Braces On

Sept 25, 2015.  My calendar calls it skull day.  Days leading up to the appointment were spent indulging in all forms of crunchy, crispy, thick, chewy foods.  Morsels of steak and caramels, savoring every bite.  I had scheduled the appointment for end of day Friday, allowing myself the weekend to adjust physically and mentally before returning to work.  

At the appointment I was very nervous.  One by one the brackets were placed, upper wire inserted, then lower wire.  Before I knew it my mouth was full!  It felt weird to run my tongue around the edges, and my lips plumed (Dr Good called it "braces botox", hehe).  I took Advil the first day as the pain hit before I even walked out the door.  The dull throbbing through my entire head continued through mid afternoon the next day, then life resumed. 

I had expected my tongue to swell and be painful as it was for the first two weeks during pre-teen braces, but instead felt nothing.  I continued eating yogurt for breakfast, soups for lunch, and soup or very soft, smooth food for dinner.  I was both encouraged and frustrated by the lack of pain, thinking that the treatment wasn't aggressive enough.  My teeth are used to moving since being in braces and a lifetime of retainers so I hoped it would go faster than expected.  After talking with Dr Good the following week I came to accept that no amount of badgering would increase her sense of urgency, that treatment would run its course.

Looking back here are the thoughts that went through my head and what I've actually experienced. 

Fear: What will my coworkers think?  My clients?  My dates?  My friends?  

Reality: I put in perspective how I would think of someone else.  I would see it as an effort toward lifetime self improvement and would respect it.  The first smile and conversation were tenuous, it took a few weeks for me to get used to it.  I quickly learned it was a barometer for trustworthiness.  If someone judged me they were not a positive part of my life anyway and their opinion mattered little.  Conversely, whenever I see someone else with braces we smile and bond.  It's not as rare as I thought, as with many things once you're looking you see them everywhere.  I've heard many stories and even talked to people going through some pretty extensive jaw surgery plans.  By the second month braces weren't even on my mind, I was able to go through life as usual and it was only when someone else noticed that I did. 

Fear: Will they hurt?

Reality: Having had braces before and having a high threshold for pain I experienced almost no discomfort.  My cheeks and lips get torn up from either being hooked or going between the wires.  Dental wax is an easy fix, I always ask for a couple packs at my appointments since I go through a lot of it.  Routine is to cap the last two brackets, top and bottom on both sides, since those have large metal hooks.  Also the lower front four teeth, since my jaw position causes extra rubbing.  Aside from that, I was sore overnight after the first four appointment.  An Advil took care of it just fine.  Occasionally a tooth will get sensitive, but that's the same with or without braces. 

Fear: Will I have difficulty eating?

Reality: For the first few weeks my diet consisted of yogurt and soup.  Since I have lots of problems eating I realized that most of the foods I like are soft foods, so it really didn't change much in terms of my meals. The one thing I miss is biting into a good hamburger. I probably could do it at home, it would just be pretty messy.  The other difficult part is dark beverages.  I love coffee, red wine, tea, tomato sauce, anything dark.  At first I cut everything.  Then I convinced myself I could have a few sips and slosh vigorously.  Then it was small cups with sloshing afterward... Then almost a normal daily cup of joe.  I had planned to do whitening after and I hope that I won't end up with spotted teeth!  

Fear: Will I be able to keep my teeth clean?

Reality:  Brushing is a necessity after every meal.  I don't snack a lot, so I generally don't need to more than that.  Most foods are easy to work around, but salads tend to be more time consuming.  Lots of brushing, rinsing, more brushing and rinsing.  For a few weeks it was hard to tell what belonged and what didn't, by now I can pretty much sense when I have more work to do.  I have had a few laughs, thinking I was all done only to smile and have a giant piece of lettuce draped across my front brackets.  Rinse, swish, brush, swish again and a close visual check are my routine.  I am also totally comfortable brushing in public as having bad teeth I am used to brushing after lunch at work or wherever I happen to need to.  For the night time routine - flossing is a pain!  The first few weeks I meticulously flossed going through the wires every night.  Since that process took half an hour, I soon stopped and found short cuts.  It is entirely possible to floss the insides of the teeth normally.  My dentist gave me a kit that had a metal rod with a pointy rubber tip that I can use to run around the gum line and go in between the teeth from the outside.  Much easier than flossing and it works just as well on the front teeth.  The back morals are tough no matter what.  I also using prescription strength fluoride weekly.  I have noticed some staining on my teeth, particularly in between the brackets and above where it's harder to brush.  I intend to whiten after it's all done and am counting on those stains being light enough that I won't end up with spotted teeth. 

Fear: Will it be worth it?

Reality: So far the pain / reward ratio is positive!  It hasn't been nearly as bad as I had thought.  Initially the 22 month estimate was overwhelming.  To be halfway through now it seems like no time at all.  Seeing incremental progress has been encouraging as each step gets closer to the end goal and my dream of the perfect smile!  If it means enough to you that you are considering it, by all means go for it. 


And with that, a few pics from Braces On Day...