Home Stretch-- Present Update

The Bad News:

I just got back from California, and man my teeth are killing me!  First, my orthodontist removed my powerchain from my top row, and the elastic ligatures from my bottom row... then, she took the wires out.  It seems as though the 2 top front teeth were'nt coming together as they should, so my orthodontist used a rounded-looking file to shave between (which didn't hurt at all) them so they would fit against eachother nicely. So for now, I look like a hillbilly!  And, I am back to wearing elastics... Ugh!!

The Good News:

Bite wise my teeth are looking great and they are all nice and straight.  So, not the next visit, but the one after that, my braces will be coming off!  But that still means at least 4 months with braces-- my orthodontist says:  the next visit they will be taking molds of my teeth (like the ones you get before your braces are put on) so that a custom retainer can be made for me... the visit after that the braces will be removed, and I will receive my retainer.  Yay! :-#

My Brief Braces History

It's almost 4 long years since I've had these darn braces.  I know I shouldn't complain--I know there are people out there who have a much longer treatment plan than I do, but my braces were only supposed to be on for 2 1/2years.  Here's how it all started...

I guess I've always been a little fanatical about my teeth... even though people always complimented me on my smile, and my dentist always told me they were really healthy, I thought they were too buck... I always longed for braces.  As a child, my parents never saw the need for me to have braces, although, the dentist did suggest them to help correct a slight crossbite, (which I will talk about in more detail later) and the 2 top bucked teeth.  So as an adult (in my late twenties) I decided to go for it.  Well, over halfway through treatment, and my braces being close to paid off, I suddenly had to move out of state (from California to Arizona)... so instead of switching orthodontists, I opted to continue treatment with the one I had been seeing in Cali... which has meant a whole lot of driving for me!  Doing it this way has slowed down the process... a lot. 

Though I am close to the end of my treatment, I wanted to start this blog because I love writing, and I have a lot of information to share on all things braces-- my documented journey (past and present), braces care, reviews on things I've tried, and just plain old fun stuff!

So welcome, and happy reading!  :-#