I'm going to get braces this year!

[NeilH]

Hi everyone, sorry for the long period of silence, I've been poor at providing updates so will try and catch up now.

It's been 18 months since I had my braces removed (where has the time gone?) and still wear my retainers every night just to make sure everything stays in place. My second upper Hawley was not particularly comfortable so my ortho very kindly agreed to make a third one. I have had this one for a few months now and it is much more comfortable and effective than the last one. I still prefer wearing these when travelling and although they can be a little bulky at times, are still great retainers.

My ortho has recently invested in a digital scanner and offered to scan my arches so that he can keep a digital record on file so that I can simply order new 'Essix' retainers in the future as required. He also arranged for a new set of retainers to be made following this scan and these arrived a couple of weeks later. Both were a little loose and he was unhappy at the way the lab had cut the retainers at the back from the digital models so I'm going back in a few weeks to get the scans taken again and then for the retainers to be re-made.

I'm used to my fixed retainers now but every now and then, do find them slightly annoying as my tongue plays with the gaps under the wire. I don't regret getting these at all as they keep everything in place 24/7 and don't cause any difficulty with eating or speech. I still check them each day to make sure nothing has broken and keeping them clean has not been difficult.

I'm absolutely delighted with my ortho practice, they have been so kind and accommodating and each retainer has been provided at no cost which I know is unusual from following other peoples stories. I know the day is soon approaching when I will be released from their care but feel confident that I would be welcomed back with any concerns or to get new retainers if required.

I was finally able to get my teeth whitened using the Zoom in chair and take home treatment and have been absolutely delighted with the results. This was something I have been wanting to do for a while and a special offer at a well respected cosmetic dentist close to my office was enough to entice me to book. I'm still using the take home kit to keep the great result I achieved and will continue to be a regular user of home whitening going forward (you can blame red wine for this!). I will post a final photo at some point along with some before and after shots.

At a recent dental checkup, I met my new dentist who commented on my great result and looking at one of my incisors which was slightly chipped, offered to restore this for me at my next visit. Concerned my Essix retainers would not fit after, I queried this with my ortho who assured me it would likely still be ok but if not, to let them know so new retainers could be made.

My own interest in all things orthodontic continues to grow and those of you who have been following my story and messaging me will know I have been working on some interesting projects recently. For me, my treatment has been a catalyst to several new opportunities and I'm grateful to everyone who has created opportunities to help me learn a little more about orthodontics.

I hope my story has been an inspiration to some of you, I have never regretting starting treatment and found the whole experience fascinating and enjoyable.