Spacers and Brackets and Wires, Oh My!
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 2:21 pm
It never occurred to me that I might need braces at the age of 36, but a little over a year ago I waged an attack on a meatball sub and lost. (A little piece of advice... never try to eat a sandwich bigger than your head. This is particularly true if you happen to suffer from TMJ issues.) One careless chomp left me with teeth that no longer touch in the back and rub together uncomfortably in the front.
Now, after a year of reprogramming with a bite plane, I'm finally ready for the next step. Braces. Until yesterday morning I was really pretty excited at the prospect. A pleasant consultation with my ortho revealed that I'd need a single tooth extracted so that we can shift things about and get my midline relatively straight. My treatment will last 18-24 months and I'll be be sporting ceramic on the upper front 6 and self-ligating metal for the remainder. Pain free living and the ability to chew properly? Bring it on! But that excitement was short lived.
Why? Spacers. Thanks to this wonderful information packed site, I was almost certain that I would need them. What could be so bad about having little rubbery bits shoved between a dozen or so teeth? Only I didn't get little rubbery bits. I now have fiddley/pokey/wirey bits that move around in awkward ways and jab me in the cheek when I least expect it. Ouch! (BTW, can anyone tell me why the heck I can't get my tongue to stop messing around with them? I think the wretched thing has developed a mind of its own.) The best part is that I get to keep these lovely little accessories in for a whole week! Woo. Hoo.
I'm now heading for the fridge to drown my sorrows in chocolate pudding. At any rate, thanks for taking the time to read this rant. And thanks yet again for offering such a supportive environment in which to vent.
Now, after a year of reprogramming with a bite plane, I'm finally ready for the next step. Braces. Until yesterday morning I was really pretty excited at the prospect. A pleasant consultation with my ortho revealed that I'd need a single tooth extracted so that we can shift things about and get my midline relatively straight. My treatment will last 18-24 months and I'll be be sporting ceramic on the upper front 6 and self-ligating metal for the remainder. Pain free living and the ability to chew properly? Bring it on! But that excitement was short lived.
Why? Spacers. Thanks to this wonderful information packed site, I was almost certain that I would need them. What could be so bad about having little rubbery bits shoved between a dozen or so teeth? Only I didn't get little rubbery bits. I now have fiddley/pokey/wirey bits that move around in awkward ways and jab me in the cheek when I least expect it. Ouch! (BTW, can anyone tell me why the heck I can't get my tongue to stop messing around with them? I think the wretched thing has developed a mind of its own.) The best part is that I get to keep these lovely little accessories in for a whole week! Woo. Hoo.
I'm now heading for the fridge to drown my sorrows in chocolate pudding. At any rate, thanks for taking the time to read this rant. And thanks yet again for offering such a supportive environment in which to vent.