i've been reading this forum for almost a year, that is how much conviction i actually needed to get this thing started
well i should maybe not be posting yet, as i haven't been to the ortho yet, but what the heck, i have to start somewhere...
anyway, i'm 21 and i had a torturing device when i was like 8. they called it frankel... i swear i cried when i got it, the rest of the kids i knew had either braces either some retainer-like devices and they could just speak normally, which was always a priority to me. not to mention with that thing i looked like i ate a balloon, hehe. the worst part? should wear it 22 hours per day which basically meant ALL the time, except when eating... no way man!! after a year or so, my ortho wasn't pleased, coz i kept on wearing it during nights only... duuuuh! i would not even be caught by my parents in that thing. so i stopped going to that ortho, plus she was completely not nice and scary to me as a kid (i still think she hated me
and she must have had, otherwise she would have given me braces or smth lol)let's explain what my problem then was... i had a gap between my front teeth (i could stick my tongue through it), a very narrow upper arch (and lower maybe as well, i don't remember) and overbite/overjet, but this last wasn't that bad.
so when i was around 11 i told my parents i do want to get my teeth done properly (they were still pretty angry about my bad discipline with the 1st ortho) so they said fine and on my request sent me to the private ortho. we agreed though, that i pay 50% (and for no reason my pocket money increased for like 400% then, lol) i guess they wanted me to think i'm throwing money away this time if i decide not to cooperate, haha.
so back to the story, i got this retainer-like expander i think (was never completely informed about my treatment, the ortho turned the screws every 2 months i think)) which really helped, not to mention it was smth absolutely different than ugly frankel. i didn't wear it to school though. it was just too thick and i seriously couldn't talk normally ever, i guess i'm just hard to adjust to things in my mouth
the gap was gone in less than a year and i was thrilled. i think my arch widened a bit too, and my lower teeth were more than half-way showing when i put my jaws together (the uppers weren't covering them completely anymore). this kept on going for like 3 years and i became a stubborn teenager. i slightly cracked a retainer once and didn't dare to go back anymore. i glued it together
and it worked... i was wearing it nights for like 2 more years. wouldn't even skip one, coz the next time it would be hard to get it on. then i think i had enough one day and i stopped. for some time i could still put it in, although it was tight. i always liked that pressure btw i never completely liked my smile though. my teeth are aligned, they don't crowd at all and my wisdoms aren't out yet. but my arches are just so narrow!! i can never perfectly accept this. but still was never thinking about going back again. untill... few months ago i went to the random dentist, coz mine was on vacation. and she asked: have you ever considered to go to the ortho, coz yor bite could use some help. and since then i'm thinking of asking my own dentist (AND my parents). according to this one, my bite doesn't match (lower jaw is few mm to the left) which could cause later my teeth to get worn out! my teeth are 100% healthy, never had anything pulled out, i don't even have any fillings... and i certainly don't want my teeth to be gone when i'm 50
in a week i'll ask my dentist for her opinion and ortho recommendation. i already AM decided. i wanna get this done. asap too. i'm 21!!! i could have had braces when i was 8!!
so i'll keep you updated, if anyone will be interested in my story, lol.
till then folks, i'll just keep on enjoying your stories! many of you make me really really REALLY laugh
so have fun all of you and good luck!
she checked my bite few times, said some 'mmmm's and aaaaaaah's and she said she'd reschedule me to come back once next year, because she doesn't see my wisdom teeth coming out yet... that really surprised me, because as far as i know there's no guarantee i'll ever get them? or why would they come out in this one next year?? (i'm 21, approaching 22) so i honestly think it's a waste of time to wait... i'll go for another appointment (i decided right a way) and see what they have to say there (the other ortho i was choosing from)... so basically she then told me i'd need braces on both arches (if nothing changes in a year) and most probably some expander for both jaws... exactly what i thought actually.