I agree, no pain no gain, eh? But I wish you luck for this winter, hope it doesn't hurt

Actually no, braces don't even hurt that much at all. I do, however, feel bad that you have had to have teeth removed because that hurts, but braces aren't as bad as you think. When I first got mine it was a little sore until the next day but hardly ever thereafter. Don't have to worry.

Braces are uncomfortable at first and usually around tightenings. They aren't painful. Mine cut the inside of my cheeks for a bit after I got em, but they toughened up and were good. So don't worry, teeth pulling sucks, but I didn't find them painful at all, they just cause a bit of discomfort. Good luck OP :)

Wow 8 teeth dang is that normal or did you have 8 more teeth than other people ?

Wtf. No she didn't have more teeth. She most likely however had a small mouth in which all her teeth could not fit. I had four teeth removed before braces because my mouth was too small...

I don't know what you guys are talking about...but braces hurt like hell. I've had mine for three years and there have been times when it hurt so bad that it made me cry..and i honestly don't cry easily..and after you first get them they hurt for more than one day. I feel really terrible for everyone who has to have braces. I cannot wait until I get mine off. but I know there's a positive outcome.

Yeah but this could have been avoided I think. OP, I think you had a bad orthodontist like many people do sometimes. 8 teeth is ridiculous, you shouldn't need to take that many out. Yeah crowding might be a problem, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with at MOST 4 teeth taken out. Hopefully it includes wisdoms, but I doubt it because I think those never actually come out before they are surgically removed from under your gums. The first time I got my braces on my orthodontist said I had to have 4 teeth removed because of not enough room, so I stopped treatment with him because I wasn't so sure about it. I then started with a different orthodontist in another town and he said my teeth were fine, and here I am 1 and a half years later with my retainer and very straight teeth, without any removed. I just wish you posted an FML before getting the teeth out so I could warn you to check with a different orthodontist about it. 8 is way too much, it sounds like the idiot wants to have an easy run with your braces without having to try hard, I wouldn't trust these guys too often.

OP says winter break... In July..

47 - tldr; "Maybe you didn't need 8 taken out. I didn't."

They're in Australia.

Winter break?? Isn't it summer right now??

XxDevilxXGt - That's great advice you're giving. It's always best to trust anecdotal advice from a teenager rather than from a highly-trained orthodontist who has years of schooling, training, and experience. Yessir, excellent advice.

Being a highly trained orthodontist doesn't mean anything when you don't do your best job for the patient, like most "professional" idiots nowadays that do it for their own benefit only. Not to say they are all like that. I might be a teenager, but that also doesn't mean anything considering that I'm not part of the general teen stereotype. I don't mean any disrespect doc.

47 - I had to get 6 teeth removed because I still had some baby teeth that they needed to get rid of, so some of OPs could have been baby teeth as well as just.. needing to make room. And just in general braces will hurt or won't really hurt depending on what they have to do. If its just straightening, you'll get soreness but it won't actually hurt much, if they're moving shit entire tooth spaces it hurts like ****. I had a canine being moved with elastics, I bit into a nice.. soft donut, and it pushed the canine back into its original spot. Oouchhh.

#100, I understand that you're a doctor, but #104 has a point about the teeth. I'm not saying that the orthodontist was wrong or right, but I do know that there are some people who want to do the procedure solely for the money they will get for it. It might not have been necessary.

Considering many people have to get their wisdom teeth pulled before getting braces (a total of 4), 8 isn't as shocking as it first appears. The first 4 could have been the wisdoms, and the next 4...whatever the doc thought needed to be pulled to get the job done and have enough room for the teeth to be straightened properly. I just hope the op makes sure to wear that retainer at the end of it all (which a lot of people slack on doing); otherwise all the pain and suffering + years of braces will have been for naught.

Doc, I understand what you're saying, but 47 has a point. Many doctors, dentists, etc. do a lot of scams to try to get money out of people, specially if that person has an insurance that can pay for it, or at least half of it. I'm not trying to say that they're all like this, but OP should of gotten a second opinion, everyone makes mistakes and it does not hurt to get a second opinion. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Funny thing is, I just got my braces off today.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought most orthodontist didnt remove teeth. Atleast mine didnt... They usually refer you to your regular dentist/oral surgeon So the whole lie to get money thing wouldn't help the orthodontist much now would it?

I'm shocked and disappointed that so many of you seem to think that "many" or even "most" professionals lie and cheat and scam to make money. Sure, there are a few unscrupulous individuals out there who defraud the system for their own gain, but the are the vast MINORITY. Implying otherwise is a grievous insult to my profession.

I'm sure no one is trying to insult you in particular. We're also not saying that many or most people do these things, we're just trying to say that some people are selfish, enough to do so. At least it's what I'm trying to say.

137: I'm totally with you. this is also why police officers have horrible names. you never hear about the doctor who saved a 2-hour old baby or the police officer who was killed trying to protect a 5-year old abuse victim. but let ONE officer have an affair and its on the news; let ONE doctor botch an operation and the world is over. that's an unfair generalization.

