Ask Lemmy

Correcting your teeth is something you'll enjoy the rest of your life. Don't let your worries about how people will precieve you now impact the rest of your life

I'm in my mid 40s and, due to many things, it's too late for me. They won't shift without falling out.

I had half my teeth extracted last year, currently waiting on tens of thousands of dollars worth of implant and bridge work. If my teeth had been aligned, I'd still have some bad ones replaced, but it would've been far simpler.

Do it OP.

I’m 43 and am doing Invisalign as we speak.

I had braces in my teens but my orthodontist was an escaped nazi scientist who reveled in cruelty. I completed the course, but it gave me a phobia of dental work so I kinda… avoided dentists after.

Long story short: Invisalign and modern orthodontics is a world away from the 90s. No more mallets to hammer bands into teeth, no more night braces, etc. 3d models, computer aided treatment, it’s all like magic.

Do it, you’ll be happy you did. If you want more deets hit me up

I had them as an adult. They were annoying but worth it once they were removed.

No one made a big deal about them. They could make my teeth sore when I first got them or had anything adjusted, but again - more of a minor annoyance than outright pain. Nothing to be afraid of and I’m glad I did it now.

I'm just going to comment on work life - the truth is, the older I get the less I care about things like appearance. Depends on the profession of course but for f.e. office work - people don't care. Especially not if it's for medicall purpose (they could even have a problem with HR). I meam look at the older colleagues, they themselves look like shit, they don't care.

But I remember my mid 20s and I was exactly the same, now I look back and it's a bit funny. It'l be good, go for the braces :)

I've seen even people in their 40s using them. I don't think that it's a big deal, or that it's too late for that.

Don't be put off by the initial discomfort. It'll feel weird at first.

Periodic tightenings are also slightly painful, but if you're a weirdo like me then you'll actually come to enjoy the feeling when it happens.

I had braces in my early 20s. Its not a big deal. Just be ready for it to feel like youve been hit in the face with a train.

I had the same thoughts when my dentist suggested it, but fortunately nowadays we have more choices for doing it.

I don't know where you live and how much you can expend in it, but I've decided to use these removable invisible aligners (like Invisalign) and had no regrets. They're faster to do their job, more trustable to get the alignment you need and, well, they're not too visible as regular braces.

As other people said, correcting your teeth is something you will enjoy for the rest of your life. So, if you can afford invisible aligners and can follow their instructions (like using them for 20h per day, regularly brushing your teeth etc), I totally recommend going this way.

Besides what method you'll choose, remember that everyone of them is temporary and you'll be really happy with the results in the near future. I get the concern about what other people will think, but you should remember you're doing something for you and to feel happier with yourself! :)

50s and just spent a year in braces after dental surgery the year or so before screwed up my teeth. Now I am in my retainer. In all that time I cannot think of a single person who wasn't excited for me or at least interested in the fact I was wearing braces to get my teeth aligned.

Braces on adults are common enough that most people don't care. There are options like Invisalign, ceramic or clear braces, and lingual braces (brackets behind the teeth) that you can ask about. If you work somewhere with a strict dress code you might want to stick to clear and white colored rubber bands, too. Though outside of that, people still won't care and colored rubber bands are cute.

My wife got hers last year and is turning 30 soon. No one cares, and any comments she gets are people liking the colors she picked.

Remember, 99% of people you encounter are so self involved they won't notice or remember something you think is super noticeable.

Buy a water flosser, though, because you absolutely have to brush and floss twice a day when you have them.

It's a massive pain in the ass but I say go for it. There are huge long term benefits which outweigh the inconvenience. You will probably have those teeth for there rest of your life so you might as well look after them.

I got braces at 21 and absolutely don't regret it. If anything I wish I used my retainer longer afterwards for maintenance.

Adding to the chorus of older folks telling you do it. I'm 45 and currently in braces, for nearly two years now (about to get them off). As far as I can tell, not a single person has reacted negatively to them in any way.

I got some knockoff Invisalign from smile direct club, I wouldn't recommend them because they're undergoing a chapter 13 realignment or something but before 1850 bucks they did the job.

I have a much better smile, I don't hide half of my teeth when I'm smiling, honestly it was one of the better decisions I've made.

I'm sure there's some other company out there that can do just as good of a job, but ask your doctor if you're a good candidate for Invisalign and if you are then go for it.

I got braces for a second and third time as a result of jaw surgery both times in my 20s. Its not so bad.

The people that matter wont care and the people that care wont matter

If you're concerned about other folks - Most people don't give a slightest flying F.

You may (and probably will) find some man-childs having a giggle about it, but also some people that will understand that's for your good and nice straight teeth

But in some small percentage are weirdos that find it cool and attractive (like me lol)

But if you're concerned about your daily life with braces - I don't know, I had the removable ones and those were so uncomfortable and disgusting. Having a piece of plastic on my palate sometimes triggered a gag reflex. So yeah if only I knew I would choose the standard ones

There's low level constant pain that's not easily comparable to anything else, which gets worse the day after any adjustments are done. And make sure you get a retainer you can wear each night.

My mistake was not asking for an alternative retainer, and grinding teeth at night kept breaking my retainers until it got too expensive to keep getting new ones. Now I'll have to get braces or Invisalign or something to redo the straightening.

Good news is, I can still eat better than I could before I got braces.

In other news, seeing the Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist about my sinuses ended up curing the grinding along with mouth breathing and swollen sinuses.

Obviously this is the right choice

Is it? It's ok to get a second opinion from other dentists.

If their current position isn't causing you pain or tooth/jaw wear problems, then straightening them is a cosmetic decision. And if you didn't even realize they were that crooked until the dentist suggested straightening them, then the cosmetic aspect hasn't been bothering you.

In my country (US), dentistry is notorious for upselling unnecessary cosmetic procedures.

For example, I went to a new dentist and he found two "developing" cavities he wanted to proactively drill out and fill and a "flaw in the enamel" he could fix with a veneer. I thought that was weird since I have never had a cavity before in my life and the "enamel flaw" was cosmetic only and never bothered me. I went to another dentist for a second opinion and she told me my teeth were fine. 5 years later and those "developing" cavities never formed.

I’m in the mid 30’s and I have braces for a year now, go for it if you can afford! It will hurt for some days but it’s worth it.

I'm an old adult and i went for Invisalign instead of braces two years ago.

Was pricey but an absolute breeze compared to the horror of having braces i experienced over two decades earlier.

My wife did the Invisalign thing in her early 40s. Worked great! Nobody even knew she was wearing them. She’s much happier with her smile now and everyone benefits from even a small daily confidence boost. Expensive, but money well spent imo.

Braces are a government ploy to monitor civilians through covert surveillance.