Retainers—Life After Braces Come Off

Braces are off. Everything is hunky-dory.

Hold the phone.

Wrong.

Very wrong.

Brief and intimately seducing was the smooth and straight feeling and look of a braces-free smile. My upper braces were taken off, I had them removed. The whole thing was dead to me.

Dead wrong.

It's as if you're partying, and then the alcohol runs out. And even Jesus can't turn your water (newly straight teeth) into wine (forever straight teeth). You weren't even born that way...

Really, it's just the beginning of the next stage to a straight smile. The most important stage. Retention.

Shudder.

You've come this far, to sabotage and lose everything you gained would be mad and idiotic. So I tell myself. And I know this is true... on so many levels. The reality of it is yucky.

To keep this update brief, I went into my orthodontist yesterday to pick up my Essix retainer. I'm to wear this full-time for 3-4 months.

Excuse my language, but simply, fuck the world.

It looks pretty cool. It looks like very straight teeth. My very straight teeth. And that's not anything to be snickered at.

Damn, I could really go a Snickers... but I digress.

They don't look that bad on. Which wasn't ever my concern. Sort of.

I knew they wouldn't look that bad. They're clear, after all.

The lisping though, I really do hate. Not more than braces though, so I'll get over it, and used to it, hopefully. And soon, hopefully, too.

I do speak with a slight lisp. It's nowhere near as bad as the plate expander I had to wear in my initial treatment phases, though, that I am grateful for. I know I'll get used to it within a few weeks, just have to practice. A long phone call with my best friend is in order tonight...

I'm also noticing now, just after a day or two of wear, that my lower braces are wearing the plastic away a little, as there are rough bits on the retainer when I run my tongue across it in some places. Slightly disappointed about this, as it will annoy me, looking forward.

I also flagged a slight issue with my orthodontist because my molar teeth had a bit of the, what I refer to as dental cement, still attached, and he happily scratched it away. It's full of fluoride, too, so it's good for your teeth regardless. Gee, thanks, yeah I want rough cement on my teeth for the minuscule flouride benefits? Cool, I'll keep that in mind next time I'm an idiot...

He also said that I was brushing well because the puffiness in the gums surrounding my molar teeth had reduced since I got the impressions made, and that it's left some space in the back of the retainer around my gums. Which didn't seem an issue, let me add.

Fucking hopeless though, I don't think I'll be able to chew gum. Haven't attempted yet. I don't think I'd enjoy it, so I'm in no rush to try.

Also, and this is a very big also, it is the biggest update in my braces lifetime span, so get ready: I have a final debanding date!

This news, and more news: it's coming up sooner than expected.

And, she's over the moon!

22 November

This will be my day.

I'm getting my lower bands off about a month earlier, as they were scheduled to come off on 20 December. Some precious human being cancelled their debanding appointment. Some divine being asked me to check my next appointment dates at reception. Myself decided to ask if there definitely weren't any earlier debanding appointments. Some wonderful receptionist found a space. And my sometimes lovely orthodontist obliged to it, and took my lower impressions for my bonded retainer that same day. Life is good sometimes.

I'm really happy about this. Really happy. I'm just plain happy that they're coming off and I'll be done with braces for good.

Thank you braces—biggest love-hate relationship to-date—but you suck.

Love you.

9 Months, 11 Days Later—Braces Are Off!

Obligatory before and afters.

More to come once "afters" really are afters.

 

This has happened. We are here. The moment I've been waiting for for so long. And it's happened.

Beautiful, straight teeth. No underbite.

Goal? Tick.

Am I happy? I am.

Am I as happy as I imagined? No, not as such. But that's ultimately because I am so over the whole braces thing.

And, to put salt into the wound, they're still half here. And a part of them will always stay with me, with those little monsters, those wires holding me in place.

So, actually, it has a lot to do with the bottom braces being a little bit too self-righteous and all fixed on my teeth, and such. November 28. Or December 20. I forget when I'm due (I should call up and check), but I have two appointments booked. Though, I'm not sure what the November one could be for, if not getting them off.

But, they're off (the top ones!), so I'm so happy. I would have been much happier if they were both gone.

That's honestly, most probably the reason I am not overjoyed. But I am joyed. And that's a lot to account for, and a lot to say.

I love my teeth. I haven't as of yet been obsessed and started looking at myself in the mirror on end or taking millions of photos. I'm tired, don't have the ego to, and am frankly happy. But, remember, would be happier if they were completely gone.

They look photo-shoppedly beautiful.

