Getting My Teeth Straightened – One Month In
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Last month I started the process of getting my teeth straightened and had Cfast braces fitted at The Dental Studio in Colchester. It’s something I had wanted to get done for so long and it’s so nice to finally have the ball rolling – and I thought it was about time I gave an update on how I’m finding life with braces.
I was apprehensive when I went to get the braces fitted but, actually, getting the braces fitted didn’t hurt at all. It was uncomfortable in places and at the end my mouth felt so different – I knew that physically having braces would take some getting used to. The braces didn’t hurt straight away either but by that evening I had to take painkillers as my face had started to ache but this died down within a couple of days.
Eating was the biggest adjustment. All of my teeth felt unstable for around a week. Chewing was impossible for me for the first few days but got easier after that and so I changed my diet to more soft foods – eating lots of soup, mashed potato and soft fruit. Now, a month in, eating is fine but there are things I need to avoid eating with braces – anything too hard, anything really sticky and anything solid that I need to bite into. The main worry is bending the brace wires or dislodging the brace brackets so I am now used to the things I can eat and the things I need to avoid.
But, braces have made me eat healthier. I don’t really snack and stick to three meals a day. I feel the need to clean my teeth every time I eat and so it’s easier to just eat three times a day.
Cleaning my teeth now takes me around ten minutes each time and I use special heads for my Oral B electric toothbrush to help clean around the brackets and under the brace wires. I also have Tepe brushes to clean between my teeth instead of floss. I think I took cleaning my teeth for granted before getting braces – it was something I could do without even looking in a mirror and now it takes more time but I know how important it is to keep the braces as clean as possible.
For the first ten days of having braces I did find it quite painful. My face aching disappeared within the first few days and I stopped needing painkillers but my mouth still had to get used to the braces. The brackets on my back teeth rubbed the inside of my mouth when I spoke and ate and I’ve got special dental wax to put on the brackets to ease the rubbing but within two weeks my mouth had got completely used to the braces and I could eat and talk normally again without any discomfort.
But, each month I have to go back and have the braces adjusted. Sometimes the wires are replaced, new bands are put on and my teeth are shaved in places to make room for the movement. The first time this was done my face ached again for a couple of days and my teeth felt unstable but it wasn’t as big of an adjustment as it was when the braces were initially fitted and I just had to eat soft foods again for a few days.
A month in and I can already see a huge improvement in my bottom teeth and the top ones have moved slightly too. Even though I know the adjustments will be uncomfortable each month I am finding myself looking forward to the next one as I know it will be one step closer to the straight teeth I am dreaming of.
I am so pleased that I had the braces fitted and I, strangely, enjoy going to The Dental Studio. It has such a welcoming, homely feel and it’s so far removed from my previous dentist experiences. I can’t imagine a friendlier team to have my treatment with and it’s going so well already, I am so excited for the next few months and my teeth straightening even more. I’ll keep you updated.
I’m glad it’s going well, as I know how long you’ve wanted this for! All the pain will definitely be worth it in the end
Stevie x
I can’t wait to see what a difference it makes. It’s going to be totally worth the pain I’m sure x
It sounds like it’s going really well….All the pain and eating soft food will be worth it. My teen had braces and her teeth look amazing now! x
This was so interesting to read Donna, and hopefully all the discomfort will be worth it (I’m sure it will!). Looking forward to more updates x
I can just imagine the aching! Well done though sounds like you’re doing fab with them. Can’t wait to see the end result!
What a brave thing to do. I have overcrowded teeth and have thought about getting them straightened up, but keep putting it off. I hope you’ve set up a before and after photo for the process. I’ll be interested to see how the braces end up. Thanks for sharing.