Braces will make me look ugly!

 Q. I have just come back from an appointment with my dentist and he has told me what I have feared for a long time and that is that I need to have braces fitted to straighten my teeth. Don't get me wrong I would love to have straight teeth as mine are all over the place at the moment but i'm just thinking how stupid and ugly I will look wearing braces! I know that sounds very bad and vain but I'm a 15 year old girl that has always worried about the way I look and I'm frightened that everyone will laugh at me when I get them. Is there anything that I can do to make them look better or even stop myself from getting them? Any help you can give me would be great, Lisa.

A. Thanks for getting in touch Lisa, I would like to say you first off is that you are not alone with this feeling, many girls and even boys your age out there are all think the same thing, "braces will make me ugly!". I would strongly recommend that you do go ahead and get the braces fitted, one because you don't know exactly how long you will need to have them on and two because at the end of it your will have great looking straight teeth. I think that I would say about getting braces to look good and that is picking the right color at the very beginning, something that complements your face, eyes, skin and hair color. Your orthodontist can help you greatly with this as they have don't it hundreds of time and know what looks good on people. I hope this help answer your questions Lisa and hope you go ahead and get the braces fitted.

Age limit on braces?

Q. I am a 55 year old guy and i'm at a really good point in my life, I have just sold my company and and about to retire and do all the things that I have wanted for a long time. One of them things that has been on my list for what seem life forever is getting my teeth fixed and when i say fixed i'm mean straightened. Now what I want to know is as i'm 55 years old would i be able to get braces and would they work for me due to my age? I really appreciate any help you can give me.

A. It's great to hear from you, wow it seems like you are at a great point in your life, I'm not quite at the stage of retiring just yet but it wont be too long! Now with reference to your question about your age and getting braces and whether the will work or not and the short answer is yes they will work, your teeth are always growing and moving in the mouth, granted they may take a little longer to work on you but they will give you the results that you want and that is straight teeth. I hope this helps you and you get the straight teeth you desire.

Is it possible to get my braces removed early?

Q. I have had my braces on now for over a 15 months and they are doing my head in, they feel horrible and they hurt all the time. When my dentist told me that I needed them he said that i would only need them for a maximum of 12 months in order to straighten my teeth, here we are 15 months on and I have just come back from seeing him and i ask when they could be removed and all he said was "not much longer!" which makes my blood boil as that's what he always says. Can I ask him to remove them now?

A. Thanks for getting in touch, I know a lot of people that have got braces which they really hate having on but they are a one time thing that will help you get great looking straight teeth that everyone wants. I know they can hurt and that you are feeling very frustrated with them but you need to keep in mind that you have put in a lot of time (15 months and counting) into this project and it would such a waste to take them off early which will almost 100% ruin everything you they have done. Even if they seem to be very straight now taking them off early will ruin them completely and you will only have to repeat the process in the future in order to have straight teeth. I know its had but I would really suggest that you hang on in there just a little longer and you will have the best looking teeth ever.

Do I need to go to dental school?

Q. I just want to get in touch and ask you if i really do need to go to dental school in order to become a dental hygienist as i have been looking into things lately about what I want do do with my life career wise and the dental industry does look like a very good option but I have seen how much dental schools cost and I just don't think my parents will be able to afford it, any help you can give me would be great.

A. Thanks for getting in touch with me, this is a very good question and it is very good to hear that you are thinking about what you want to do with your life as planning if the key to most good things in life. I have got to tell you that I've got some good and bad news regarding your question, yes you will have to go to dental school in order to become a dental hygienist, you need specific training in order to become qualified and legal to practice on patients. I know how expensive dental schools can be but there are a few things that you can look into to help you pay for dental school, there are government grants and some schools do give loans which are to be paid off when you are qualified and working. There are always things that you can do, so don't give up just yet, i'm sure you will be able to become a dental hygienist in no time at all.