LIFE LIST: GET MY BRACES OFF

The day I got my braces off

When: November 2013 they came off- July 2012 I got my braces

Cost: The whole cost of my treatment was $5,500

Why this is on my list: They put em on...they had to come off!

The day they came on...

The day they came off...

Will I do it again? Getting my braces off was such a horrifying experience, in fact had I known what it was going to be like I may have reconsidered having them put on, though looking at the before and after pics above IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT! For 3 solid hours, they yanked, scraped, sanded, pulled, cranked, jabbed, and burned my teeth...no numbing, no Novocain, no suggestion to kick back 4 shots of tequila first. It was an experience I would never wish to repeat. The reason that it was MORE difficult to get my braces off is because I had the clear ones which are made of porcelain and adhere differently to the glue making them more of a challenge to remove. Which I was in the torture chamber I kept having flashbacks of them cautioning me about this....it's not their fault, I only have myself and my vanity to blame.

I know I was so excited back in November to get them off and posted a blog that day about how elated and nervous I was...and then nothing...I never said another word, I was traumatized. It's taken 4 months to bounce back from the whole thing. It also took a while to get used to the retainer, in the beginning I just gagged constantly, I never thought I'd get used to it but now, surprisingly, I am- it doesn't bother me at all.

This is my retainer

The braces are off but there are still a few areas that need to be fixed by my orthodontist and then I have a little cosmetic work that has to be done by my regular dentist before I can say that I'm a happy camper. So right now I have invisalign and once a month I have to go in to get new molds and a new retainer to wear, they suspect that i'll need at least 3 more retainers.
Also, I have one tooth that my 3 year old calls 'LELLOW' and will not bleach because there is a bond on it so it is the color it is and cannot be altered. What my dentist is going to do is put a lamenent over the tooth-another 'process' which will involve sanding the enamel off my tooth but before this all can happen, my orthodontist has to finish straightening my teeth (about 2 more months) then I have to bleach my teeth to the color I want them all to be then I will go in and have the lamenent put on. Also I have 5 silver fillings on the top that I will have taken out and filled in with porcelain. Years ago I had 5 replaced on the lower teeth, it's basically getting a new filling so they have to re drill and numb you and all that. It was not a fun but it looks so much better.

I am happy to have the braces off, I do have to wear a retainer most of the time which is a pain and was hard to get used to. My teeth are in a current state of being 'good enough' right now....but I'm not really a 'good enough' type of person.

Just a few small areas to fix up

A few weeks ago a dream of mine came true. I have always wanted someone to tell me I had great teeth. Of course, all my friends and family keep telling me how nice my teeth look now but they know the before after and middle. What I've always dreamed of is a random person who didn't know that I had braces or very crooked teeth in the past to pay this compliment unprompted and randomly...and it happened. About 2 weeks ago, a customer of mine and I were talking and she changed the subject and said to me "You have beautiful teeth, do you get that a lot?" I about fell over...uh, no ma'am, I do NOT get that a lot! That woman made my day and I will never forget that, it made all the effort, time, money and painful moments totally worth it to me.



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Tomorrow my life changes forever






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Braces: Today my life changes forever

Today I finally complete a LIFE LIST goal that I've had for over 16 years and has been 2 years in the making. Actually it was 7 years ago that I had my first orthodontic appointment, 2 years ago I told my husband that I wanted to seriously consider it and make another consultation appointment. 20 months ago I started with my initial consultations and record taking. 18 months ago I got braces. In 3 hours they are taking them off.

My teeth have been my biggest complex since I was 14 years old. I have been embarrassed of them every single day for 16 years. Every time I took a photo, smiled or laughed I was conscious of how bad they looked. Now I will be able to do 3 of my favorite things with pride!

I can't believe it. Just like that. I love that this entire journey from start to finish started on my blog. Making the decision to get them was certainly the most difficult aspect,after all getting adult braces at 29 years old isn't all that glamorous. In the beginning I hated it, but then I became surprisingly used to them and as much of a daily challenge as it's been the reward is something I can't even describe. Being happy with yourself and feeling good about yourself can give you the confidence to change your life.

