Adult Braces Survey

ADULT BRACES SURVEY RESPONSES

The Questions

1. What age did you get braces? How long did you have them?

2. Why did you need braces? What needed to be corrected?

3. What kind of braces did you have? Clear or metal? On both top and bottom teeth? On all teeth or just some? Any additional features (elastics, herbst, etc.)?

4. How common were adults with braces where you lived?

5. What did people say when they first saw your braces?

6. Was this your first time with braces?

7. How did you feel attending your first business or job function (i.e., meeting, conference, etc.) with braces?

8. What is your most fun, interesting, or memorable experience with braces?

9. What was your worst experience with braces?

10. Male or Female?

11. How happy are you with the results of your treatment? (or How happy are you with the results of your treatment so far?

12. Which do you think is better, having braces as a kid/teenager, or as an adult?

SURVEY RESPONSE 1

1. What age did you get braces? How long did you have them?

39

25 months

2. Why did you need braces? What needed to be corrected?

Severe overcrowding on bottom arch was causing wear on teeth. And my smile didn't look nice :)

3. What kind of braces did you have? Clear or metal? On both top and bottom teeth? On all teeth or just some? Any additional features (elastics, herbst, etc.)?

Damon clears on top social 6, metal Damons everywhere else. One band on a crowned lower first molar. I wore triangle elastics for the last 5 months.

4. How common were adults with braces where you lived?

Not so common (you hardly ever see adults with braces)

5. What did people say when they first saw your braces?

My grad student said "I see you've been to the dentist" and a colleague asked me to be his prom date. No one else said anything unless I brought it up.

6. Was this your first time with braces?

Yes, its my first time with braces.

7. How did you feel attending your first business or job function (i.e., meeting, conference, etc.) with braces?

Embarrassed for the first few months, then I got used to it and just got on with life. I interviewed for and got a new job while I had braces. The worst thing throughout treatment was eating meals with people I didn't know that well or just met professionally and having to think about which foods were "braces safe" and then worrying about having food caught in my teeth while conversing over the meal.

8. What is your most fun, interesting, or memorable experience with braces?

I really enjoyed interacting with other adult bracers on the archwired metal mouth message board.

9. What was your worst experience with braces?

Having them on for 25 months! Seriously, it was not that bad. The worst phase for me was about 9 months in when my partially aligned teeth messed up my bite and caused me to have a sore jaw for a couple of months. I REALLY missed eating corn on the cob!

10. Male or Female?

Female

11. How happy are you with the results of your treatment? (or How happy are you with the results of your treatment so far?

Very happy

12. Which do you think is better, having braces as a kid/teenager, or as an adult?

Kid/teenager

SURVEY RESPONSE 2

1. What age did you get braces? How long did you have them?

25, had them for 7 months

2. Why did you need braces? What needed to be corrected?

Mainly cosmetic reasons. My front right tooth was really out of place. Braces also made flossing and cleaning much easier.

3. What kind of braces did you have? Clear or metal? On both top and bottom teeth? On all teeth or just some? Any additional features (elastics, herbst, etc.)?

Metal fast braces top and bottom. All teeth.had elastics to wear at night for about 4 months.

4. How common were adults with braces where you lived?

Very rare (besides yourself, you don't usually see adults with braces)

5. What did people say when they first saw your braces?

Most people stared but politely said nothing. I was dreading their reactions, but them not saying anything was OK. I guess my front teeth always looked so bad, they assumed it was a cosmetic thing that I was finally fixing but no one said anything.

6. Was this your first time with braces?

Yes, its my first time with braces.

7. How did you feel attending your first business or job function (i.e., meeting, conference, etc.) with braces?

Had to attend a conference 5 weeks after getting braces when I couldn't eat properly. So so awkward going to a formal meal and they served quinoa! But no-one actually said anything about the braces.

8. What is your most fun, interesting, or memorable experience with braces?

The black quinoa formal meal when I had to rush to the bathroom to clean my teeth mid way though. Awkward! Any meal out and having to clean afterwards was not fun. Being ID ed as I looked younger.

9. What was your worst experience with braces?

The pain. Not being able to eat normally. I have 24/7 retainers ATM, which is almost worst than the actual braces. But absolutely worth it.

10. Male or Female?

Female

11. How happy are you with the results of your treatment? (or How happy are you with the results of your treatment so far?

Very happy

12. Which do you think is better, having braces as a kid/teenager, or as an adult?

Kid/teenager

SURVEY RESPONSE 3

1. What age did you get braces? How long did you have them?

22 - currently undergoing treatment.

2. Why did you need braces? What needed to be corrected?

Overcrowding, edge to edge bit and my mid- line is off by a bit.

3. What kind of braces did you have? Clear or metal? On both top and bottom teeth? On all teeth or just some? Any additional features (elastics, herbst, etc.)?

Metal braces on both upper and lower. All teeth are braced except for the two lateral incisors that are hidden and very last tooth at the back on each side(upper and lower). Open coil springs and partial power chains as to make room for the incisor on my left and right side.

4. How common were adults with braces where you lived?

Very rare (besides yourself, you don't usually see adults with braces)

5. What did people say when they first saw your braces?

Most people just congratulated me as it's been something I've needed and wanted forever. I had one comment from a friend saying she would miss my old smile as the canine prominent smile made me unique.

6. Was this your first time with braces?

Yes, its my first time with braces.

7. How did you feel attending your first business or job function (i.e., meeting, conference, etc.) with braces?

Self conscious but people didn't make a big deal about it.

8. What is your most fun, interesting, or memorable experience with braces?

I can't say I recall - everything has been pretty normal like before I've had them.

