Hi Everyone, New Here!! (updated with pics)

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#1 Post by **skittley80** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:51 am

Hello all. I have been lurking for a while as a guest..but finally decided to join. I have learned so much from reading all of your posts, you really do inspire me. I am 26 years old and I'm about to go on a 2 year journey of a lifetime lol. I have had bad teeth my whole life, they were never "normal". And on top of them being crooked/crowded, my lower jaw did not grow as it should. So my face looks horrible. Last summer, after I broke up with my boyfriend, I decided I needed a change in my life and what better thing to do than improve my looks and my self esteem (which was non-existant). So last summer I went and had consultations with orthodontists, oral surgeons, regular dentist..and we had a game plan. I had to get my teeth healthy first...I hadn't been to a dentist in 10 years. So I had a couple root canals, some filings, some cleaning and then all was nice and healthy. Well I kept changing my mind about doing the whole braces/surgery thing because I was 25 at the time and I figured I was too old to be having a metal mouth. So the summer went by, winter came and went. Then in March I decided I was doing it. I was tired of having no self esteem, I was tired of being a hermit because I hated the way I looked. So I went back to the ortho, he referred me back to the surgeon. I was told that I would need 12-18 months of ortho to begin with. Then when my teeth were aligned I would need to have orthognathic surgery to correct my jaw. Well it turns out I will need surgery on both jaws. The top moved back slightly and the bottom moved forward. I was so happy with all of this, I finally felt like I was getting somewhere. I had to get my wisdom teeth removed, which happened on June 9th. Man was that horrible. I wasn't able to eat normal food for 2 weeks... my gums still hurt at the extraction sites but it is almost healed. So now I'm at the braces stage of all of this and I'm getting really nervous. I went yesterday to get the spacers put it. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I can barely feel them there, however when I eat I do notice that my teeth are sore. But that's ok, it keeps me from eating alot, and weightloss is something else i'm trying to accomplish. I've lost 18 pounds so far..about 35 more to go..woohoo! Well, This coming Monday I get my braces on. I'm getting ceramics on top and metal on the bottom. I am really really really nervous about this. I'm concerned about what my co-workers are going to say, what my family will say. But I know in 2 years when all of this is done I'm going to look amazing, so I'm doing it !!! Well I just wanted to share my story with all of you. I want to blog my experience so that maybe I can be of inspiration to someone else. I will post some pictures a little later...boy is my mouth bad lol. Take care all. I'm so glad I have this group to share my experience with.

#2 Post by **jzaboo** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:37 pm

Welcome skittley80!

I'm fairly new here too, and just got my braces about 3 weeks ago. Ceramic uppers and metal below, just as you have. I never worried about what my friends or family thought one way or the other, but it was interesting to get the reactions. I went home to Colorado last week, and most people said stuff like, "Oh, you didn't tell me you got braces.", "I didn't think your teeth were that crooked", "Oh, braces, do they hurt?". No one thought it was weird or anything, and I'm 49. My old boyfriend said I looked like me, just with braces. Which is true. When you've spent years being self-conscious about your smile (I actually stopped being that way years ago, but still wanted it fixed), it stands to reason that you'll be self-conscience about the braces, too. But the reality is, most people don't care one way or the other, and if they did, that's their problem, right? The only person who even came close to making a negative comment is someone who said her doctor said she needed braces, but she thought it was a waste of money (and she needs them bad!).

So congrats that you've taken the plunge, and good luck on all the self improvement goals you've set for yourself. I, too, and using this 18 month timeframe to take care of all that old garbage and lose some of the poundage I've put on in the past 8 years. I should start a thread on "weight loss and braces" Shoot, even if we lost a pound a month, that would be impressive after 18 to 24 months!

#3 Post by **skittley80** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:46 pm

OK, so here are some pictures... As you can see my bite is wayyyyy off. My top teeth aren't incredibly bad I guess, although they do need straightned..but my bottom teeth are way out of whack. Also you can clearly see how my jaws do not light up like they should (reason for the jaw surgery) .. I will post more pics on Monday after I get the braces.