I feel as anxious, nervous and accomplished as I did when I graduated from college. Like usually the nervous nelly in me is considering all the worst case scenarios.

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LIFE LIST: GET BRACES
Braces: 3 months 
Half way there!
Is it over already?
A rude awakening 
What more could they do to me...

"I am so so so excited about this....finally after 15 years of VERY serious consideration....I am finally going to fix my grossly disfigured teeth!! I hate them. This is something that bothers me every day, every time I look at a picture of myself, and makes me so unhappy with myself. I have seen several dentists about this since I was a teen but have always been too concerned with either the cost, discomfort or the idea of being an adult with braces- but every year that goes by I wish I would have done it because it would be over already! 5 years ago I met with an orthodontist and have made and canceled close to 20 appointments but now I finally feel ready. Totally ready to just do it, get it over with and be comfortable with myself. I ought to have them on by the middle of July....if all goes well :)"

Braces: is it over already?

Life has been insanely busy this year but things are returning to normal and most of my big 'happenings' for the year are over including the 4 events I did, having a garage sale, dancing in a Hula Show and trips to Chicago, St Louis, Kansas City, Savannah and Disney World were things I was anxious about and now they're simply documented in pictures. I still have my daughters birthday in a few weeks and there is a possibility of one more little trip this year (honey-don't get mad- we'll talk about it later) Oh yea...and there is one more little life changing event that will be happening in October...
 I'M GETTING MY BRACES OFF!!!! 

I couldn't believe it last week when my orthodontist told me that he would like to take them off in one month...actually October 17th (which is also my mom's birthday). Part of me is pretty skeptical because there is still that one tooth that that is still not yet straight, but nevertheless it will be soon. I just cannot believe it. I cannot believe that it's almost over! This time last year they were so new to me and as the orthodontist said 'they'll look worse before they look better' and he wasn't kidding. Not to mention I had that heinous coil across the front of my teeth. The journey was just beginning...it certainly hasn't been an effortless process and it certainly isn't inexpensive but I cannot explain how invaluable this LIFE LIST item of mine has been even though I fought every step along the way.  I had toyed with this idea for nearly 12 years before actually just deciding to bite the bullet and I think having my blog is what gave me that extra push I needed. I can't very well encourage others to go after their dreams and desires if I'm not. I am so happy and more than that I am so proud of myself for actually going through with it-after having adult braces is rather humbling.

I can't wait to see the results. I'm getting my hair done and trying to lose 10 more pounds before the big reveal. But of course I am a little nervous about a few things...the process of taking them off is like the opposite of getting a relaxing massage-there's a lot of tools that make really loud noises involved. Also I'm a little nervous about having some stains on my teeth (my orthodontist assures me he does't foresee that....but you never know) having braces has been a MAJOR stress in my life over the past 14 months but more than worth it!

braces: what more could they do to me!?

This orthodontist of mine....I think he's just trying meet some quota or bet to see how many different devices and techniques they can use on one patient.

I had my appointment yesterday and where I'm not in the typical amount of discomfort in that they usually leave me, they did something to me that made me want to pass out.

They took off part of my 2 front teeth!!!!! Or as they like to call it an "interproximal enamel reduction". Oh right...as if I wasn't going to flip out about this....and round and round we went...

I had so many pressing questions for the orthodontist that he told the hygienist he was glad he wasn't doing it!

Very seriously, the whole thing made me quite nervous. Sanding off some of my tooth?? Changing the dimensions of teeth that I actually happened to like but were just in the wrong spot! It took a lot of convincing but after he promised me his office has never screwed it up before I conceded. I didn't have to go along with this, but if I didn't I would have 2 very noticeable gaps between my teeth at the end of my treatment.

WOW!! I CANNOT BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCE! 

I'M SO HAPPY.

I had envisioned a loud, menacing device that would be used in this unsettling so called 'common practice', it turned out to be a teensy weensy thin piece of very fine sand paper and it took her less than 20 seconds to complete her little project. That was fine, I just get really nutty when I don't know what to expect. And when it comes to my brain, bones, bloodstream and organs I become profoundly neurotic.

