As much as I hate going to the dentist, I love my dentist…I really do. I’ve been with him and his family for over 30 years. Heck, I put both his boys through college and dental school! He’s taken great care of me over the years, literally held my hand through two crowns. I couldn’t convince him to simply glue my old, filling-filled broken teeth back together since I had all the pieces. He’s on his happy way to semi-retirement now. Son #2 has now taken over my file, and it’s clear the apple hasn’t fallen far from the father’s tree.
Over 20 years ago I needed a filling between two front teeth. Dad dentist did a great job matching my tooth color, and the filling was perfectly invisible for years. Over the last couple years, thanks to my coffee-drinking habit (some call it an addiction) and simple aging, that filling has discolored some. During a regular cleaning, son dentist said, “You know Barb, that filling is discoloring. We can replace it so it matches your teeth again.” Not being one to ASK for freezing and drilling, I politely declined. But I did point out that I noticed front teeth on the other side had been shifting.
Vanity
My teeth have never been perfectly straight, but they weren’t perfectly crooked either. As a child, I chipped a front tooth at a neighborhood gathering whilst hiding behind my mom…who was comfortably sitting in a metal folding chair. Yup…bang went my tooth on the chair (no idea how I managed that!) and out went a chip. Because the chip was small and more surface than tooth edge, our family dentist simply filed it off. Thank you Dr. Dentist, I now have a crooked tooth.
Fast forward 40+ years, and wouldn’t you know that was the tooth that started moving outward moving the one next to it inward. It had moved so much that I was becoming self-conscious of my crooked “buck tooth”. Vanity, thy name is woman. When I shared that I’d started catching my lip, son dentist offered an orthodontics referral. But, that referral came with a caution – it’s not usually just a simple “straighten that tooth” process. Well…he got that right!
Meet the Orthodontist
I went to my referral orthodontist for my free consultation. Before I met with him, the technician took what felt like a million photos of my mouth, face and profile. I had no idea that my mouth could open that wide, or my cheeks stretch that far! A few x-rays later, I sat down with the doc to review my case. He was terrific, explaining exactly what was going on with my teeth – they tip inward, which disqualified me for the invisible type.
May teeth are (were!) very tight. It was not unusual for me to shred floss and get it stuck. I learned my teeth hit tooth-on-tooth instead of between the cusps, my teeth are wearing faster than they should and enamel is cracking in the back. Did I tell you my two front teeth are crooked? Talk about a mess. But, when I actually saw what he was talking about, holy cow! So, what does all that mean? If I want to keep my teeth as long as possible, realigning them is a priority. He gave me 3 choices – jaw surgery (no thanks!), top-teeth only braces (won’t fix the whole mouth), or full-mouth braces for about 2 years. Guess which one I chose…
Getting Braces
At the ripe “old” age of 54, side-by-side with 10, 12 and 14-year olds, I was outfitted with top and bottom braces – full blown metal mouth, tinsel teeth, radio-tuners. It took me a couple months to decide if I was up to the process, and it’s a heck of a process…fascinating really….an engineering feat! I chose the most “invisible” clear brackets, hoping they wouldn’t be quite so obvious. A mere three hours later, I was sporting shiny new bling! I don’t have headgear, thankfully. But, I sport snazzy little rubberbands that sometimes fly like the wind when I sneeze. I find them all over the house, in my car, my office…
Here I am (below), just after getting my braces. I’m smiling here, but that didn’t last long. Swollen cheeks after my appointment were just the start. I knew there would be pain, and some headaches. But I didn’t think about the beating my cheeks would take, especially those first few months. They gave me syringes of some stuff called Gishy Goo. Let me tell you….it’s AMAZING! You extrude two tiny streams of “caulk”, smoosh them together and press it wherever your braces are chewing up your cheeks. It’s literally rubber caulk, and I highly recommend it! If you, or your children have braces, be sure to ask your orthodontist for it! Or, click the link above to purchase yourself.
I’m now one year into the process, and have to say it’s hasn’t been too bad. I do get occasional headaches, and I can tell my teeth have moved again. It’s amazing in just this period of time how straight my teeth are – they’re all pointing the direction they should, my crooked teeth are aligned!
Follow the Rules
I will say I’m following all the rules, and there are several, from what not to eat, to frequency of brushing, recommended products and tools, to wearing my rubberbands 24/7 except when I’m eating or brushing my teeth. Because I sometimes eat with those who are not my family, I’ve become quite adept at menu selections that will not make me look like a bad food processor. I recently started a list of things I can’t wait to eat once again, and the list continues to grow. First up….POPCORN….and I can’t wait for that day to come!
If you’ve ever thought about getting braces as an adult, weigh your options but don’t be afraid. Just imagine the even more beautiful smile, and healthier teeth, you’ll have when you’re done…..and by the way, it’s a great weight-loss program!
