Braces.

For your teeth that is.
Has anyone had them as an adult?

I haven't, but visited a family member who is 30 and she has just had braces fitted. They are the 'invisible' type and it really is hard to see that she is wearing any.

She said the first few days were awkward as she was spitting over everyone she spoke to!! But no problems so far (had them in a few weeks).

I work as a dental nurse and we have lots of adult patients asking to be referred for adult orthodontics

I've been looking at the Invisalign braces, but it says they are for people who need minor adjustments and my teeth are pretty bad
Reason I didn't have one as a teenager is I'm terrified of dentists and a dental nurse was less than friendly to me and freaked me out even more.
My gran tried to bribe me with money to have it done but I refused.
My little sister (18 years old) has just got a brace and it's making me think about my teeth more and more, I feel like I could cope with the clear ones as less time with dentists messing with me!

Do you have any people who are really scared of dentists that manage to have one? I was told I would have to go private and my dentist gave me the details of an orthodontist she wouldd recomend.
I've been reading the british orthodontic society website and they said some people can have treatment under the NHS, I did have surgery to uncover a tooth when I was younger which now juts into my mouth space if that makes sense?

I didnt have a brace until I was about 17. I had one of my teeth removed next to one of my front teeth because it was still a milk tooth, even at 17! When they took x-rays they discovered the adult tooth that was meant to replace it was buried in the roof of my mouth! It's still there now hence I have a gap. It's not something i've ever been happy with.

Thats almost exactly the same as me! My buried tooth was my "fang" (not sure if it has a proper name?) but I had the op to uncover it and it has grown down into my mouth pushing the one next to my front tooth out at a right angle which is what I feel most unconfident about

I'm going with my sister when she next has her brace tweeked in 2 weeks, see if I run screaming from the room.

As far as I am aware sny orthodontic procedure if you are aged over 16 is done privately now...However there have been a handful of cases where if the functional needs are great the NHS have covered it. Even with children under 16 they wont treat minor cases on the nhs...It used to be all orthodontics was done on the NHS!

With regards to nervous patients...our patients are not really worried about the brace itself..just whether they are going to need extractions to make space or minimise crowding etc...

I remember extractions being one of my most hated things (and I had to have a fair few to create room). The pain of the needle going into my gum meant that when I have fillings nowadays, I opt for no anaesthetic because I just cant bring myself to have a needle of any kind.

I've had one tooth out before but it was a baby one so the tooth in my gum could grow down after the op.

I seem to remember them saying I'd need 4 more adult teeth out before I had a brace fitted.

LissaBrown it isn't the brace or even the extractions that freak me out the most. I can sit at home and ask myself what am I actually afraid of and I can't really answer. But as soon as I go to the dentists or think about it I go all stupid. I have improved though, I didn't cry the last time I went for a check up! (Still took my mum with me though!)