I am pleased to announce that after about 3 years of indecision, I finally resolved to address my orthodontic needs. I've begun treatment, and have been told that it will take close to 3 years.
My situation:
Had two upper bicuspids extracted years ago, along with all my wisdom teeth, and have since developed sleep apnea, occasional jaw pain, etc. I know that the connection between these things and dental stuff is contested, but in my case I developed these things after extractions, leading my ortho to assume a connection. The rectification of these two situations, along with a desire to improve my dished-in profile, has been my main motivator in finally sorting this out.
He proposes replacing the two missing teeth by expanding my maxilla, and placing implants. To do this, I'm currently wearing a removable expander (another idea fraught with controversy!) which I'm turning every few days. At 26, I'm not sure what I can expect, but I decided I have to try something- surgery is NOT an option for me.
So far, the expander is ok- a little bit painful if I take it out and replace it soon after, cuts my tongueand it gets in the way of speech, but I'm already starting to notice a change in my bite (one week on tomorrow!), ,so that is fun to observe. I have to admit, I'm nervous about the whole thing; I hope it works, I hope it helps me somehow- I really don't know, and I hear so many conflicting things from equally credible source. I hope it's the right choice!! I've been putting this off for years, so I'm excited to finally be doing something. Is anyone else having similar treatment? I'd love to hear your experiences!!
Printemps
Thanks for your encouragement, Rhomboid! 
