I can see where it isn't perfect, and I know there are people who would approach an ortho for treatment if they started off with the teeth I have now!:lol: - but I'm very pleased. I had one seriously jacked up grill before braces, and some fairly severe underlying skeletal problems which could only partially be corrected with surgery.
For the first time in my life, I don't feel like covering my mouth with a hand when I smile, and am going to have to practice smiling showing teeth, because I've never done that before.
This is my whole face pic, i.e. how I now look when I smile like normal people do ('scuse background tip):
The removal wasn't too bad at all. They started by cleaning the backs of my lower teeth and gluing on the bonded retainer - this took about 20 minutes. The only tough bit of the whole process was getting off the same two upper molar bands which were buggers to get on when I was braced. All the brackets and hardware was popped off within a minute or two, and polishing the glue off took another 10 minutes or so. Then it was a scale, a polish, and molds taken for the retainers.
I am now in a bonded lower retainer, with upper and lower Essix to be worn full-time for 2 weeks, then night-time only after that. The Essix seem so flimsy - I can only hope they're up to the job.
My ortho said "So - was it all worth it?" - hell yes!