My teeth are white, since they don't have that ugly, stained elastic-look to them going crazy in my mouth. My upper mouth that is. Which, I have to remind myself is the most important.

My teeth have their natural differences. They look really good. Like they came out of their little rooties that way, like nature intended. Sure, they aren't perfect, and never would have been. I like them as they are. They are my teeth, aligned and straight, and that's all there is to them. Now, if only they could have been like this initially...

So, all my frets and worries are gone. And in are my gorgeous, sexy, white, pearly goodies, which really are something to smile about.

There wasn't too much to the procedure at all. I assume my orthodontist, sensing his age and wisdom, is quite experienced at it. It didn't take him that long at all—I would give it half an hour, at most.

And, yes, that red mark on my lip. He stabbed me.

But I didn't feel it, so it's all good. I only realised after looking in the mirror.

First, he had a bit of a look at my mouth to check if everything was alright. Yes, it was, indeed.

The thin, silver wire filament was placed behind my four front teeth as a form of retention, and it was adhered with dental cement. This didn't hurt at all, it was a little fiddly, and the laser zapped it a few times and it was put in place.

It is a bit bulky and rough. I was shocked when my tongue first felt it and thought, "What the fuck is this? This is just supposed to be a wire!" It's bulky because of the cement. My mother also mentioned that it'll probably get polished down a bit with food and drink. Good heavens, all the soft drink and black coffee I drink is rotting my stomach as we speak. It'll do a good job of the silly pumice cement, too. That, and I will of course get used to it. Much quicker than that blasted plate, let me tell you.

When I got back to work, I had to use the phone and my speech was a bit strange, and the first few things I said to my boss sounded a little bit lispy on the 's'es and 'f's, but I've since managed to clear that up quite well. When I got home, albeit hardly at all, the lisp was actually all but gone. All that remains is a little not-so-much non-hole, gap where the wire now sits. Damn you permanent retention.

I asked the orthodontist about how long I'm to wear it for. He replied, "However long I can con you into wearing it." Touché, sir, touché.

There was a lot of rinsing in between. Impressions were made at some point—for the retainers. He said that I would be getting the clear, Essix kind and the Hawley, plate and wire kind, so I can wear the Hawley at night (some people prefer this one, he said) and the clear one during the day, and "parties" and such. But not for eating. Which is a party for me...

After taking my impressions, he deemed that we'd hold off on the Hawley retainer for a bit because of something to do with my wisdom teeth coming in, or being half exposed and something about it not fitting well, so he decided against that for the moment. I'm to go in in a couple of days and pick up my Essix. Also, something about the Essix, due to the non-contact with the lower teeth, would be able to highlight any of my "teeth grinding" which I've been doing. I have never ground my teeth. Unless, he meant the wear on my front tooth due to my underbite position... We'll never know now, will we?

Next came snapping off the braces, which was a little bit odd as it felt like the tooth was coming off or being cracked. In no way painful, just strange. Come to think of it, luckily, nothing really hurt at all. It definitely hurt putting them on, so winning!

After they came off he used a yucky-sounding dentist's drill to polish off the remaining cement (not like I'm scared of them or anything, honest actually), because, as he taught, there was rough stuff on my teeth ("run your tongue over to see"). This was a bit disconcerting, only because I didn't want him to slip into my gums. And shatter them into a million bloody cuts and bruises. Or, just like other times, we all well know. I did not appreciate getting stabbed in the roof twice, thank you. Very much.

He also pulled off the molar bands which did prove a bit tricky, as they were firmly in place. He had to scrape the cement off of those teeth, which he mentioned flakes, and not to be worried that he's scraping off my teeth.

Rinse. Repeat.

I took a quick peek at this point and was shocked.

Teeth!

  

Regardless, I could go on for days. All you need to give me is a keyboard, no wait—just something with letters on it(or some vocal cords and the capacity to compose anything understandable. Alright, wait, I don't need a voice either really... but I really do digress)—and a public forum and, yep, that's me.

Teeth, good. Check. That's all that counts?

That was pretty much it. I think I've actually exhausted it?

Oh! And for all those problems I had? What problems?

Those gaps? Gone. Or very minimal.

Centreline? It's perfect. 

Bump on left incisor? I can't feel it because I can't run my tongue behind my teeth anymore because of the bonded, wire retainer. Whatever though, they're how my teeth are shaped.

Whistling when speaking? All but gone and non-existent. Will get better with practice. Not that I can complain now, to be honest.

Whatever problems I had before, they're gone. I can't even think to list any more. I love my teeth.

