beautiful smile for the photographs), but it would be a risk that it wouldn''t get done in time....and the dreaded "braces in pictures" or just wait until after the wedding, but try to keep my teeth discreetely hidden during the wedding (I''m a little worried because it''s photojournalist style) so keeping my mouth shut during the whole day would be difficult.

As for whether my teeth are really bad. Well hard to say. Most people (like 95%) of my good friends never noticed it because I don''t smile that much, and when I talk, I have full lips, so people don''t notice. Even in pics from a certain distance (i.e the one I posted online for our enagegement) you can''t see it. But I DO have a crossbite. You can see it in a decent portrait shot.

Thanks gals!
 
I don''t think I would do it before the wedding if my smile never bothered me before, but I also don''t think you''d be crazy if you want to. Just ask yourself if you''re picking yourself apart because you want every single detail perfect for the big day to the point of driving yourself crazy about your teeth or if it genuinely bothers you. If you weren''t getting married, would you feel the need to fix your teeth?


I''ve never had braces, so take this for what it''s worth, but maybe you could get the "invisible" braces or maybe even put the braces in, hoping it will be done in time, and if not take them off for the wedding and have them put back on again (really expensive I bet, and maybe not even possible). I would not want braces in my wedding pictures, but that''s just me since I have never had braces.
 
Ally, I was also thinking of those invisible braces, I think they are called Invisalign here, but it might be worth investigating.
 
My co-worker had invisalign. It does take longer than normal braces but you just pop them out for pics. You should get a fair amount of correction in 11 months.
 
When I saw the orthodontist 2 years ago, he said that the invisalign would be 2.5 years, and something like 12 000$ (which I think is INSANE) He also didn''t think it was ideal for my case. I would have LOVED to do invisalign back then. Totally minimizes the problem, but he said it had to be conventional braces.
 
I have the invisalign and they actually work faster than normal braces. Since you change out trays every two weeks, instead of waiting on the ortho appointment every month, the trays move your teeth more. Does that make sense? I will be out of the top ones by the wedding and the bottom ones in a year (I had a tooth that they wouldn''t pull for some reason.) You go to the ortho every six weeks instead of once a month. The only reason that my ortho was hesitant was because I have a cross bite. I told him that wasn''t a big deal for me. Now, it is kind of expensive, but no more so than the clear options on the braces. It ran about $2000 for me.
 
Hmm... I had braces at 14. The orthodontist said I would need them for 3 years (I had an overbite), but I actually wore them for only 17 months! But it does really hurt, I''m not sure it''s something I''d want to have done so close to my wedding. I certainly wouldn''t want braces in my wedding pics. But since your smile really bothers you, I''m not too sure what to suggest.

As for the price of braces or invisalign, do you have private insurance to cover for part of the cost? My dad did, and it really helped since all 3 of us needed them at the same time.
 
Date: 7/16/2008 8:52:12 AM
Author: allycat0303
When I saw the orthodontist 2 years ago, he said that the invisalign would be 2.5 years, and something like 12 000$ (which I think is INSANE) He also didn''t think it was ideal for my case. I would have LOVED to do invisalign back then. Totally minimizes the problem, but he said it had to be conventional braces.
Click to expand...


Not everyone can do invisalign, actually it is a small amount of people that can. I have conventional braces but I have ceramic (clear) on top and metal coloured ones on the bottom, I have been told 2 years, I have had them on 7mths and my teeth are almost perfectly straight however my bite is still wacky but my ortho is closing gaps, moving teeth around and aligning the teeth first, the bite correction can take a while.

You can''t really see my braces like people have not noticed them at all but I can dramatically notice the difference in my teeth, I saw a picture of my smile last night pre-braces and OMG I nearly died I can''t believe I put up with that for so long, braces for me have been the best best best thing I have ever done my teeth are starting to look AMAZING and I never thought my teeth were that bad.

If you do decide to do ortho before your wedding I would really research for a good ortho you can do some research on the Archwired forum and read other peoples stories.

I can understand not wanting to wear your braces on your w-day for photo''s and such and if you do decide to go ahead I would voice your concerns to the ortho there might be things they can do for you day so they are really inconspicuous for the day.
 
One reason that people wear braces for longer than they were once told they would have to is because they don''t wear their rubber bands as often as they are supposed to. My mom was told a year and a half and she was such a good patient they came off after 11 months. I would ask if wearing everything correctly would have an impact on how long they stayed on!
 