 Oh yea...they also added another 'chain' to my top teeth. If you've had braces you are certainly familiar with this, if you haven't...it's basically a chair around all the brackets to close in any gaps-meaning 2 things 1. it's a real pain in the butt to floss and 2. I'm almost done!

And don't forget the rubber bands.

On the lighter side, we really were laughing very hard about the whole situation and how nervous and cautious I was. I actually had tears in my eyes we were laughing so hard...I've never had such a damn good time at the dentist office.

Braces: a rude awakening

 I cannot believe I've had my braces for over 1 year now.

I had an appointment last week and here's what came out of it...

the good news

-My orthodontist said it could be anyone of my visits now that he will say it's time to take them off

-"Your hygiene is impeccable, if everyone was like you our lives would be a dream" Gosh I love going there, I know it's just teeth maintenance but it's always such an ego boost! Especially since I am petrified of having an decalcification. If you don't know what this is it is from not taking proper care of your teeth while wearing braces, these heinous stains appear on your teeth and CANNOT be removed. Below is a picture I found on google.

the rude awakening 

-They attached these charming little gems to 4 of my teeth...

Real attractive right? To me it looks (AND FEELS) like something from a 'Saw' movie.

-They also added 'chain' to the brackets on my lower teeth, that's the thing in between the brackets that looks like there's food stuck in my teeth. The only good thing about this chain which is an enormous amount of pressure on my lower jaw is that every time I tell someone they added the chain they say 'wow you are almost done'. So apparently this is one of the very final touches.

-They want me to wear rubber bands at night. This is unsettling for 2 reasons. 1. This is in an attempt to correct my bite, I feel like it's going to change the shape of my face, I threw a fit in the beginning about this because I think my bite if perfectly fine but I relented knowing I would just cross this bridge when we came to it...well now we're here and I don't like it! Also these rubber bands essentially keep my mouth closed...which obviously this is an attempt to kill me. Every time I put them on I feel like I'm going to suffocate, I can't control myself at night! I need to be able to sleep with my mouth WIDE OPEN so plenty of air can get through!

-The past few days my mouth has hurt so bad...like there's razor blades between my cheeks and gums and then I was punched in the face over and over again.

I'M CALLING THEM TODAY...WE NEED TO DISCUSS SOME THINGS...

Braces: almost there!

    

I am two weeks shy of having my braces for 11 months already. It is so strange how used to them I have become. I really don't even think about it anymore...which is a far cry from the way I felt the first few months I had them! And I do not even feel embarrassed at all any longer...instead of feeling embarrassed like I did in the beginning I kind of feel proud, because under these braces are some pretty straight teeth! And I know that it's not too much longer now at all! 

Initially they told me 12-18 months. I went in last week and they put on my LAST set of wires...my next appointment is in just 3 weeks where they will do some of the 'fine tuning' which will only take a few weeks. I have it in my head that it'll be 4 more months (just so i'm not disappointed). My orthodontist DID say that I will definitely not have to go the full 18 months. There's still just that one tooth that will not cooperate, but my ortho said that this will be the 'fine tuning' he's talking about. 

I've decided that I'm going to have a large celebration when I get them off! I'm going to invite everyone I know to one of my favorite bars....I should probably have my make up done too so I really look AMAZING! I gotta say this is also a real motivator to try to lose some more weight!

Ok I am blown away by the above before and current (taken 1 minute ago) photos...so I'm going to post them again below!

I am so happy :) 

Braces: 9 months

I have had my braces for NINE MONTHS!! To put this in perspective, it was this time last year that I was having some 'discussions' with my husband about the possibility of getting them. I knew I wanted them but I did not know if it was even affordable or if I would have the guts. And now, here I am, 9 months later with nearly straight teeth. I am overjoyed and proud of myself for FINALLY going threw with it as it was something had wanted for so long.