Whitening. Not like they weren't white before though...

Whitening will come later. White as white could be—pearl-snow-wedding dress-liquid paper white. What's the whitest thing you can think of? That, to infinity.

I can't actually think of white things. Oh! Random light bulb memory fact moment—white things are actually rare in nature, that's why. 

They're pretty white as they are though, don't you think?

I hope this journey isn't much, too much longer. Sure, it's worth it, but it's not always fun. And it really is a commitment. But a so-very-much worth it one.

The only thing that is a bit off is my top and bottom centrelines matching up, but I didn't really care about this in the first place. I cared more for my top centreline to be in the middle. Which it pretty much is. It's where it needs to be, and I'm happy about that. As for them lining up, not possible for everyone. Dealing.

I hope I am helping the people, the readers (thank you) out there with this. Yell if you are helped, or need help.

Here's to cheers, and cheesy smiles. I feel a lot more confident (to speak, smile, talk, laugh and in how I look) in my day one of half post-braces, even though I had quite minimal person-to-person contact, for today. Looking forward to the rest of the ride.

  

Smile, smile, smile!

Bye-bye underbite. Nice knowing you!

9 Months, 6 Days—They're Coming Off!

This. Is. It.

For real this time.

But, still only half-way.

My top braces are coming off in five days! Less than a week.

I can't believe this, I'm still not completely sure, but I'm more sure now than I was before.

Also, side note: they are pretty badly stained at the present. I just had come Coke. Shoot me. It's late, and I'm having caffeine, shoot me again.

Even though I don't think they're still 100% perfect, my orthodontist thinks he can't do any more, and I can't say that I'm not happy, and they can't be 100% perfect, can they?

I am happy for them to come off. It really does seem this is as good as it gets.

My orthodontist took impressions for the second time last visit on Tuesday, and thinks they're perfect.

What else can I say?

Do you think they're ready to come off?

They can't stay on forever anyway, and I think I might be a bit obsessed with my teeth, actually.

Guilty.

8 Months, 21 Days—Still Braced (and Lazy)

Subtle, sneaky and gratuitous cheese teeth update photo (tells a thousand words, I'm hoping) from 16 days back. Because I've been busy, thus tired, thus lazy to write up something for the day.

I also hope the photos clearer. I've uploaded it a different way. Perhaps because it's just the one and it took me forever to crop and edit like that.

I'm not dead, or revelling in post-brace life, they are visibily still here and stuck pretty firmly to my teeth. Don't think I've forgotten about you, you lovely readers, I think about you in my dreams, nightly.

This photo was taken 8 months, 6 days into braces, after coming back from the orthodontist after an adjustment. I've also since had another adjustment 2 weeks after that one, yesterday.

I promise I'll be back very soon. There isn't too much of a story to tell, teeth move on. This is just a very quick courtesy update that braces are still here, never fear, and my front midline is improving moving to the right (more centred), my newly-formed gaps are closing, and more news that the tooth (second top incisor on the right) I'm worried about probably shouldn't really worry me.

I promise to be better and more punctual next time. Promise.

And yes, that is my hair. I am a brunette. Surprise!

7 Months, 25 Days—18 Days to Go!

I am excited. They're coming off. They are finally coming off.

My, my. Time has utterly flown.

Almost.

Before you get more excited than me, the "them" are my upper braces only. Nevertheless, I can't believe this day is scheduled.

This is it. October 4.

Well, half of it. Which I'm not sure why the case is this way, exactly. I think my orthodontist hates me.

I should be utterly excited about this, which I am. But I swear he hates me.

Not in the way you think though. I don't care (too much) that I have to have my bottom braces on for a bit longer. Whatever it takes, doc. What I think though, is that he has an actual issue with me.

The story begins here.

Maybe it's because he's getting sick of me. Maybe he wants to get rid of me ASAP.

Maybe I look too old for his clinic? No. I'm being silly.

Maybe it's because I've made my payment upfront and he's happy he's got his money and can finish up quick-sticks.

Maybe he thinks I'm a rude person. Which I am not.

Maybe he thinks I'm insulting him and his practice, which I also am not.

I don't know what else it could be. Either way, he doesn't seem as friendly, or talkative or explanatory, or the high-five giving merry-maker that I've known him to be in my initial stages and good part of my adjustment visits.

It made me feel horrible. 

Maybe he's having problems at home.

Let me start from the beginning. I went in to see him a few days ago, September 13, to be exact (yeah, you say, I usually update on the day, I've been busy, shoot me, full-time work makes you a 'lil tired, go figure).

