Getting My Braces Fitted

When I was looking at getting adult braces fitted, I turned to the internet for information and reviews. It was really difficult finding stuff that wasn’t all about teenagers. I’ve been there, done that – had the teenage braces. I wanted to discover more about braces for adults.

Since getting braces, I’ve discovered so many other people who also want braces, but have been afraid to take the next step. Thankfully, my orthodontist is pretty cool and happy for me to blog and share my journey with you all

First, you get to accessorise with a groovy pair of dental goggles. Safety first, people!

Now that you’re all styled-up, you get to lie-back and ‘relax’. I am not a big fan of dental appointments, but I was so much calmer going in for a dental procedure that I actually wanted. Also, my orthodontist, Dr. Dhatt has this really relaxed manner that put me at ease and was fantastic at explaining the procedure to me, so I knew just what to expect.

Fitting Braces

To get fitted with braces your teeth need to be dry, so he inserted one of those plastic retractors that hold your lips and gums away from your teeth. It didn’t hurt, but just felt a bit weird. My teeth were then individually painted with a solution to sterilise the tooth surface and prepare it for the glue.

The solution was then rinsed off and sucked away, before my teeth got a little blow-dry from the air nozzle.

Prior to my appointment, my orthodontist had taken my dental moulds and carefully determined the exact position necessary for each of my brace brackets to be placed in order to achieve the best results. These brackets were then secured into a plastic retainer.

After my teeth had been prepared, the retainer was placed over my teeth and the brackets stuck into position with a glue. Dr. Dhatt then checked each bracket for accuracy and made any adjustments necessary.

The bonding glue was then cured with ultra-violet light.

Finally, an arch wire was placed onto my brackets and clipped into position.

I chose the Damon Clear brace system which means the brackets are all individually self-ligating and do not need any of those little elastic bands you often see on braces. It also means that fitting is quicker, easier and it was completely pain-free.

Done!

It was amazing how quick this all happened! I honestly thought I was going to be in the chair for at least an hour. It was maybe 35 minutes tops.

Dr. Dhatt then used his demo moulds to remind me exactly how the brackets looked and also how to apply some dental wax in case I had any areas where my gums rubbed over the next few days.

Thank You’s:

To Dr. Dhatt and his staff for allowing me to take photos of the procedure

To Andrea Pittam for her calming presence and wonderful photography skills.

I’ll be going back shortly to get my bottom braces fitted.. updates to follow, of course! In the meantime, follow along on Instagram or YouTube where I’ll be sharing by journey and progress.

If you’ve had braces fitted, or thinking about it – leave me a comment in the space below. I’d love to hear from you!

~ Natalie