I think someone on PS managed to beg with her orthodontist until he took the braces off for the big day and she had them put them back on straight afterward. Or is that my imagination?
 
If your smile is super important, I would talk to your dentist about taking them off for your big day like Delster said. My friend had Invisalign but had to have a bracket put on that showed when she smiled. She got him to take it off and put it back on. It''s worth a shot.
 
Date: 7/16/2008 6:45:40 AM
Author:allycat0303
Hey ladies,

I am in a bit of a coil. I need braces, have needed them for while, but my smile never bothered me until now. NOW IT IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. So I went to cosmetic dentist yesturday. He said he could do some cosmetic, but he didn''t recommend it. He said my teeth will shift and it will break as it goes along. He strongly suggested braces. His reasoning is I reletively young, my teeth are pretty, I need to have it done.

So here''s the thing, he ''thought'' it might be done in 9 months, however he is not a specialist and it would be variable. I had seen an orthodonist 2 years ago, who said 2 YEARS. He explained however, not all orthodotists are made equal, and I should really see this one.

So here''s the dilemna (I don''t want to waste another 100$ consult fee if this is crazy). I would be squeezing it really tight for my wedding, 11 months from now.

So should I try to get it done before my wedding (and ''maybe'' have a beautiful smile for the photographs), but it would be a risk that it wouldn''t get done in time....and the dreaded ''braces in pictures'' or just wait until after the wedding, but try to keep my teeth discreetely hidden during the wedding (I''m a little worried because it''s photojournalist style) so keeping my mouth shut during the whole day would be difficult.

As for whether my teeth are really bad. Well hard to say. Most people (like 95%) of my good friends never noticed it because I don''t smile that much, and when I talk, I have full lips, so people don''t notice. Even in pics from a certain distance (i.e the one I posted online for our enagegement) you can''t see it. But I DO have a crossbite. You can see it in a decent portrait shot.

Thanks gals!
Click to expand...

I need them to! I hadn''t been to a dentist for a while, and he told me my bite was crooked and that I need them to correct it and it would also align my smile. My dential hygine friend made a suggestion to me that I''m going to pass on to you.

GET your braces, but when you do, make a deal w/your ortho. to have them taken off for like 100.00 right before the wedding, and then put back on again afterwards. She told me you can wheel and deal them and they should do it. She said you need to do it upfront though. I would do it but I don''t have insurence and my FH insurence will pay 2000.00 of the total costs, so I''m getting them after the wedding. But whoever said they hurt...they hurt like **** from what I''ve been told! Just something to consider!
 
Redrose, I have had them three times, and while it''s no picnic, it doesn''t hurt that bad. The first day is the worst, and every time they tighten them they hurt for another day or so. But really, the pain is not unbearable.
 
I would say go see this orthodontist.

I got braces when I was 24. Every orthodontist I had seen when I was younger said it would take 4-5 years and a lot of work and headgear and all that jazz. UGH. Finally when I was 24 I moved to LA and saw an orthodontist there. I told him I want to make my smile better but my teeth did not have to be perfect and I didn''t want to do 4-5 years and no headgear. AND he found a way to do it. He pulled one tooth on my very crowded bottom jaw so now I have an uneven number (my dentist didn''t even notice at first until he counted). I also had the old school silver metal braces b/c they are the strongest and I went in every 3 weeks to have them tightened. They were off in 2 years and I''m so much happier!

Also if the work can''t be done in 11 months you can always have the braces taken off for the wedding and put back on. So go see this orthodontist and tell him hat you want and see what he can do you may be surprised to find out he can give you exactly what you want you just have to ask for it.
 
Oh you gals are so helpful!

I talked to my sister about it, and she bought up some good points too.

Initially she said "go for it" but then she said, "What if the teeth haven''t moved enough by your wedding? And you still have gaps because of the amount your teeth have shifted?" That would totally negate the point of having them taken off for the wedding.(My cousin has had braces for 2 years and she still has viisble gaps. I assume she''s a good patient though...she''s a doctor so you figure she would behave.)

She also pointed out, I''m a student right now, and I am sure alot of the treatment options I will take will be due to $$, because I don''t want my fiance paying for me (this is just a personal thing) as a resident, she said I would have more money and therefore, might be able to consider linguals (on the inside) or invisilign, if this orthodontist has a different opinon.

My sister has perfect teeth (straight anyways) but she said she will keeping her mouth closed on her wedding day. So I guess it''s possible to be unhappy with your smile, and take pictures.