Last week I had an orthodontic appointment I had been dreading for 2 months...I kept thinking...how can I get out of this? Should I take some Xanax? Should I have a few drinks first? I have to go but mentally I do not want to be there. Last time they told me they would start 'moving my roots'. That sounded dreadful and tremendously uncomfortable. The last couple of appointments seemed to get progressively worse so I really was expecting a nightmare of an appointment... but it was wonderful, the greatest trip to the dentist I've ever had!

Two months ago they said they'd have to move some brackets (not fun) around in order to move the roots: my doctor said my roots looked perfect and they would not have to move ANY of them!

I've had that stupid thing on the back of my tooth called a 'turbo'....or also known as a 'pain in the ass' for the past nine months that drove me totally crazy:
I'VE BEEN ASSOILED FROM THAT NUISANCE!  It was a glorious surprise and it feels so good to have that rock gone!

Originally they estimated I'd have my braces on from 12-18 months:
 in 2 months I get my last set of wires-these wires will just be fine tuning my already straight teeth ( did I just say that?! I am a person with straight teeth?! HUGE SMILE!) so it is very possible that I will be able to get my braces off in August! Which is amazing- POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING is something I strongly believe in. I really did not want to have to worry about my braces on our trip to Disney-they require a lot of time and maintenance, the idea of carrying around a fanny pack filled with toothpaste, floss and little brushes sounds awfully nerdy.

There is just one tooth that is still slightly overlapped, it was the tooth which inspired the ardent desire to get braces in the first place and they knew it would take the longest. However it still is not where it needs to be: my orthodontist said it is less than one millimeter away from sliding into the right spot and that it ought to be there within the next 2 months!

The time has really flown by and the embarrassing factor is all but gone. For the most part...though I do feel odd when I run into people that I know but who are seeing the braces for the first time. It's awkward because they don't say anything about it! It's like I have a new obvious handicap and it feels strange when it's not discussed-a brief mention would suffice like "oh, how long have you had your braces" or "your teeth look  like that of a movie star" or even a "you go girl" would give me a little pep in my step! It would be peculiar for me to bring it up...can you imagine if Brittany Spears walked around pointing to her hair saying "I shaved my head"....that might seem narcissistic! But then again I had a boss who used to say that having a blog was narcissistic.

Related posts:
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half way there 
sick of all the metal in my mouth

Get out of my mouth!

I have had my braces for 7 months now...I am VERY pleased about the progress on my lower teeth...however....I went to the orthodontist 6 days ago and my mouth STILL hurts, I can only eat really soft foods and I'm downing motrin like a mad woman! I can't figure it out, they're basically straight...why is it hurting so much now? The science doesn't make sense, when my teeth were moving a lot in the beginning, it didn't hurt at all.

 It was not a good appointment, the woman working on my mouth was ticking me off and then jammed my tooth and broke a bracket off! It hurt, it took an hour to fix, and I had the unfortunate pleasure of having the cement sanded off my tooth. Doesn't sound that bad? It was like a jack hammer was in my mouth, it made me so uncomfortable I thought I was going to pass out (which made me realize that I often get light headed when I'm having an adverse reaction to a situation.) On top of that my Dentist agreed with me that there has been no improvement on the top teeth over the past 2 months, NICE! You can't really see it in the pictures but the two teeth on the top are still not where they're supposed to be....but it certainly does look better.

Then when I was leaving...they told me that next time I come in, they're going "to start moving my roots". What the hell does that mean!?! Well, at least I have something to freak out over for the next 2 months.

Ok, moving on...I will say that I can feel my teeth really moving now! The top doesn't look better but it feels better, if that makes any sense. And I keep thinking about the fact that it was about this time last year that I started talking to my husband about seriously considering finally getting braces though I was really struggling with the idea...and now a year later I've had them for 7 months!

p.s. Thank God I'm already married...these are some horrific pictures of myself that I'm choosing to post on the internet! (Sorry husband)

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Half way there!!

I've had my braces for 6 months???? I'm half way towards reaching my life goal of having straight teeth! I cannot believe it, and I cannot tell you how glad I am that I finally went through with it! My decision to get braces was not an easy one- you can read about it HERE.