9. What was your worst experience with braces?

Has to be mouth sores and when I had the power chains added to the open coil spring. The constant pressure made it impossible to eat and all I wanted was to sit in bed for a few days till the teeth stopped aching.

10. Male or Female?

Female

11. How happy are you with the results of your treatment? (or How happy are you with the results of your treatment so far?

Not sure yet.

12. Which do you think is better, having braces as a kid/teenager, or as an adult?

Adult

SURVEY RESPONSE 4

1. What age did you get braces? How long did you have them?

33, for two years

2. Why did you need braces? What needed to be corrected?

Crowding, expecially on my lower teeth. I was told if I didn't get it corrected, I could lose teeth.

3. What kind of braces did you have? Clear or metal? On both top and bottom teeth? On all teeth or just some? Any additional features (elastics, herbst, etc.)?

Full braces on both top and bottom teeth, clear on top, metal on bottom, with elastics. My top teeth often had power chains and twisty wires.

4. How common were adults with braces where you lived?

Not so common (you hardly ever see adults with braces)

5. What did people say when they first saw your braces?

Initially, I had a lot of people say, "you got braces!" and "when did you get braces?" On said, "you got a tingrin" and smiled at me.

6. Was this your first time with braces?

Yes, its my first time with braces.

7. How did you feel attending your first business or job function (i.e., meeting, conference, etc.) with braces?

The very day I went back to work with braces, I was called into a surprise meeting with my boss. It was a brief, pointless meeting. I think the boss may have been told I had braces, and wanted to see. Awkward.

8. What is your most fun, interesting, or memorable experience with braces?

Getting red and green colors on my braces for Christmas. I usually didn't do colors. Also, had some funny moments when I first used my waterpic and got all wet cleaning my braces.

9. What was your worst experience with braces?

The wires sometimes poked me on the side of the mouth. Not fun. Good to have wax!! Also, initial embrassment when I first got braces and met others, or when I visited my relatives with my braces for the first time.

10. Male or Female?

Male

11. How happy are you with the results of your treatment? (or How happy are you with the results of your treatment so far?

Very happy

12. Which do you think is better, having braces as a kid/teenager, or as an adult?

Kid/teenager

SURVEY RESPONSE 5

1. What age did you get braces? How long did you have them?

Got braces at 23 (5 months ago). Will have them 2.5-3 years

2. Why did you need braces? What needed to be corrected?

Crowded teeth. Wisdom teeth pushing others out of line.

3. What kind of braces did you have? Clear or metal? On both top and bottom teeth? On all teeth or just some? Any additional features (elastics, herbst, etc.)?

Metal fixed braces on all teeth, on upper and lower. Elastics will be needed before the end of treatment

4. How common were adults with braces where you lived?

Not so common (you hardly ever see adults with braces)

5. What did people say when they first saw your braces?

Surprised someone of my age would have braces. But supportive

6. Was this your first time with braces?

Yes, its my first time with braces.

7. How did you feel attending your first business or job function (i.e., meeting, conference, etc.) with braces?

Very nervous. Still am when meeting new people

8. What is your most fun, interesting, or memorable experience with braces?

The thought of perfectly straight teeth at the end

9. What was your worst experience with braces?

Getting food stuck in them

10. Male or Female?

Male

11. How happy are you with the results of your treatment? (or How happy are you with the results of your treatment so far?

Somewhat happy

12. Which do you think is better, having braces as a kid/teenager, or as an adult?

Kid/teenager

SURVEY RESPONSE 6

1. What age did you get braces? How long did you have them?

Age 57 had them for 18 months

2. Why did you need braces? What needed to be corrected?

Crowding/top incisor biting down on bottom teeth

3. What kind of braces did you have? Clear or metal? On both top and bottom teeth? On all teeth or just some? Any additional features (elastics, herbst, etc.)?

damon clear. Plus two consecutive small powerchains then lacing

4. How common were adults with braces where you lived?

Very rare (besides yourself, you don't usually see adults with braces)

5. What did people say when they first saw your braces?

"You've got braces!" not much else.

6. Was this your first time with braces?

No, I had braces as a kid

7. How did you feel attending your first business or job function (i.e., meeting, conference, etc.) with braces?

Extremely self-conscious

8. What is your most fun, interesting, or memorable experience with braces?

None

9. What was your worst experience with braces?

None

10. Male or Female?

Male

11. How happy are you with the results of your treatment? (or How happy are you with the results of your treatment so far?

Very happy

12. Which do you think is better, having braces as a kid/teenager, or as an adult?

Kid/teenager

SURVEY RESPONSE 7

1. What age did you get braces? How long did you have them?

35 for 3 years

2. Why did you need braces? What needed to be corrected?

Over bite cross bite

3. What kind of braces did you have? Clear or metal? On both top and bottom teeth? On all teeth or just some? Any additional features (elastics, herbst, etc.)?

Metal with headgear. Top and bottom

4. How common were adults with braces where you lived?

Not so common (you hardly ever see adults with braces)

5. What did people say when they first saw your braces?

Said I looked like a teenager.

6. Was this your first time with braces?

Yes, its my first time with braces.

7. How did you feel attending your first business or job function (i.e., meeting, conference, etc.) with braces?

Humiliating

8. What is your most fun, interesting, or memorable experience with braces?

Ran into old bf with my headgear in.

9. What was your worst experience with braces?

Ran into old bf with my headgear in

10. Male or Female?

Female

11. How happy are you with the results of your treatment? (or How happy are you with the results of your treatment so far?

Mixed feelings (part happy, part unhappy)

12. Which do you think is better, having braces as a kid/teenager, or as an adult?

Kid/teenager