Another thing is I will be interviewing for residency positions, and I think having braces might affect my confidence level (and if I manage to get in my desired residency, it''s going to be based on confidence and a killer interview).

So I was leaning more toward NO, and then I hear all these stories of 11 months, and it makes me REALLY want to go for it. I''m so indecisive about this! I tend to overanalyze everything!
 
hey, I had invisalign and they DID NOT WORK! My teeth wernt fairly bad either... grrr...

ANyways my BF just got braces in May, and got the clear ones on top and the silver on the bottom (only because of his bite and the clear wouldnt fit on the bottom.

Talk with your ortho when you go in for the consult and be clear and say I really want straight(er) teeth for my wedding and its this date, and if Im not finished, do you mind taking them off for me and then putting them back on. They are so much more understanding these days about stuff like this.

Also I was going to get braces because I hate my teeth (but its impossible because of how one tooth grinded down one of my front teeth). But I was looking into these http://www.lingualcare.com/index.php and they were that much. Remember that any kind of braces customized to your teeth WILL cost more because they have to pay a lab fee... But I read a lot about these and was about to do them, just decided not to because Id still need veneers... ughh..

But i say go for it, you dont wanna feel reget after because you arent smiling in any of your pictures, and I mean you should its your wedding day!!! It should be the happiest day of your life!! :-)

Goodluck
 
I got braces put on like a week after I got engaged. My teeth aren''t bad, but I had braces when I was younger, didn''t wear my retainer, and some of my teeth shifted. There were two of my top teeth in the front that were set further back and it really bothered me. All in all, I had braces on for 5 months. My ortho said I would have them on for 6-9 months, but they were on for even shorter.

I know you will need them a lot longer than that, but in my experience orthodontists are extremely understanding of working around a planned event like a wedding. When I first saw my ortho I told him exactly why I was getting them right now, and almost every appointment he was asking me when the wedding was to make sure we had plenty of time left.

I got the clear/ceramic braces on my teeth (I only needed them on top). You really cannot see them. What you can see, though, is the wire, and the elastics after they''ve been on for a little while (ok, you can''t really see them but they get yellowish so it makes your teeth look a little yellow).

I found the best way to deal with that was to have him put wire ties on instead of elastics, whenever possible. The wire ties are very thin and are virtually invisible once you have them on. I understand that not all orthos will do this, but a lot of them will. It does take a lot longer at your appointments though when they have to change them, unless they''re having the ortho or a very experienced person put them on every time. The newer people didn''t exactly know what they were doing, but after having me as a patient, they sure do know now!
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Some places will also put a white wire in for you. My ortho wouldn''t, because they didn''t have them and it was his opinion that the white coating flaked off and wasn''t worth it. It works for some people, doesn''t work for others.

Anyway, at the very least, they should be able to take out the wire for you on your wedding day, and if you get the clear braces you won''t see anything. The ortho should be able to figure out if you will have any bad gaps in your teeth around the time of your wedding, and plan accordingly.
 
I''d consider myself a braces expert... I had them for 9 years!!!


I went to 2 orthodontists before choosing one and neither had a consulting fee. I went once a month to have things tightened and shifted and really after a week or maybe 2 weeks, everything was shifted as much as it could be for the month. Then I had to wait another couple of weeks for my appointment. I think if you talked to the orthodontist about our situation then it may be possible to come in twice a month to have things tightened and that would make it go faster. If you don''t have a huge overbite or underbite and your teeth aren''t extremely crooked then its definitely worth looking into.
 
Just think how much improved your smile will be! Have them removed for the wedding and back on to finish up...they may not be perfect, but it might be enough to make you smile all day!
 
Date: 7/16/2008 9:26:41 AM
Author: Delster
I think someone on PS managed to beg with her orthodontist until he took the braces off for the big day and she had them put them back on straight afterward. Or is that my imagination?
Click to expand...
My maid of honour did just that! She had her braces removed for my wedding day (I didn''t even fathom she would ever do that, she just turned up the day before and they were gone!!) and had them put back on, on the following Monday. She didn''t feel it was a hassle at all, and I don''t think it set her back a huge amount either.
 
if you are going to get them one day it would be nice for it be done before the wedding. i don''t think my teeth bothered me a whole, whole lot before i got braces, because i was used to them, i saw them every day. but now that my teeth are straight i HATE seeing pictures from before. i would hate for you to feel that way about your wedding pics.

it''s kind of like when i see pictures before i starting plucking my eyebrows. eek! hah.
 
