Good news! :O
Originally my new orthodontist told me the maximum amount of time I had left in braces was 6 months- and that was 5 months ago- so I was very nervous walking in to their office yesterday- worried and very nervous to ask the big "D" question: thats right, the big "de-bonding" day Question!
I crossed my figners and said : "I'm too afraid to ask but-"
and he sat me down, checked them out and replied: "well, what do you think?"
... I sat in the chair contemplating. Of course I notice minute details wrong, and last month I had those issues with my incisor coming down too far- but here was my professional orthodontist asking
me this question.
"Well- I don't know!" I nervously admitted, hands starting to sweat under the pressure and possible "get out of jail free" card almost in my grasp.
"What do YOU think?" I cleverly dodge the question [HAH]
after another 3 antagonizing minutes of examination, he gets up and shrugs: "Sure- why not? get those babies ready to come off"
...I think if I wasn't sitting down I would've fainted- how exciting!
the assistant took my molds for the retainer on top- I chose two selections- the clear and this funky Tiger print one!

also, I will have a permenant retainer on the bottom.
Interestingly enough, I'm jumping in my seat and while waiting for the nurse to return to finish my molds, I glance over my shoulder to see a young girl, approximately 14 getting her braces applied- I smiled to myself, thinking: "Wow- I've actually done it!" to this day I think I never fully understood how strong a person is to get braces put on, especially an adult- all of the time, pain, self-consciousness and patience you put yourself through is almost too difficult to comprehend. I remembered how nervous I was getting them on, wondering what I would look like- and how far off it seemed until I felt my teeth again! looking back now, it seemed to go by so fast, but at that very moment- it was very scary. Wow- here's a cheer to everyone on the board who was strong enough to take that first initial step- after that first bracket is attached,, the all-too-familiar sense of time and a long 'sentence' enforced on you- to not jump out of the chair and drive off in a maddened hysteric- that's power!
so- here's my very last adjustment pictures [hopefully! lol]
NEWEST IMAGES: ADJUSTMENT JAN 12th, 2007:
