Katie's Ortho Adventure-almost 10 mos! new pics pg 8

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#1 Post by **metalmouthmommy** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:40 pm

After YEARS of wanting, it's finally happening! I am 32 and on my way to becoming a braceface!!!

Went in for the consult last Tuesday, LOVED the office, staff, and both orthodontists. A plus was when the doc asked if I had a guardian there with me, and then realized his mistake and that we were in fact the same age!

Always nice to get after having four children!!!!

I was honestly surprised when doc said he felt he could save my bottom tooth, the one I thought would be pulled for sure! I was fully expecting leaving with a referral to an oral surgeon....but, he said we will put the braces on as is, and see what progress we can make on our own before knowing if the bottom tooth will go.
Anyhow, it was decided that I will have upper ceramics and metal lower, my choice since I am still acting a bit vain about the whole "I'm too old for braces issue"! I am VERY excited to have my bite corrected, he said my "recessed chin" will no longer be! I honestly can't imagine biting down and having my top and bottom teeth touch! When I bite down now my top teeth cover my bottom almost completely, so that will be a cool experience in itself! My teeth almost fit together like a puzzle now, with top and bottom teeth fitting together and then overlapping, and let's not forget the infamous "snaggle tooth" on top. It's really hard for me to even fathom having a perfect smile?! I am anxious and excited for all of this to be underway!

Tomorrow is my LAST DAY with crazy, crooked, choppers!!!!! I will takes some pics tomorrow so I have something to reference thru my "ortho adventure"!

Thanks for reading and taking part in this wonderful, wild, ride I am about to jump on to!!!! I can't wait to record it all and watch my progress!!!!!

Kate

#2 Post by **Michal** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:38 pm

Good luck and welcome to the world of braces. You will be amazed and it will be cool to see the progress. I took photos after every adjustment. I had a mess and now I think I have some really nice teeth, not that I'm vain, just proud. Again, good luck and welcome!

#3 Post by **Braced32** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:40 pm

Welcome metalmouthmommy ~

I, too, am 32 and will be braced in just two short weeks! I am excited, nervous, and wondering what the heck am I getting myself into???

I lived with my "spacey" smile for 30 years!!

I feel the same way as you. I just can't fathom having a "perfect" smile! Two years sounds like such a long time!

I don't have crooked teeth but I have many spaces on my upper arch! Some teeth just never formed.

Looking forward to you sharing your journey!

#4 Post by **metalmouthmommy** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:46 pm

Well here it is, less than 24 hours until I am braced!!!!!!

I am anxious, excited, and have butterflies just thinking bout it!

Tonight I made a steak dinner for the six of us, Lord knows when the next time I will be eating steak will be!
I think I am more anxious about the turbo bites than the braces themselves after reading all of the threads concerning them. I finally got around to taking some pics, and all I can say is WOW. My teeth look so much worse in the pics then I try and picture they are in real life. I guess that has been the one good thing about having such an overbite, it's really covered the worst of the crowding on the bottom when I smile. I am always hating that top tooth, but in reality, the bottoms are MUCH worse. I am so thrilled that this is the last day that I will be stuck with this mouth! I am almost too shy to even post the before pics of my teeth, but I want to have a reference point.......so here it goes. (and yes, like everyone else says, my teeth look REALLY yellow in these pics!

I just had them cleaned last week and I *thought* they were looking quite sparkly, but these pics sure do tell a different story!)

with my mouth closed all you see is the "snaggle tooth" due to the deep overbite

open you can see just how much crowding there is on the bottom. that tooth on the bottom is BEHIND another tooth- so annoying to eat everything gets stuck there.

bottom arch

top arch

Well there they are. SOOOOOOO happy to say adios! Counting the hours until 9:45 tomorrow morning! Until then...........

Kate

#5 Post by **metalmouthmommy** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:58 pm

Thanks Michal and Braced32 for the nice welcome and good wishes

I have a feeling this forum will be SUCH a big part of my life whilst I am braced!!! I am looking forward to meeting some new pals that I can swap stories with

Michal- You have EVERY RIGHT to be vain about your teeth !!!! After going thru life with a not so nice smile, I think it's your privilege to feel that way now! Good for YOU

Braced32- I don't know about you, but my friends have been having fun teasing me about braces at this stage SPAM SPAM SPAMMING! Yes, I am married with four kids, but that doesn't mean that I should GIVE UP on ME! Right?!

I can't wait to compare our progress as the time (hopefully) FLYS by! Ah, whats two years really amount to in the grand scheme of things?!!!!

Good luck on your braces as well!

Kate

#6 Post by **Zuke** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:13 pm

Good luck on your braces! And welcome to the board from one newbie to another

Z

#7 Post by **METALMOUTHPOOH** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:17 pm

Welcome

Congrats on getting braces, you will love this site!