This week I had to go to my regular dentist because my teeth have moved so much in the last month that one tooth-the tooth that was THE most crooked- has a stain on it. This is the first time in my life I can actually see the whole tooth! My dentist not only reassured me that it was not decay or a cavity and will easily be removed with bleaching once the brackets are removed, but he also started off by paying me one of the nicest compliments by saying, "Firstly, let me say that you are the poster child for excellent dental care, I wish I could take a picture and show it to my other patients." I cannot describe what this meant to me because I live in angst worrying about whether or not I'm taking proper care of them. I've seen some horrific cases of people who did not take care of their braces and it's terrible...and permanent. With the high cost of the braces, the time and effort involved I'm super paranoid about ending up with straight teeth that have calcium stains. So for me to have this reassurance was music to my ears. I originally said I had wished that my parents would have made me get braces when I was younger...I no longer feel that way. I am glad I got them as an adult because I don't think I would have taken proper care of them when I was younger-not to mention that I used to smoke so it worked out for the best.

LIFE LIST: GET BRACES

So jealous of my sister's naturally beautiful smile!

"Regardless of who you are or what you have been,
                       you can be what you want to be.”


LIFE LIST: GET BRACES

The top are clear...so they're not too bad.

When: July 12, 2012

Why I wanted to do this: I have been seriously considering, researching and strongly desiring getting braces since I was about 17 years old (12 years ago). My teeth are not terrible, in fact it's really just 2 teeth on the top that make me crazy. It's something I'm self conscience about, it is something that bothers me every single day, every time I look of a photo of myself I think 'if only me teeth weren't all jacked up that'd be a nice picture', and on top of that the feeling of teeth in the wrong spot drives me nuts-like the feeling of having something stuck in your teeth...for 12 years.

I hardly notice them in this pic.

Cost: $5,500


What would I do differently? When I was about 12 years old my parents did 'ask' me if I wanted to get braces. And I distinctly remember this conversation with my father who said "I wish I would have had them but look now I'm in my 40's and I'm sure as heck not going to get them now." The thing is-they shouldn't have asked me-they should have just told me I was getting them. But I wish I would have done it sooner. Every year that goes by I am mad at myself for not following through with my many appointments I have made and cancelled and think 'had I gotten them last year-I'd be done by now!' So I finally decided just to rip off that band aid, make the appointments and GO TO THEM! Now the hard part is over for me! The decision was the most difficult and then the first day was a total nightmare, I was so upset that I had gone through with this that I nearly passed out in the dr office, but now two weeks later I am getting more used to them every day! I literally can see some changes already. The cool thing is the braces are working every minute of every day, while I sleep, while I drive, constantly! I think it's so much more difficult for an adult to wear braces than an adolescent because it is such a big decision and when you're a kid the decision is made for you.

Will I do it again? I pray that in 12 to 18 months from now my teeth look the way I want them to but if they don't I will do what ever I need to.

The braces push out my lips...it looks like I've had injections!

Make a good gift? Yes, I think this would be a gift that could really change a persons life and give them confidence-confidence changes everything in your life!

Can't really even tell with my mouth shut.

Something I would recommend? Without question!!! So many people kept saying to me "your teeth seem fine, I don't even notice they're crooked" - well not only do I not believe that but you'd have to have some serious vision problems to not notice. If they were telling me the truth- I don't want that either- I don't want people to NOT notice my CROOKED teeth - I WANT people to NOTICE a beautiful set of straight, white teeth!

They are CROOKED!

Was it life changing? It is a dramatic life change and a HUGE adjustment! First of all I look ridiculous! There is this heinous thing on the top that I refer to as the "coil" that will be on there for a few months.

AAAHHHH THE COIL!!! IT'S SO GHASTLY!!!!

 I'm embarrassed for people to see my braces and it's incredibly embarrassing to be with my teenage neighbors who all have braces (although I have to say people have been treating me like I'm much younger-getting carded.
            Having braces has also changed my routine, I have to brush my teeth 4 times per day! Always have to after I eat and it takes like 20 minutes every night to floss and brush. It has changed all my eating habits, I drink everything with a straw including coffee, I cannot eat anything hard or chew on ice. I'm pretty much limited to soft foods which is totally unsatisfying but I'm losing a ton of weight! I look at most things now and only see the work that would be involved and usually conclude that it's not worth it to dig out all the orts afterwards. The technique involved with eating solids is this-I put the food on my tongue, smash it to the roof of my mouth and suck on it for a while then swallow it quickly-food loses its flavor when it's eaten like this.

The good news is that I get to practice my 'Albanianess' by taking very serious photos.

  I also think it's kind of changed my personality- I don't feel like doing a lot of talking because the braces tear up my cheeks and I have a lisp now. I hate smiling because it's a chore to put my lips back together over my braces. So I feel like I'm not being very friendly.

Perfect. This is how I'm taking all my photos for the next year.

 This has also given me one more thing to worry about-like I constantly worry that they'll look worse when it's all over-I'm SO necrotic. And of course, it's a large expense which obviously cuts into other things. Every day I get a little more used to them and I'm so happy I FINALLY did it, I'm really excited to see the final product next year!

Today

I am so excited today to finally have my molds done for my braces! I have had this appointment and canceled it nearly nine times with the same orthodontist but it's today, I'm going and I have the money for it. I could have braces on by this time next month and actually have straight teeth my 30th Birthday!
Many people have told me they don't think I need braces...well, I think they're just being polite. Also, I don't show anyone unflattering pictures- and I have plenty! Once my braces are on I'll show them, usually I know the right way to pose myself so they don't look so terrible but occasionally I forget.

The recital was ALMOST perfect! I wanted to fly under the radar...that did not happen, by the end of our dance EVERYONE knew exactly who we were! I can't wait to share the story and pictures this weekend! Fellow life listers- do you ever do something and then add it your list afterwards because it was such a big accomplishment you feel like it must go on the list? Well that's how I feel about this. I did have 'take Polynesian dance classes' on my list but not perform it on stage! Now that I've done it I have to put it on the list, in many ways it was a big deal and I'm really proud of me and my daughter.

My Birthday week, I just decided this morning that every day this week I will do one LIFE LIST item for my birthday - or at least begin a LIFE LIST item. So today is get the impressions for my braces! I got think come up with something fun for tomorrow!

Dancing my way through life

I find it so interesting every day that you wake up in the morning and have no idea where your day will take you. You might get some unexpected good news, something terrible might happen, or maybe it will be simply be a typical day but it seems they usually don't turn out as intended. Last Tuesday I had an average check up appointment with my obgyn, no big deal, thought it would be done and over in a matter of minutes and my only concern was 'who will watch my daughter?' During the exam my Dr unintentionally injured me by rupturing an unknown cyst leaving me in a tremendous amount of pain for days, I spent MUCH longer in my appointment than expected and then had to return soon after I left to have an ultra sound. It was awful, for 3 days I could hardly change my daughter's diaper my stomach hurt so badly, I basically spent all of last week laying on the floor. Thankfully I feel much better as of Sunday.

This Tuesday, I woke up and thought that maybe I would go out and buy a new pair of sunglasses and this would be my big adventure of the day...instead...my daughter and I signed up to take our first Hawaiian dance class! I had inquired a few days ago thinking this would be something I and or she might do sometime in the future, maybe even next year and the instructor called me this afternoon and said a 9 week class begins tonight! I said 'sign us up!' I am so excited for many reasons; I have wanted to learn Polynesian dance since I went to Hawaii, the idea of me and my baby and I doing something like this together warms my heart, she has the opportunity to be in a recital this June which makes me giddy to think of her on stage in a grass skirt, and I like the idea that this could be something she may really enjoy doing in life. I am thrilled! And though she is but 18 months old, she so loves to dance!!! My only concern is that this is her first experience with a group and a structured activity. I think no matter what it will be fun!