tinkerbelle216's story

[tinkerbelle216]

Hey everyone. So I have been admiring everyone's braces stories and I'm excited to be finally posting mine.


May 19th 2010: Had my consultation with the same ortho that I had seen back in 2002 but due to me being 12 years old and a chicken I decided not to proceed with treatment at that age. 8 years later and at age 21 I'm now embarking on the journey.

Darling fiance Ben and I arrive at the ortho at about 7:55 for my 8 am consultation. Feeling nervous, I checked in at the front desk, updated paperwork and waited for them to call me back. Tiffany (the office finance manager) was absolutely fabulous and made me feel right at home from the start. She took photographs of my face and mouth and also took a Pan-X of my entire mouth.

My ortho, Dr. Eagan, came in and scary enough, he had remembered me from when I was only 12 years old! Talk about WOW! Went through the survey of my mouth and determined that I would need full braces for 1year to a year and a half with Damon brackets (as this is the only style they offer at this office) and then at the conclusion of treatment upper and lower bonded retainers with an Essix retainer for daily use for about a month and then only night time usage.

Then came the magic question: how would darling fiance and I be able to afford all of this? Luckily for us, our ortho has a deal where we can do a payment plan of only $305 to start and $110 a month. Not too shabby! We take home the paperwork to think about and talk over.

May 24th, 2010: After almost a week, I finally decide to go ahead and have my braces installed! Called the office and set up my appointment for Wednesday at 9:10 AM. Its going to be weird to have to alter my diet for a while but Ben said he would help the best that he could.

More to come soon!!!!

P.S. Ben and I were originally planning to go to Hershey, PA for a vacation but he decided that getting my braces was more important so he was willing to give up our summer vacation so that I could get my braces on. What a guy huh?!

[Jay04]

Congrats on deciding to go ahead with the braces. I'm waiting until I have mine on to see how much I have to alter my diet. I don't really eat much of the food they always tell you to avoid so i think I should be ok. I'm gonna be in braces for about a year and a half too. I think we both seem quite lucky in the estimated time we've been given, compared to others.

Hope you post some pics when your treatment gets underway!

[tinkerbelle216]

Thanks Jay!!! Hard to believe that tomorrow is the big day!! I will try to get some pictures posted this week. Very excited but nervous at the same time.

[tinkerbelle216]

Hey all!!!

thought I would take the time to update you guys on how I'm doing!!

I've FINALLY started to get used to my braces. They don't feel so big in my mouth anymore and I can actually eat food on both sides of my mouth! I haven't fully conquered the ability to chew with my very front teeth but its okay. I have discovered that red lipstick looks absolutely fabulous with my braces!!! LOVE IT!! About 2 months til I go back for my first adjustment (and hopefully some colors!!). I'm super excited about it and I can hardly wait!!!

So without further adieu: PICTURES!!!!


After 2.5 Weeks in Treatment:

[LC'sTeefs]

Lookin good, girl!

[tinkerbelle216]

Thanks LC!! Seems like not too many people are reading my experience but that's alright. I'll still continue to update it.

UPDATE: FINALLY found a new dentist. Darling fiance Ben and I found this awesome dentist in our area that isn't too far away and has very convenient hours. Don't get me wrong, love my previous dentist to death (been seein him since I was about 2 and is a family friend of ours) but due to where I go to school and how my work hours are, I needed an office that was open a little later for me to be able to get there in case I had an emergency after I got off of work and was within a reasonable distance for me to commute after school if needed. Darling fiance had an appointment today (his initial visit) and they were AWESOME!!! Can't wait til its my first appointment next week on the 23rd.

As far as my braces go, I had a panic moment this past Sunday. Came home from being out and was sitting down to eat some yummy chicken marsala with angel hair pasta when I noticed something extremely sharp and pokey against my tongue. Being as OCD as I am about my braces I rushed into the bathroom to check em out and sure enough I have a pokey wire that's not tucked into the bracket!!!! Luckily I was finished with dinner and it was time for me to brush anyhow so I did a clean up and applied wax. The wire is still a bit pesky at the moment but its nothing too bad and discomforting.

Almost 2 months exactly til I have to be at my first adjustment appointment. Seems sooooo far away!!! I'm just ready to add some color to my life if you know what I mean!!! Feel free to ask me any questions you may have and I'll be able to answer to the best of my ability

Peace, Love, and Bear Hugs,

Meredith <3

[LC'sTeefs]

Hey Meredith...I think people read most of the posts, but just don't reply right away for whatever reason....no big deal...don't worry about it. I made a comment because I think your teeth are b e a u t i f u l !!!
If that pokey wire is really hurting, call your ortho and they will fix it for you. No need for you to have to go thru any more pain than you already have to. I had a wire get real pokey one time, and went to see the ortho. Come to find out, I had a piece of pork chop from dinner the night before on the other side that was stuck to the end of the wire. When I tugged on that side, it slid the wire all the way out on the other side. Gave me a nice little sore on my cheek too!

[tinkerbelle216]

Thanks everyone for the wonderful comments!!!

Planning on making an appointment to get in with my orthodontist early next week (that's the soonest I can get there being that I have work tomorrow and Friday and the office is closed on Friday and the hours they are open on Thursday aren't going to correspond with my work schedule. But in any case I'm going to make that appointment ASAP due to the fact that the pokey wire is now becoming a nuscense (sp?). More later!!!

[tinkerbelle216]

OMG totally have neglected my braces story!!!!

Well, there's an update but things have gone a bit sour....

Darling fiance and I are no more. We ended things this past January due to many issues that just weren't being resolved. In any case we have a bigger problem on our hands.


Since darling fiance was in charge of many of the financial aspects during our relationship (my braces included), when we ended things, he never did take care of the remaining balance on my braces. So therefore we have an outlandish amount that my ortho needs in order to take them off (its been 2 years and my braces are starting to cause issues and they just need to go). I can't afford to pay it off due to a mountain of medical bills and paying for school so I'm in a slight tizzy. I need to figure out how I'm going to get these things off and soon. Hope you guys have some suggestions!! !


Meredith <3

[k9mommaof4]

I am baaack!! With awesome news!!!

Follow up to what happend with my situation and braces fiasco, things have gotten a lot better. I used to be known as tinkerbelle216 but its been so long since I've posted on the boards and I've lost my log in information so had to make a new account.

Since I last posted, I've gotten into a much better and awesome relationship. He's my world and I couldn't be happier. In the case of my braces, yes they're still on but now making progress!!!

I have a new job at an orthodontic office as an assistant and I wasn't expecting this to happen, but they have decided to take over my treatment and get me done with! Had my first adjustment in the 3 years that I've had my braces. About an hour long appointment that involved repositioning of some brackets and the addition of a new wire, powerchain on the front top four and the full time use of rubber bands to correct the overbite. Its been a painful couple of days.......but its going to be worth it in the end!!!

Photos to come soon and another update!!!!

xoxo Meredith

[plugnickel69]

Wow! Are you saying you've had your braces on for over three years and never had an adjustment until now? Glad things are looking better for you!

[k9mommaof4]

[quote="plugnickel69"]Wow! Are you saying you've had your braces on for over three years and never had an adjustment until now? Glad things are looking better for you![/quote]

You are correct :-/. It's been a long complicated and difficult road but the office I work at is going to make it so I'm out of the braces as soon as possible. It's time....,

[SunshineRay]

3 years and nothing has been done!? Oh my goodness, I think I may have taken them off myself. lol Glad things are getting situated for you.

[stevo1985]

Wow that sounds terrible.. Can't imagine that happening in the UK and it can't have done you any good. Hope it all works out now!