Ouch!
 

So, I'm 32 and have had crooked teeth since '94 when I was deployed to Saudi Arabia and my wisdom teeth came in. They wouldn't extract them while deployed so by the time I got back to the US my teeth were overly crowded. Then they said "no braces while in the military". (i just found out that was a lie, but too late to do anything about it now)

Anyway, having left the military permanently in January I made the decision to straighten my teeth. I got my braces on today. Ouch!

It never really occurred to me the activities that would be impacted by having braces until a female friend jokingly said "so much for kissing you." holy crap. Because I'm not getting any right now, I never even thought about the impact on sexual activities.

Not good. not good at all. Anyone else have braces as an adult? Any advice?

I had 'em as a teen so I knew better than to have them as an adult. Most of us would have warned you before you went ahead and did something like that.

I will say, after my braces were done I had an entirely new threshold for pain. Broken bone? It is to laugh!

You'll feel better when it stops hurting.:3_eyes:

I have no braces, but was thinking about the future and all the wicked little things you'll be able to do with pretty teeth. Congrats!
:D

you're getting divorced and you're getting braces?
Go buy some Acne medicine. That's probably next.

well, i figured now is better than waiting another year or so. right now dating isn't exactly at the top of my priority list. this year my priorities are 1) little lookout, 2) sorting through my mangled life, 3) work.

if someone doesn't like the ways they look this year, who cares? i'm not capable of anything but one night stand type relationships and i've had enough of those in my life, not looking to get back into that.

and now that you mention is LJ - i do have a zit on my lip. dammit.

Don't go here. NSFW ;)

duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude! how am i going to get the vomit out of my braces now?

Floss man Floss !!!

Actually, when I had braces, the waterpik thing really rocked. but that was um 30 years ago, do they still make those things?

OK here you go. buy one today, stinky mouth.

http://www.waterpik-store.com/produc...1=WAT%20WP-350

There's another side to the pain--it means they're working. They'll try and tell you that "it will take a year and a half" to get your teeth straight, but this is only because it stops hurting after about a week, and then you wait another five weeks before going back. If you make an appointment to have them tightened every time they stop hurting, they will be done much, much faster.

I've never had braces, but I have eaten nuts or popcorn and gotten a piece jammed in between teeth where I feel that almost-painful sort of itchy stretching feeling until I flossed. Then I mentally multiplied that feeling by 32, which is why I've never had braces.

Actually it is 2 to the 32 power, but you got the idea.

Also what clodfobble said, but for a lot of us those few weeks of no pain were a welcome respite. But it made returning harder.

apparently the braces i've got adjust and tighten on there own, so they straighten faster anyway. instead of going in every 4-6 weeks, there are only supposed to be about 5 appointments over the next year and a half so that they can make major adjustments as needed. but i plan on moving all those appointments up. i've already moved the first check up by more than a week.

i can take pain. i want braceless teeth as soon as possible. i want steak.

Are you sure this isn't an exercise in flagellation? :eyebrow:

huh?

Is there a deep seated reason you're inflicting this suffering on yourself? :bonk:

yeah. i've seriously hated my teeth for a very long time. they weren't hideous, in fact they're in perfect health - i've only had 2 cavities in my life. for 12/13 years i've had crooked teeth and it has always been a source of embarrassment for me. nobody ever pointed and laughed or anything tramatic like that - it's just one of those things.

there has always been a reason not to do it in the past, and now there isn't. i was extremely tempted to write the great big check and have the front teeth taken out and replaced with Bicon implants, but my dentist and ortho convinced me to go the more traditional route.

this isn't some self torture brought on by my divorce - it is for me. as vain as it is, i want to smile or laugh with my mouth open and not feel uneasy.

Could have gone with a droopy mustache.:D

i thougth about just wearing a bandana - but then i realized banking could become problematic.

After wearing braces for most of Jr. High, I could at least close my mouth again without an overbite like a horse. Unfortunately, this was short lived. My wisdom teeth started breaking out when I was about 20, and this resulted in most of the orthodontia being shoved all out of alignment. So in my mid-20's I had braces again for several years, but not until I got surgery to remove the wisdom teeth plus the back molars all around (not at the same time) so there would be room in my mouth for putting everything back in place. 30 years later, I woke up one morning and discovered that my entire jaw was out of alignment, causing the upper and lower teeth to not meet properly anymore, and since that time much of the straightness of my teeth has become a thing of the past again. But no way I am getting braces again now, I have had enough of them.

So yes, I wore braces as a working and dating adult and I can tell you these hints:

WaterPiks are good, you really can't live without one. You will not be able to brush your teeth the same way now and you can't floss. Never go to meet anybody after eating until you have checked your mouth in the mirror, you will be horrified at what will end up hanging there at the most embarrassing time. If I could designate the worst thing about having braces it would be that eating in general is not all that fun anymore. You will probably lose weight.

