My 6 Month Smiles

[Anna5]

Hello Allymac,

Thank you so much for your very kind message. I love your progress, you are going so fast in just 14 days! I admit I was a bit doubtful whether your teeth could be fixed in only 6 months, but if your improvement goes this fast, I am sure you will have a great smile in 6 months' time!!!
The elastics are indeed to correct your crossbite. Does your ortho think he can fully correct your crossbite with just the elastics? That would be great! How do you cope with the elastics? They can be a bit annoying, but I kind of liked them because of the good work they did.
Thank you so much for your kind words towards me, you are right, today there is so much pressure to look good. All people in the magazines have such nice wide smiles and perfect jawlines, and then I feel 'abnormal' and even ashamed with my jaw which is too narrow and a bit canted and my teeth that are not perfectly straight. I also feel ashamed that I caused this all myself by very long thumbsucking (I did it even much longer than you did.....). But I wonder, is thumbsucking something I/ we should feel ashamed of or not? I never knew that thumbsucking would damage my teeth and jaws, nobody has ever warned me for this or told me not to suck my thumb, I did it just out of habit and for comfort (like other people smoke cigarettes or drink beer...). And I admit, I still find it hard not to suck my thumb anymore, it really is an addiction.
Attaining perfection would mean two surgeries for me, and I am not sure whether that is worth the pain, cost and risks, considering people think my teeth are not too bad or even fine. And my husband is very much against surgery, he likes me the way I am and does not see any problems with my teeth or jaw.
But on the other side, you are right, in the end it only matters how I feel about it...
How do you feel about your teeth? Do you want a perfect smile or will you be happy even if your teeth won't turn out perfect, but there will just be a great improvement?

Greetings from Anna

[Anna5]

Hello!

I just saw your 5 week progress on your website: AMAZING!!! Your open bite seems almost closed, your front teeth are lining up nicely and your crossbite seems to be much better too. You are going very fast towards a beautiful smile!

[MissRed]

Hi Ally,

I've just been reading your blog and it looks like you're making good progress! I also sucked my thumb for quite a long time when I was younger and have a similar problem to yourself, after much deliberation I'm finally going to get braces this month hopefully after my Uni exams. It's encouraging to hear that despite being a bit rough to start with that you eventually get used to braces!

[cwilch]

good luck!

[Jenash24]

Hi Ally,
I am 17 weeks into my treatment now and all seems to be going well!! I have noticed a significant shift in my teeth and my bite chages pretty much every day!
I will try and upload my pics at some point!

Jen

[Anna5]

I would love to see your pictures too, Jen! What are the issues you are getting corrected? Do you also have an open bite?

[Jenash24]

Here are some pics! The bottoms ones have really shifted this week so this pic is slightly out of date, but it's the uppers that needed the most attention!

[allymac]

Sorry for the late reply, time flies when its christmas/new year doesn't it?!
@Anna 5, thank you, well even though the brace is called "6 month smiles", I have been quoted 9 months for my treatment. But she said that would be the maximum so I'm hoping it might be a little less The elastics are ok, they come off everytime I talk/move my mouth though which means I keep having to put my fingers in my mouth and fiddle with them, which I'm sure isn't exactly attractive to look at.
I wouldnt worry about the thumb sucking, its very common and you've ended up with straight teeth now so its all worked out in the end Ah I know what you mean about it still being addictive - everytime you go to do it, just look at your teeth in the mirror and see how far you've come!

Did you make the difficult decision about whether to have surgery or not? It's a tough one. In answer to your question, I'm not seeking perfection. I have hated my smile my whole life, so if I can have a smile that I'm not ashamed of, that's huge to me. If it's a good smile with great teeth, even better! I think teeth can be TOO perfect sometimes... I dont know where in the world you're from, but here in the uk we have a celebrity called Joey Essex who's teeth are crazy white and straight and he looks strange!

And thank you for what you said about the photo I put up It's nice to know I'm not imagining a difference haha!


@MissRed, nice to hear from you! Yay, I'm happy for you because trust me, once you get them you'll never look back! Yes, it's amazing how you get used to them, it really is. And, hey, they're a great excuse to eat ice cream and sponge cake everyday for a week when you first get them What kind of braces are you getting? Do you know what date you're getting them?


@cwilch - Thank you


Hi @Jenash24! So I've finally found someone else undergoing 6MS?! Yay! I can defiantly see that your teeth have shifted in the photos; particularly the top ones! How long will you have yours on for? Are you happy so far?


I have my 2nd adjustment tomorrow, I'm actually excited haha!

[allymac]

Some updated pics

[MissRed]

I'm going for damon clear braces but I think my dentist only does clear on the front six teeth and then metal at the back. I'm off to get my impressions and xrays on Wednesday and then hopefully get braced the week after. Feeling very nervous yet also slightly excited atm

[Anna5]

You have made AMAZING progress, Allymac, your open bite is almost closed!!! And your crossbite also seems to get a lot better. Wow, if your progress goes this fast, I am sure your teeth will be almost perfect in 9 months!

How are you doing with the elastics?

I consulted my ortho and oral surgeon and they both said that I make good progress with the braces and that they don't recommend surgery anymore. It is not worth the risks of complication. My ortho is confident that he can give me a good result without surgery. I think I must have peace with this. I know my teeth and jaw will never be perfect, but should they be? I hope I can also get rid of the strive for perfection and embarassment to show people my smile. I love your attitude that every improvement is great!

[kribbo]

Thank you for your posts and blog on 6 Month Smiles Ally! Finding them very useful and encouraging. I'm getting them fitted in 2 weeks and I am absolutely crapping myself! I'm 30 and in the UK and am very worried about all the comments I'm going to get from friends and colleagues. Sounds like things settle a bit after the first week so I guess I'll just have to hang in there. Just hoping I don't regret it!

[allymac]

@misread have you got them??

@karibbo - hello! Sorry for taking so long to reply. I'm glad my posts have been helping please don't worry, I feel your metaphorical pain because I was terrified too, but honestly itll be so worth it! Every day you wear them is a day closer to being happy with your smile! The first few days isn't great though; you will feel self conscious and sore and like you want to pull them out. But it'll get better, I promise! I'm from the UK too and I'm 23. I was worried about what people would say too, especially on nights out clubbing or in bars. But honestly, no one in bars or anywhere has ever pointed them out or noticed them as far as I know, and as for friends, everyone who's asked me about them has asked because they want their teeth fixed too! Its for such a short time, and what's the worst thing someone can say? You just gotta think, you're doing it for you so who cares what anyone else thinks! When I get dressed up I still feel pretty, and still Get compliments on my smile even now I've got them on. Hope this is reassuring when do you get yours?

[allymac]

@anna5 thank you! I'm very happy- the dentist said my teeth are moving really quickly ah the elastics are ok thanks, painful and annoying though! Will be glad when I no longer need them tbh.
That's good that you've come to a decision. So are you still in your braces? How much longer will you have them?

[allymac]

This is month 1 compared to month 3. For some reason my ticker thing is a bit slow!