Alleycat, I got Invisalign when I was 26. I know it''s not for everyone but I had SIGNIFICANT gapping in my teeth...I could fit a penny between my two front teeth (don''t ask how I know that
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) and I had gaps between all of my other front teeth. Especially with fixing gaps, you see a noticeable difference in just a couple of months. The best part is your orthodontist can literally animate your course of treatment. I had 26 trays and my dentist could click through (almost like a flip book) and show what my teeth would like after each tray. Normally with Invisalign you would change your trays every two weeks assuming you wear your trays 21 hours or so a day. I PROMISED to wear mine 22.5-23 and begged to be moved up to 11 days between trays and my orthodontist agreed.

I would definitely recommend it. The whole treatment which I paid for over the course of a year was $4k. I know the cost varies depending on where you live - I live in the Philadelphia area. I think the cost estimate for braces was about a $1k less but it was worth not to have metal in my mouth for a year.

Oh...and a really great side effect - I lost 15 pounds. You''re not exactly inclined to take out your trays, rinse them, brush your teeth and put them back in just to have a handful of M&Ms
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It depends on what the problem is. If it is something that involves rubber bands to fix alignment, you can get it done much faster. Their time estimates assume you won''t be perfect about them.
I was quote 2-3 years and hade them for just onder 1.5 years. My secret? I doubled on on the rubberbands during the day and tripled at night. It was uncomfortable at night, but SO worth it.
I also ate carefully so I never broke or lost a bracket which can slow down the process.
It is going to take less time to do when your young since your teeth''s position solidify with time to the point where eventually surgery may be the only option, depending on the problem.

Pain depends on what you are having done. Regular braces for most things only hurt when you get them tightened and don''t hurt after that. Its only if you have to have the palate expanded that it REALLY hurts, trust me, I have had both.
 
definetly go invisalign!!! my FI got them last august and his teeth were bad...over crowding, crookedness...spacing the works...and so he really wanted to get this fixed before all our events and so he got them and it only took 11 months to fix, rather then 3 ish years it would have taken for regular braces!! the best part about them is that you really dont notice them at all and that you can take them off too..so if you have them around the time of your weddnig you can take them off for the day!!!

so yea i def. recoommend them!!

im gonna look for before and after pictures...


heres before...

moe_teeth.jpg
 
and heres an after...note he still has a few more weeks left to do...

moe_teeth2.jpg
 
I had braces on twice for a total of 8 years, headgear, rubber bands, the works. I hated them, even when I had clear ones the second time. Sounds like yours aren''t bad if it hasn''t really bothered you until now.

As one who''s had them taken off twice, I do not recommend risking having to take them off for the wedding and put back on again. Dentists claim it''s ok for your teeth but I can''t see how it would be a good idea. They sand cement off your enamel....this high pitch grinding, my whole head was vibrating. The brackets on your molars are wrapped around your whole tooth. Maybe it''s changed since then but I didn''t find it pleasant and, secondly, I would worry if it would damage your teeth. It''s not THAT pleasant putting them on either. It''s tolerable but don''t want you to think it''s some walk in the park. I have some white spots where the enamel wore away (not very noticeable), as does my Aunt who had them as an adult recently, as a result of braces. I have a tooth that recently started turning grey and all they can come up with is the enamel is too thin and the dentin just now started to show through......from sanding the cement off my tooth? Maybe, maybe not, but it''s the only thing that has ever happened to that tooth. Since they can''t explain it, I''m not ruling it out.

Get another quote on Invisalign! I think it''s about $5000 for getting both uppers and lowers done here in the Midwest. Otherwise wait until after the wedding. Just please don''t plan to get them taken off just for the wedding; I don''t want you to regret it later.
 
i think we paid 4500 for his...we''re in chicago...
 
Have you considered Invisalign? Since the aligners are clear you can't really see them and they come off so for photos and your wedding day you don't even have to wear them. I highly recommend them but you need a good orthodontist who has used them on a lot of patients.

I just had mine and it was way less than $12K. It doesn't matter how long they say they'll be on because even if you are only half way through with the treatment your teeth will look better than they do now and no one will notice that you are in the middle of your treatment.
 
invisalign are not invisible.. I had them and u could tell because they put these bumps on my teeth to hold them in place and they were so noticeable, people were always asken what they were and you could tell when I had the aligners in because it made it worse...

But you have to remember its not for everyone either, and it shouldnt cost u 12k thats crazy mine was 4800 in orlando, and my bfs uncles partner is a ortho and she said the lab fee is only 1800...so they gave u some crazy numbers... goodluck though
 
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