Sorry, I'm sure it's a minority in the whole. I guess I should say that I went overboard. Most of the people I'm talking about are most likely around the ages of 50+ where they are starting to become grumpy older men who just want to retire quickly. Of course that isn't true for all of them. Sorry for insulting your profession. I'm sure everyone appreciates your work.

6- Some of how much pain you were in depends when you got your braces on, if you got them on 20 years ago you were probably in more pain then if you had them on 3 years ago. The technology has changed a lot.

I've had my braces for 6 years. :/ I was in the same position you were. I had 4 teeth pulled, chains, coils, the whole works. And it does hurt. Can't forget to mention rubber bands, either. But don't worry. Your smile is going to be so beautiful after it's done.(: Good luck.

46 - maybe its different for everyone, because I am THE easiest crier and havent cried once over braces. They hurt when they were first out on yes and when they are tightened but not that much? Harden up ;)

aw thank you so much all! i'm feeling heaps better and i'm recovering really well x x

I'm a lucky one. Never need or will need braces! My friend got them and he'll be in university with them. And glasses.

DF? Its summer right now

Not in Australia it isn't....

Are you and your friend lovers?

A tip for web you get braces... Dental wax is amazing and will save you shredding your mouth. Also, all that stuff about not being able to eat gum, chocolate and so on is a load of shit (although apples were a nightmare haha). It's a bitch now but it will be worth it in the end!

I have milkshakes, why aren't there boys in my yard!? Oh, wait--I live in a apartment. I don't have a yard.

Yea I just it mine off yesterday, they hurt terribly the whole time I had them too, and I had to get four teeth pulled because they were baby teeth and my adult teeth weren't coming in because the orthodontist thought the baby teeth were in the way, soo that may have something to do with the 8 teeth…

Um yea except you should never drink through a straw after having teeth removed because of dry sockets...

121- I was about to say the same thing.

It'll be because OP's jaw is too small/crowded. So they'll remove the teeth and then the braces will straighten them up. It's not pointless, OP will have a fantastic smile.

14 is right; I had teeth pulled out for my braces because my teeth were too crowded. The braces pull the teeth back together so it becomes straight and gap-less :)

Are you retarted? They get removed cause her mom has no room for her teeth to be straight, therefore when they straighten out there won't be any gaps!

Their mouth *

I don't think you should be asking someone if they're retarded after your comment... what does her mom have to do with anything?

I take back my comment. my apologies, sir.

She's a girl

Yes...join us...we have dental ^^

It's not Christmas, Australia is in the southern hemisphere so the seasons are the opposite

I don't see how you could have had seven wisdom teeth removed when the human body only has four

20 - It's very possible. Too much calcium over time can cause an extra tooth or two to grow with your wisdom teeth. My orthodontist told me that. Google it.

20- Are you an oral surgeon? Didn't ******* think so. Get your head out of your ass and research next time before commenting on something you don't know shit about.

Seven wisdom teeth! Are you a mutant?

The surgeon who operated on me said that it is uncommon, but it certainly is possible. I think that they are called "extra molars" (maybe; I'm not sure), and that's why people are thumbing me down? My surgeon just told me that basically, they're just extra wisdom teeth. And he's seen as many as 16 wisdom teeth in one person. Look it up if you don't believe me. I'm not lying and I can show you my X-rays.

20 - Most adults have four wisdom teeth, but it is possible to have fewer (hypodontia), or more, in which case they are called supernumerary teeth. Wikipedia is your friend.

^ Wikipedia is really not a reliable source at all. Google and books are your friend!

Well, that was certainly uncalled for, 72. Prick.

I'll assume it's possible to have more wisdom teeth because my dad didn't get any at all and my mom only had two. Obviously, it's really rare, though.

132- I sincerely apologize. I shouldn't have been a prick with my response, and I was. Honestly, I didn't mean to be. I read your comment in a smart ass voice, and responded in the same way. Again, I'm sorry about that.

Wikipedia IS a reliable source. Sorry to burst your bubble. It's updated more frequently than books and some other websites. It's also checked frequently for mistakes and has sources for most of the information. Also, google is a search engine. It can give you any amount of wrong answers to a question and you get to decide which one is correct by the source out of hundreds of thousands of sources.

86 - people thumbed you down due to the rude response you gave. Feeling offended is OK, but there are more eloquent ways of expressing it. 122 - stop listening to everything your teachers say without thinking twice. Wikipedia -is- a reliable way of getting information, they cite sources to anything within their articles, and the facts that are not backed up tend to be removed before long. Just look for "citation needed" and ignore that information if you want to be sure.

PONIES!

Obviously OP does, genius.

I had to as well. Shit's real bro.

I had 12 removed, it all depends on your individual teeth.

I did I still have baby teeth and I'm 20