Kilians Braces Story

     Here is another contribution from one of my readers, Kilian, who provided his account of growing up with braces, and photos from his time undergoing braces treatment. Thank you to Kilian for his contribution.

        Kilian's Braces Story

by Kilian 

This is my Braces Story, it took place in West Germany from 1984 until 1995.

I was nine Years,when I got my first Braces, 17 when I got fixed Braces and 19 Year, when I got them finally off.

My first braces period was from 1984 till 1988 with removable Braces. I was the first in my Class in Braces. The Dentist told my Parents, that I needed them. I tried to convince my parents, that my teeth are OK and we better go to another dentist, but they did not take me seriously. Then I thought why me? I was not the coolest in Class and was terribly afraid, that with braces it would get even worse. When I got my braces I was irritated and specially in the beginning used to move them around in the Mouth a lot. It took me some time to get used to them.

This must have been when the braces were quite new.
At first it was kind of exciting, but soon I hated it, because the limitations were annoying.


 

I remember one very embarassing Moment: I was in school and I was not paying attention, but instead moving my Braces out and in and out and in again. Then at one Moment I realized, that it was so quiet, I turned and saw the whole Class, including the Teacher staring at me.

One year later they were a normal part of me. I did not think anymore about them. 

My Orthodontist had a small office like a dentists Office. There were always three or four waiting.It was in the nearest Town. Usually my Father would pick me up from school and then we would go there. Later I had to walk from school to the Office and then to take the Bus home. The Ortho asked me to take the Braces in, then out and in again. Sometimes, he changed something at the wire. I got about three or four times new Braces. One Model got broken, when I put them in my Jacket without the Box and had a fight with my biggest enemy (at that time). You can imagine that a lot of trouble followed. It is strange, that this kind of trouble in Childhood seemed to be life threatening. I was so afraid of going home, when I wanted to put the Braces back in my mouth and discovered, what had happened.

At that time we where three Kids with Braces in my Class. A Girl had also removable Braces and another Girl fixed ones. Sometimes we used to talk about the Orthodontist and how we hated wearing Braces. I remember one of them telling how she puked, when getting the Impression. She was a very sensible Girl and often Ill.

Wearing them was never a problem after the first year , but always having to take care of them, to take them out, to put them in a box, or leave them somewhere was still annoying. (Sometimes more for my Mother, then for me ;-)) 

I had to wear removables until I was 13. At that time it was a normal part of me, that I was having them, nobody talked about it anymore. Also one of the neighbors was in Braces too then.




My Sister got Braces some Years after me . For her it was much more normal from the beginning, I think she liked them, or was kind of proud of them. She never complained about having to wear them. After three years without Braces (only the retainer for the night, which I forgot more than I had them in), we moved to another Part of Germany. The new Dentist was not sure about the results of the treatment and asked me to visit an Ortho. So with 17 I needed braces again and got a full set of fixed Braces. At that time I really hated it.





But I have to admit, that my first big love did not care about my braces. (She took this picture) With 19 I got them finally of and this time I was disciplined enough to wear the Retainer as prescribed.