Do not schedule a date or important event the day your orthodontist does an adjustment. The pain will not go away for days, it is impossible to chew, talk, or have much of a good attitude until your teeth "settle down" again. Do not go anywhere cold at those times either, you do not want to know the pain of inhaling freezing air.

Keep lip gloss or Blistex hidden somewhere. You will tend to breathe through your mouth for a while and your lips will get dry and split.

Having braces will not affect your social life in any way. In fact, adult males getting braces is a status symbol. It is a great conversation starter. But be cautious of having any photos taken of you, especially with a flash. Braces never look good in a photo. I had the misfortune of being the bridesmaid in my sister's wedding during the time I had braces, and none of the photos look good.

Unless your partner has a tendency to put her tongue absolutely everywhere, the braces will have no effect on your enjoyment of kissing. People told me that they could not tell any difference. However, there is one thing you must definitely forget about for now and that is oral sex. Braces do not cut the people you kiss, but they definitely will snag in hairs. You really do not want to find that out the hard way. And it is a definite turn-off if you smile at somebody when you have little kinky hairs stuck in your braces :eek:

fortunately it is fashionable for people in my desired age range to be hairless or damn near - so oral is still in. Woohoo!

i was telling a female friend about my concern for how braces will affect kissing. she promptly leaned over and gave me the best kiss i've had in a very long time. she declared that there is no negative effect on kissing.

me being me, i said thanks then told her i was really worried how the braces would affect my oral skills. she said she was a good friend, but i'd have to figure that one out on my own.:rolleyes:

PLEASE clarify your postion wrt hairlessness and desired age and oral.

IMHO, she's lying. She wants you to figure it out on her, she just wants to give it a little more time. ;)

eh, she really is just friend material though. she's hot and nice and all... but i've had enough "psycho-as-mate" for awhile i think.

BigV - dude - no seriously dude. i'm 32. i'm only talking about bush - not scalp. my normal dating age range would probably be somewhere around 24-38. so, the hairlessness would be from shaving, waxing, or lazer most likely.

l123 -- dude. I totally knew that. I'm just flippin you sh*t. I was actually implying that the age related hairlessness was scary because of the other end of the age range. Now that's scary.

i guess i'm grateful that my mind totally didn't go that direction so i missed your joke then. carry on.

The whole age appropriate smooth cecita thing is really bumming my stone. It is my personal grail, I suppose.

age appropriate?

it isn't just for 22 year old strippers anymore.

i'm telling you - laser hair removal is a miracle. now to get your SO to succomb... it is all in the marketing. "look honey, for only $700 you won't have to put a sharp blade anywhere near your squishy spots for 8-10 years! no pain! no maintenance. gosh, think of all the time you'd save."

Well, when I said "age appropriate" I was referring to BigV's earlier post, meaning that naturally smooth, single digit women are not my bag baby, hence, "age appropriate smoothness" would be anyone old enough to buy beer.

As for your other, excellent point, lasers, I still have to figure out how to first convince her to put a sharp blade near her squishy spots, in order to sell her the less dangerous alternative.

Probably not unlike a missionary who first needs to convince to the natives that they are miserable sinners destined for hell in order sell them on his miracle cure.

You could ask her to clip, or clip & shave, you. Then just insist on returning the favor.

Or, a gift certificate for a day at the Spa that includes champagne (a lot of it) and a full waxing.

If that doesn't work, next time she's amorous, sequester some bubble gum in your cheek. You won't get laid but in removing the gum you'll lead her to the edge of the slippery slope.;)

or just say, "hey - this president sucks! i hate him! i hate bush! i want nothing to do with bush! no bush in my house! uh, honey - you know what that means right?"

bruce and lookout,
Thanks guys, with your suggestions I may just acheive my grail quest. I'll keep you posted.

I can now definitively say that my braces have no negative effect on kissing or oral sex.

i may have however picked up a psychopath stalker

I'm back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed
Back in the saddle again

Ridin' the range once more
Totin' my old .44
Where you sleep out every night
And the only law is right
Back in the saddle again

Whoopi-ty-aye-oh
Rockin' to and fro
Back in the saddle again
Whoopi-ty-aye-yay
I go my way
Back in the saddle again

I'm back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed
Back in the saddle again

Ridin' the range once more
Totin' my old .44
Where you sleep out every night
And the only law is right
Back in the saddle again

Whoopi-ty-aye-oh
Rockin' to and fro
Back in the saddle again
Whoopi-ty-aye-yay
I go my way
Back in the saddle again

You might want to change that tune to;

I come from Montana
I wear a bandanna
My spurs are of silver
My pony in grey

When riding the ranges
My luck never changes
With feet in the stirrups
I gallop awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!


Of course she's not a friend of, or friend of a friend of, she who must not be named, bent on establishing a relationship as quickly as possible, to help she who must not be named's position in court. :headshake

from the opposite side of the world. the not quite ex and this chica have no career, education, social connections that would even allow them to run in similar circles.

Beware ... because if you dump the psycho and she takes poorly to the idea, women are great at the revenge game, and it would not be beyond her to seek out the wife just to twist your balls.