Calistamay's brace journey (pics!)

[klobird]

Wow--That's quite a journey you have been on!! Your teeth look absolutely fabulous--you deserve it with all the time you have served!!!

[Calistamay]

Thank you

[Calistamay]

Tomorrow I will have had braces for 39 months AND I AM FINALLY GETTING THEM OFF!

Been thru a lot since I got them on. My husband was deployed for a year, then when he got back I got pregnant and had a baby. She'll be 2 in a couple of months and has never seen me without braces.
My ortho gives out the Essix retainers but I'm gonna plead my case for a Hawley. I will probably have to spend more money to get one but I suppose that is okay. I don't want to have to replace a retainer every year, and I have bruxism (in the past I had a night guard and I actually had more pain because I apparently spent the whole night clenching down and sucking on the bite guard. No bueno). I am also planning on having my black triangles fixed and don't want to pay to have another retainer made. I'm not concerned about the cosmetics of a Hawley because I'll only have to wear it full time for a few months, and then just at night. And after 39 months a few more with a wire aren't gonna bother me. Well here are some pictures I just took. They aren't gonna get any better than this (whiter, yes; straighter, no).











I also made it all 39 months without breaking anything! I should totally get a shirt for that

[kellyb]

Congrats! Your teeth look great. also, you had alot of progress very early on. I am surprised you needed to be in them for 39 months.

Can't wait to see your naked teeth

[lau]

AMAZING!! what a perfect smile, congratulations- what a journey, you are inspiration to us all.

I'm sure your youngest will look at you funny with no braces. I had my braces for 5 months (he is 2 and 5 months) and says: 'braces mom' and points and smiles.

[klobird]

Your teeth look fantastic!! Getting them off tomorrow?--I am soooo jealous!!--Congratulations!!

I can't wait for the unveiling!! The BIG REVEAL!!!

[Calistamay]

Thank you I am surprised that it took 39 months as well. But now that they braces are off they feel surprisingly stable. I think it took so long because with the self-ligating brackets I only went in every 2 months. But when I had powerchains and STILL only went in every 2 months, they lost their elasticity after about a month. The wire was still working, but the teeth weren't gonna get any closer together.

Getting them off wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The worst part was scraping the glue off. That was torture! It didn't hurt, but it was like nails on a chalkboard to me. She didn't buff the glue off when she was done. Just asked if I felt any. And there were no chunks, and it felt okay so I said it was fine. Then I realized she was done. Oh well. She probably did get it all off, and I just forgot what my teeth are supposed to feel like.

I was Jedi mind tricked into believing I wanted the Essix retainers, so I'll give it a go for two months and see how they do. If I really don't like them then I will get the Hawleys when I go back in May.

Here are the pictures that I took when I got home:



Here is one without the flash; they don't look quite so yellow:


Between the canines and premolars the gums look bunched up. That was my extraction gap. Hopefully they don't look like that forever.

[anngie27]

Congrats!! Your teeth look beautiful!

[VioletJay]

Beautiful! Yay!

[elseegee64]

Congrats! Thank you for sharing your story and pictures! As your braced journey ends - mine is just beginning!