Post pictures once you get them on and keep taking them and save them on your computer you will be amazed on how fast they start moving

Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:09 pm

Congrats on your decision to get braced!!

I have not been braced long, but it was the right thing to do. I have already had my first adjustment, I got it 3 weeks early, because I bit off a bracket. So they just did it all up that day.

I am 32 and have 2 little kids and we are planning a third this year. So I will be prego and braced, that should be a experience in it self.

Welcome to our community. I look forward to following your story. Oh and if you read this b4 your appt wear plenty of moisturizer on your lips for your appt.

Good LUCK!!!!

#9 Post by **browneyedgrl** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:16 am

Hi Katie,

Welcome to AW and happy b-day!!!

Just like everyone has said, It's never to late, and their are a bunch of us who are second timers as well. My tip of the day is to take some ibuprofen right before your appointment, it will totally take the edge off.

Good luck today and have a pain free journey!!!

B

Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:16 am

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

So happy to have you in our club. Your mouth my not hurt right off, but keep the ibuprofen close.

Good Luck!!

Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:17 am

Thank you everyone for thinking of me today

I was sooooooooo nervous I only slept about four hours last night! LOL.
I just got back from getting my braces put on............one word- ouch.

OK, ummmmm, let's first talk about the doo-dad that holds your mouth stretched open, and your tongue is in that harness contraption while they put those suckers on.... why did none of you warn me of this??????

I had a full blown anxiety attack the last 10 minutes (i had it in for a little over an hour); I stared feeling super claustrophobic and then felt like I forgot how to swallow with that thing in my mouth, I FREAKED OUT. I felt like a spaz, I was totally hyperventilating the dentist was like are you OK? And I was shaking my head no but he was ignoring me.......VERY FREAKY. Boy was I happy when they took that bad mama jama OUT!!!!

Now I have a sore mouth and look 12 years old.

Wahoo.

All in all it wasn't so bad, I feel like my lips won't close over my mouth and I'm sure that will go away with time!

My two year old started crying when I got home and she saw my teeth, lol. I think my husband was right behind her

He kept asking me over and over again-"Did you realize that is was going to be THAT much? Like THAT big? I thought it was just going to be a retainer or something! How long do you need them on for? How long did the doc say? Do you think they will come off early?" Ah, thanks sugar plum

The twins got off the bus and were clapping and jumping! At least someone thinks I am cool!!! Aidan told me I look like Timmy's friend from the Fairly odd parents???!!! (note to self: I must pay more attention today while they watch Nicktoons!) LOL.
Can't wait to see what my six year old says when he gets home. He was the guy that begged me not to get them or I'd look "dorky".

I will take some pics later, I am off to take some Ibuprofin as I am starting to get a killer headache.

Thanks again new buddies for your awesome words of encouragement! There's no turnin back now!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!

Kate

#12 Post by **metalmouthmommy** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:28 pm

Here are my new lovely brace shots.

Feb. 19, 2008

#13 Post by **kittymeow84** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:10 am

Happy B'day!!!

They feel SO HUGE after those cheek retractors are taken out and you actually get to touch them for the first time with your lips.
Don't worry they will feel normal in a few days!!! It hasn't even been a week for me and I can't imagine being without them now

Oh that tongue bar thingy is pretty horrid. The worst thing for me was jamming the molar bands in as my teeth still hurt from the spacers.

That bottom bracket must be annoying! My bung tooth wont get its bracket for a while yet cos it sticks out too much too.

A good tip for taking non-blurry photos too is to keep the camera about 15 to 20cm away from your face and zoom from there. I find if I get too close the camera just won't focus.

#14 Post by **Braced32** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:15 am

That's too bad that your friends are teasing you about getting braces at this age! I hope they're not really serious about it! No, my friends haven't been teasing me. They all thinks it's GREAT! No, you should NOT give up on YOU just bc you're married with children! That should have nothing to do with getting braced! Your AW buddies will support you!

I, too, am looking forward to comparing our progress! However, my sentence is double yours!

My sister will be getting her braces off in April (she's 30) and wore them for 3 years and she said the time flew by! Hard to believe but I guess I'll take her word for it!

#15 Post by **Braced32** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:24 am

OK, I knew about the lip retractors but there's a tongue harness

How come I've been reading this site for two months and NEVER heard anything about that

This could be interesting. I have a huge gag reflex and don't like it when my tongue is touched!!

Thanks for the heads up, though!!!

Here's hoping I don't have an anxiety attack like you!

The braces look GREAT!

However, your jabber tooth looks like it could cause you some great discomfort. Hope it's not too bad!

My kids are 11 & 12 so I don't think I have to worry about them crying when they first see me!

If my hubby gives me ANY grief, I think I'll have to pop him in the mouth!