Stayc's Braces Story updated 12/2008

[Stayc1803]

My name is Stayc I am 20 soon to be 21! Im married to my highschool sweetheart and we have a 3 month old little boy. Ive known pretty much my whole life that I might need braces due to a huge gap between my front teeth... Over the years its closed up a lot but the gap is still there. People tell me that the never knew it was even there until I bring it up. To me its huge! and it USE to be a whole lot bigger. I agree in some photos it doest look noticeable due to the left one being slightly crooked but its always made me self concious! I went to the ortho to get a consultation for invisalyn on September 11th. I kinda already knew I probably wouldnt be a good canidate for it but thought I would try. He told me that I wasnt and told me another route we could go. Said I would probably only need braces for a year and half to two years and that I would need an expander due to the right side kinda of "caving in" I currently live out of state from my family due to my husband being in the military Im currently a stay at home mom. I am a photographer and Cosmetologist. so I was more okay with the thought of having braces NOW rather than when I go home and work in a salon. I went to the dentist the same day for a cleaning and found out that I need 13 fillings! I was mortified! I knew I had several cavities from my childhood due to lack of dental visits and eating junk food and drinking nothing but sodas!. Ive always taken really good care of my oral hygiene other than not being able to see dentist bc my mother couldnt afford it and we never had insurance. so now that I have insurance Im taking FULL advantage of it! Id like to get my teeth taken care of before they fall out like some of my family members!!! When I told my family that I was going to be getting braces they were all kinda of quiet about it bc they dont think i need braces... but they dont see it up close and personal!!!! I went back on the 17th for my records appt. They did the xrays then photos and moldings... I had no idea they had flavors! I got pina colada! lol it smelt great couldnt taste it much but it wasnt bad. she said I might feel like I was gagging but I didnt. she THEN put the lil blue spacers between my teeth. I have EIGHT of them... didnt hurt bad ( i just got done with the dentist for 4 fillings so my lower left side of my face was still a lil numb) I got home and the pain started that night not too bad but kinda achey...the next morning I woke up and it hurt SO bad. not only because of the spacers but where the dentist gave me oral antisetic....HURT. hurt even to open my mouth very much. well here it is 5 days later and it doesnt hurt as bad as the first two/three days. BUT hurts when I bite down. I go on Wed the 24th for my "sizing" appt... Im still a lil confused and not sure what some terms are... duh bc im NEW to this. My husband has been helping a little bit. he had them in highschool. but i hope these spacers come out!!!! Im also kind of nervous about the expander.. Hope I dont have to have that for too long!!! lol heres a few pics! thanks for reading my story! i will definately be updating as my journey continues!
Here are a few pics from when i was a kid to now

[KARESS]

your teeth look nice to me before braces.
i cant wait to see them afterward.

[Arbywhopper]

I"m in the same boat as you, my family said the same thing. but this is something i want and need, and my husband is being really supportive about it!! Let us know how it goes today!!! I go on October 1st for my second consultation. The wait seams like forever!!! : Keep us posted!!!

[Stayc1803]

thx! today they took the spacers out and fitted me for the expander she said ill prolly have to wear it for about four months i go on oct 6 for my second round of spacers not lookin gorward to that then on oct 16 to get the expander in... wont get braces on until nov. fun bday present for me. the wait seems so long i know what u mean i just wanna get this on the go! glad i get to eat regulaer food tho for a week!

[Audra]

You have really pretty teeth right now. Once they are all aligned they'll look fabulous.

[Stayc1803]

I got my expander mid October. It was DEFINATELY different at first. Effected my speech a lot. I had to turn it 25 times. once daily. the gap didnt immidately appear but when it came boy it came! i was self concious about the one i had be4 but even more so with the even bigger one. when i went on my birthday nov 19 i got the top braces. didnt take too long about a hour and half tops I was kinda bummed when my gap didnt close within the time he said... he said it should within a week. well its been 3 and still hasnt. I go tomorrow for bottom spacers. Gonna hate this week. then I go next week for bottom braces. I have ceramic on top and will have metal on bottom. I was confused while when I was getting the top ones on he said we would wait til after my cruise... Im going on one in jan. to get the bottom... then when i went to leave they set up an appt for dec... I mean it doesnt bother me to get them now. otherwise it would put it further having braces. and I want this process to go as quickly and as smooth as possible. He sais my pallette looked great and I didnt have to turn nemore. thankfully and that I would be getting the expander off in about feb. Cant wait to have this thing out of my mouth where I can actually feel the top of my mouth again! and eat almost normally. I have a lot of photos but people like photos so. tell me what you think

[Stayc1803]

I got my bottom braces yesturday. well my lower teeth have always been really sensitive and boy are they now more than ever! it sux. and tylenol doesnt help! im kinda wishing now i woulda waited til after my cruise to get them on. blah

[*tap*]

thanks for the post on mine your teeth are looking great, your brackets are really discreet i wish i could of had them (sigh) cant wait to see the end result, i found that the bottom bracket hurt too loads worse than the top.
hope you get the results you want how long have they said you have them on for?