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#1 Post by **JenP** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:08 am

30 minutes until my appointment to get my top braces on. I just took a little pill - let's see ... propantheline - that's supposed to dry out my mouth. I'm starting to get a little freaked out ...

#2 Post by **Jenny5** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:31 am

How did it go? Not too bad, I hope! I'm not sure if you were nervous about the procedure itself or about the fact that you'll now be in braces for the next however long, but for anyone reading this who is about to get braces...don't be scared! I was nervous when I got mine because I really didn't know what the procedure entailed or how long it would take. I knew it was an hour and a half appointment, but that included the orthodontist going over everything with me, etc. Well, as it turned out, it was nothing! It was easier than a dental cleaning. The worst part of it was waiting for stuff to dry or for the orthodontist to come back into the room. No sweat.

Let us know how it went Jen!

#3 Post by **JenP** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 2:13 pm

Wow, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The worst part was that the assistant slightly misplaced the bracket on my back molar, so she had to break it off, grind off the glue and replace it. But I kind of walked out of there like, "Okay, that's it?"

I do look, well, not so attractive at the moment. I got ceramics on top, and overall I'm happy that you can barely see them, but I have one big spring front and (almost) center to make room for a tooth that's stuck behind its neighbors.

I got out of the appointment just STARVING, but I'm afraid to try anything too crazy, especially since I came back to the office. So I just had some soy protein shake and some yogurt.

The most annoying thing is the "tongue reminders" they put behind my two front teeth. I have no idea how I'm supposed to swallow without my tongue touching them - I feel like I practically have to swallow my tongue to keep it far enough back. But I hope my tongue will learn quickly instead of continuing to be poked by little spikes.

Now, a headache is starting to kick in, so I'll probably head home for the day. I was hoping to make it to roller derby practice tonight, but that will depend on how I feel ...

#4 Post by **Sweetie** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 5:21 pm

Hi Jen
Congratulations!!! Hope to see you in the board tommorrow to see how are you doing.

What are those tonge reminders? Is that for everyone?

#5 Post by **JenP** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:44 am

KK is exactly right, Sweetie. Apparently, I'm a "tongue thruster," and my tongue needs to be retrained to not push against my teeth when I swallow.

I'm already doing much better with the swallowing part, but unfortunately the little spikes are still there when I'm doing things where my tongue has to go up there, like eating and talking. So I have a more pronounced lisp than I would otherwise. Thank goodness for this group and the recommendation for saltwater rinses, because I think otherwise my poor tongue would be in serious pain by now.

Otherwise, though, things are going okay. I was brave enough to eat shredded wheat for breakfast this morning, and I managed not to make too huge a mess. I have a couple teeth on the right side that are a little sore, and I think that's the spring already starting to push to make room for my tooth stuck behind its neighbors.

I'm hoping to go to the gym today, and I don't think the braces will cause me trouble for my hockey tournament this weekend. Hooray!

#6 Post by **PfectPitch** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:44 pm

Wow, Roller Derby and Hockey! Impressive! Glad to hear your first appointment wasn't too bad. I'm feeling more optomistic about my brace day on 3/1. Thanks for sharing!