I finally caved and got those chunky braces to fix how my teeth line up. It’s been a weird mix of relief (finally doing something about it) and just, like, feeling super awkward when I eat or talk. My jaw used to pop sometimes, and chewing was a pain. Now I’ve got a mouthful of metal, and I keep wondering if it’s normal to feel so self-conscious, or if the soreness ever really goes away? Anyone else go through this and come out the other side happier?
Yeah, I went through the same thing last year. The soreness faded after about a week or two for me, but it would flare up again after each adjustment. As for feeling self-conscious, honestly, that stuck around for a bit, but eventually I just stopped caring. Chewing got way easier once my bite lined up right, and my jaw stopped popping. In the end, totally worth it—even if the first few months were rough.
I totally get what you mean about the self-conscious thing. I remember feeling like everyone was staring at my mouth for months, especially when I had to talk at work. The first few days after an adjustment were the worst—could barely eat anything besides soup or soft bread. But yeah, once things started settling and my jaw stopped clicking all the time, it actually felt like a relief. Wouldn’t say I loved the process, but it did fix stuff I didn’t even realize was off before.
