Do you have braces/have you had them?

Yep, I had them for six awful years. I had everything. Palette expander, face mask, mouthpiece, those appliances with elastics and it goes on. My whole jaw was screwed up. But I'm really happy with the way it all came out. :D

I've never had to wear braces and don't think I need them.

I have braces. I had an expander (that things hurts SO badly!) and I have rubber bands now. I should get them off in a few months though! I've had them on for just over a year now....

When i was a kid many moons ago, My parents were told I should have braces on my bottom teeth, well they probably could not afford it and not many people bothered then, so I have crooked bottom teeth, but they are not that bad, my tops are very straight and look fine, and besides you hardly ever see the bottom ones.

Unfortunately today, nearly every child is told by the School Dental nurse they need braces, I think it is purely cosmetic.
my daughter has straight bottom and top teeth, but they suggested she see an orthodontist, what for I don't know? she has a under-bite I think they call it.

I simply donot have the money for that, if it were to cause her discomfort or anything, then yes I would find it, but sometimes I think they refer nearly everyone these days, and its un-necessary.

My sisters two front teeth cross over each other, now to my way of thinking she should have had that sorted, it spoils her smile.

I had braces for about 17 months when I was 13 and 14yrs old (about 10 years ago). I had 'too big teeth for my mouth' and I had a front tooth overlapping the other - completely crooked and made me look like a real geek! (no offense!)
I had two pre-molars taken out which they let me keep, and my braces cost about $NZ1800 - and that was the cheapest in town.
It wasn't so bad having them, the pain was bearable and my best friend had her own set of braces at the time so I wasn't the only one at school to be called 'train tracks' or get food caught in the metal bits.
I think the thing that hurt most was getting them taken off - it felt like they were ripping all the bones out of my face!
I was really happy with the results nonetheless, and now I have a great smile!
And since then I've had two wisdom teeth through and they have enough space to grow in so having two teeth taken out was a blessing in disguise!

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Originally posted by Cincy'sMom
I got a retainer when I was in 1st grade...braces on in 3rd or 4th. Had them til I was a sophomore in HS and took a retainer to college with me...For me, it was weird to NOT have them on!!

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WOW, that's amazing!! :eek: I would have died by then! :D

I had braces for two years.

(but didn't wear my retainer and because if that 2 two teeth have moved :o)

No I havent ever had them.. and I´´m happy about it :)

Nope, I've never had them. I'm very lucky to have very nice straight teeth. The only problems that I had with my teeth in the past were that my teeth came in with cracks in them (it happens quite a bit in my family), so I had them filled in. :)

I have had braces for about a year now, they don't bother me, except when I worry about having food stuck in my braces, me and my friend say "Food check" and smile after lunch, just to make sure:p

They are really expensive, poor mom, she had to have twins!

no problem

As I posted in the other thread, I had teeth too big and a jaw that's too narrow. For those who have "been there, done that" the orthodontist had to bend his narrowest tray even more narrow in order to take impressions of my teeth!

I had braces for about 2 years, 3 months and 15 days. I have 8 fewer teeth than a normal adult - had my 4 first bicuspids (premolars) taken out, and then my 4 wisdom teeth taken out. I wore my retainers until the orthodontist said I didn't have to any more - if you don't you risk having to have braces all over again as an adult. I do not have a "permanent" bottom retainer, though my sister does. She had braces for 4 years, starting just after she turned 9. Her teeth were so messed up (one eyetooth, the orthodontist asked my parents if he could use her impressions and x-rays as a teaching aid, so they got a discount on her braces.

Then when it was my turn, my parents got a "second kid in the family" discount. Dr. Morin was great. He had stuffed animals with either glasses or night braces on them in his office, cool abstract modern art (real, not reproductions) on his walls, and one hot pink chair, one purple one, and one lighter pink one. We each got a plaque with our braces mounted on it as a "job over" present, and a smiley-button (with straight teeth showing) that said "construction completed" on it.

My brothers lucked out - they have wider jaws, so just needed their wisdom teeth removed, no braces.

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Originally posted by Karen

I had my 4 wisdom teeth taken out.

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Does it hurt to have your wisdom teeth out? I'm hoping I dont need mine out!

I had them too...Hated it...ppl actually enjoyed their braces experience? o_O'''' (person voted they loved them..) hehe.

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Originally posted by dogs_4_me
Does it hurt to have your wisdom teeth out? I'm hoping I dont need mine out!

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I had 18 teeth pulled...yes, 18.........4 of them wisdom. trust me, you'd do fine ;D It's definetly not comfortable afterwards (i was put to sleep..wouldn't have done it any other way lol) I wouldn't say it's really bad though..I worried about it for like 10 yrs of my life LOL I even cried while I waited in the office to go in...:o Wasn't as bad as I though.