He didn't say anything back to me after I came in and said "good morning," his assistant did. And the first thing he said to me, after finishing off another patients notes, was "sit back".

Look, maybe he's becoming grumpy. Maybe he's sick of his job. Maybe he was having a bad day. 

I don't know what it is, but I've noticed from the past few visits that he's seemed a bit displeased with me, for whatever reason. Maybe he was having bad days whenever I came in. Maybe.

To touch on my teeth, I don't think they're quite ready yet. And this is sort of what I said to him.

I had known that he planned on getting the braces off on my next visit, as he mentioned to me. But he also said that he didn't promise it.

I don't feel my teeth are perfect yet, and this is the reason I'm not as happy as I should be that they're set to be coming off.

I feel that the centreline is not completely centred. Namely, that my right front tooth seems too much to the left, almost like it's jammed in.

It might be to do with the filing down of the space between my teeth that he did, and filed too much off on the side? It might also just be my teeth, which I don't care if it is, so be it. It might just be me and my perfectionism, but it's how I feel. It's only that I am so fussed because they are my front two teeth. Kind of a big deal. Just.

He shot down my thoughts, which were in no way communicated rudely, kept telling me that I was seeing things.

Look, I don't know why he was being like that. They are my teeth and I'm paying for him to fix them, align them and make them perfect. I want him to do the the best job possible.

Am I unable to have an opinion or voice how I am feeling? On top of the fact that he hasn't asked me what I think, and if I like the job that he's done. Isn't there usually a great deal of finesse and perfecting when it comes to orthodontics? Maybe he really is done, I'm hoping on that.

If this is as good as it gets, great. I am in no way unhappy. I have a great smile, my underbite class III malocclusion is gone, and I really am thrilled. This whole situation has taken away from it a little bit, that's all.

I don't want to feel or be left short-changed for whatever reason if there can be improvements made and if these teeth of mine really aren't as perfect as they can be. 

I don't know if they are completely perfect. I am no dental alignment expert. I do, however, have eyes and an opinion and a fairly exceptional understanding of what is centred.

I don't want my orthodontist to behave in a way that presents himself as anything other than capable of undertaking an exceptional job in aligning my teeth. Or because he's not bothered, and money hungry. Or whatever the reason seems to be. I don't want to sound brash, but I am paying for a service, and I want that service done and done well. That's what I am paying you for. I haven't been rude in my dealings, so I deserve some courtesy and respect and delivery of my results. 

Neither do I want to be in braces for a longer amount of time than I have to deal with, but I wouldn't mind sticking out a few more months if it meant absolutely perfect teeth.

In your professional opinion, if they are perfect, so be it, and so be I wrong.

So, I am in a bit of a pickled, mixed-feeling scenario.

Either way, they are coming off in under a month. I don't think this is open for another 'discussion' with my orthodontist.

He took impressions of the roof of my mouth before I could bring up my concerns. He didn't even ask me if I was happy with my teeth. Which is perhaps why I am most annoyed? He knows I've obviously wanted them off ASAP (who wouldn't), but I want a proper job done, first and foremost.

Maybe my teeth will look different when the braces come off. Maybe, as my orthodontist says, I've become obsessed with my appliances and need to get on with life.

I am probably being an idiot. Anyone looking at this would probably tell me this. But it's me, and my teeth. C'est la vie.

I also don't even know why my lower braces are still staying on. He also hasn't changed the ligatures on the bottom brackets in over two visits. Why?

I don't know how to feel. This is not good.

I am really happy with my teeth though. And I think that's what matters.

If I can't do any thing more about it, I really have done my best to voice my opinion, and if my orthodontist thinks they're perfect, then they're perfect. And that's the doctor's opinion.

I'm looking past all of that for the right now, how good do my teeth and smile look?

Goodness that was a story, if a story is anything to go by. Think of it as a semi-rant, semi-autobiographical excerpt about an orthodontist visit and the afterthoughts of a vain, perfectionist on an ego-trip, willing to tell anybody who will listen.

For the first time, here they are, presented in border-blushing colour—my gorgeous mouth space! Hello sunshine!

I love lipstick—not that braces have made me fall in love with it-—but I think they have added another dimension to smiling teeth and sexy lips! I just came back from a night out—shoot me, again—that explains the lipstick and the mad smiling mood I was in.

I have been really busy as of recently, which has prevented me from updating my story, so I decided to just do it now before I get bogged down, again, and delay, if not forgo (no, I'd never!) an update.

