Thursday, June 7, 2007

The first day with braces...

I stepped into the comfortable, clean office with a video game room to the right and a counter with a basket of toothbrushes and floss to the left. I walk up to the counter, and I'm greeted with "Hi, are you Amy?".

2 weeks ago I strolled into this same office, just to have a consultation and to get an idea of what I might expect if I were to decide to get braces. Well, here I am 2 weeks later facing the daunting task of having them installed.

I am lead around the front desk to sign financial paperwork and I sign two or three legal documents to protect the orthodontist I'm sure. I'm then escorted back to the waiting area.

I sit in the waiting area for just a minute or two - gazing around. There is a mom and her daughter to the right of me, and a stack of childrens books off to the left. I feel out of place for my age, but I'm a confident person so I'm doing fine. Only 25% of patients here are adults. The remaining 75% are children.

The assistant comes to greet me with a warm smile. She is very friendly and attentive. For the next 30 minutes I get molds done of my teeth, photos of my facial structure and teeth as they are now, and xrays of everything from the neck up.

After this is complete I'm escorted back to a dentist chair. I sit down and now I'm in the reclined position ready to receive my top brackets and braces. I'm nervous, my shoulders are tense, my palms are sweating... what if something goes wrong? I think. But of course it's all fine. The only pain is a bit of pressure to help mount the brackets to my teeth - the rest is just being patient while the assistant finishes what the doctor started.

I chose the clear ceramic brackets for the top - they are a bit bulkier than the metal brackets, but much more appealing. The only thing you really see from a distance is the wire - so it tends to look like you are just wearing a retainer.

All in all it was actually pretty painless, and fast. I had marshmellow flavored molds, and cinnamon flavored tooth polish...hehe. One of the benefits of getting a service meant for kids. :) I look in the mirror and think "if only I could have had this done when I was a kid". So all you previous brace-faces who had parents paying the bill, be THANKFUl! And take care of their investment.

I have been getting the push from my general dentist since I was in my teens, as my jaw and bite are all crooked. My bottom teeth hit the roof of my mouth, and my top teeth hit my gums below my bottom teeth. This issue often causes soreness on my gums or on the roof of my mouth - and will cause chewing issues later in life. The crowding of my lower teeth is causing some gum issues and they are really hard to keep clean. Plus once this is over, I'll have the added benefit of a beautiful smile

So, here I go - started on my two year journey. I just turned 26 last month, so I'll be 28 when these are removed. Crazy to think about, and I'm sure it will seem like an eternity - but when it's all done, it will be worth it. I'll try to update this each time I have an appt. with photos. I'll be glad when this is all over. :)

Cheers,
Amy

3 comments:

Roopak Majmudar said...

Hey Amy,

Great to hear you've made the plunge. I remember when I got braced up and thinking the same thing - 2 years is going to take a long time but it goes by quickly.

After a while you forget you have braces and before you know it you'll be a few short months away from getting them off (that's where I sit right now).

Trade said...

Just got ceramic braces on my bottom teeth today. Right now all I feel is some pain, and a lot of pressure. Otherwise, it's bearable.
Will only have them for about 9 months.

Unknown said...

Last week, I was searching for a dental website, marketing quality dental procedures in our city. Fortunately, I was able to find a good dentist within our area and after our appointment earlier, my 16 year old daughter is getting her braces in two weeks time. She's so excited as I am. Well, I appreciate your sharing your dental experience. Good luck!