Christen from Pennsylvania

Today was the big day......I cannot believe it. At 31 yrs old, I have both welcomed and dreaded this day since I can remember. I am still in shock that I actually went through with it and didn't cancel. But, more than anything I want the beautiful straight pearly white smile that I have envied on others for years. So, how could I cancel?!

The problem with my teeth is that my bite lines right up instead of having any overbite at all and I have a canine tooth on one side that never came down because of crowding. That is what I have hated the most about my smile...."the fang." I had gotten two opinions early on during the consult phase and thank goodness! One doctor told me I'd need a pretty painful and costly oral surgery first. Then metal uppers and lowers. The doctor I ended up choosing said no surgery, clear brackets top and bottom, 18 months total, piece of cake! You can see why I chose dr. #2!

The procedure was not fun.....it seemed to go sooooo slowly. I think I was there over two hours. My least favorite part being the little "tongue garage" they put on you to keep your tongue away from all your teeth. That and the lip spreaders I think were the most annoying. I also loved the way they kept asking if I was ok, though it was impossible for me to say anything at all! I couldn't believe how awkward I felt when they were all done and told me to go rinse out and have a look.

I immediately noticed a change in my speech (can you say lisssssp!) and felt like my lips stuck way way out. (Wow , it's going to be harder to hide these babies than I thought!) I guess I looked about as dorky as I thought I would....maybe slightly worse. As I drove home there was the most beautiful sunset. I had a few tears as I was feeling such a mix of being proud of myself and feeling like I wanted to rip them right off. The pressure was starting to build already, so I knew they were beginning to do their job. I just hope they do it as fast as possible!