It takes time and effort to do this, people. And I'm doing it for you! The people who want and need perfect teeth. Let me inspire you. It's been a beautiful and painful, but oh-so worth it journey so far.

Millions and millions of photos later, I have a gorgeous mouth.

In the orthodontia arena, in my adjustment visit, he changed my upper, back ligatures and gave me a six-toothed powerchain, as opposed to four-toothed, akin to other visits. I have my suspicions he may have changed it from four- to six-toothed after I complained about my issue, seeing a gap on the side beyond the four teeth, and of course, the centre alignment concern.

He had already put all the new ligatures in my mouth before I raised my concerns. So after my complaint, he  then decided to take off all the elastics he just put on, took out the wire and made a small, 0.3mm bend in the front of it, which he'd said would fix the issue I saw, ever so slightly. I'm not sure he even understood my problem.

Further, the orthodontist said that I'd still be wearing the bottom braces after my top ones come off. I'm not sure why, or for now long. He hasn't explained that. And I didn't have the chance to ask. And I'm not one to shy away from questions.

He also mentioned that I will be getting permanent wire retainers placed behind my teeth, on top and bottom, to hold the new teeth positioning. 

I will also wear a plate after all is said, or rather, done. Which is why he took the impressions, I can only assume. I'm not sure for how long or for what hours of a day, but there will be a plate involved. I'm not sure which type of plate he will issue me with, also. I think it will be a Hawley plate retainer as opposed to the Essix vacuum mouthguard-style type, from the sounds of things, and the research I've done. I don't know too much about the benefits of either. I just hope it doesn't interfere with my everyday. I can tell you I will not be very happy to be lisping again.

Also on the table will be the filing down of my my front teeth (and perhaps others) to even them out due to the wear of my underbite and to even them out a little. I don't want them filed and leveled too much. I like the unique intricacies of the way my teeth look in their natural state. Fingers crossed when we get to that bridge.

And so, I am happy. If that's anything to go by. There is not long to go, and that's something big to look forward to. I can smile a smiling smile and be happy for that.

I would say that this is a 'so long', and 'until next time', for when I will be braces free in the uppers, but we all know, perhaps a bit too well, that I will most likely be back, the night before they come off, with some final, fleeing photos of worse days.

Until then, I sit, and patiently wait, awaiting the day when I will be brace-free, for eternity! Keep smiling, I know I will be starting to practice!

P.S. This was very long, you are an awesome person for getting here. If the length of this is anything to go by, you can understand why I put off writing it in the first place. Reward yourself with an apple.

6 Months, 14 Days

I went in to the orthodontist yesterday for my seventh adjustment. Not much to report, only that I might be getting my upper archwire off in two months! Here's hoping! That would be fabulous! He's not promising anything though. Fair enough. I think it will be about four more visits or months until they're completely off.

Look at how pretty those chompers are looking!

I'm not sure if I got new archwires because the orthodontist didn't say he was putting new ones in, but he may have. I got all my ligatures or modules (whatever) changed this time to clear pearl ones, which I am happy about, and I got a powerchain again put on my upper front four teeth. Before doing so, again, he used what I remember this time as an interproximal something (trimmer or file, maybe) to shave off a bit between all my four front teeth on top and bottom.

This photo shows just how far I can push my upper teeth beyond my bottom. It's not my natural bite. Quite significant considering I couldn't imagine my uppers going in front of my lower teeth. 

I was concerned last month about one of my front teeth wearing away a little due to it apparently coming into contact with a lower bracket. You might be able to see it on my left front tooth in the third photo of the second group, looking like two little bumps shaped (miraculously) like the bracket below.

I went in and saw a different orthodontist back then, because mine wasn't available, and he said that he thought there wasn't anything to worry about. When I saw my orthodontist yesterday, he also said that there wasn't anything to worry about, and that the wear was already there before I got braces. I know it wasn't. I know my teeth and have photos to show that it wasn't.

It is minimal though, and he said that we would even the teeth out a little when treatment is done. I don't want my teeth leveled out and straightened too much to make them look unnatural. Nevertheless, I'm not happy about it. If it gets worse, I will bring it up again.

My smile is looking great. Nothing too much different to usual, though. I'd love just to have the braces off and be done with it. I want it now!

Everyday though, I just think to myself that I'm getting closer to my goal, and that helps me see why it's all worth it. Make yourself hella-ugly to be hella-pretty, ironic. 

I'm pretty lucky that I'm wearing them for what is apparently going to be a relatively short amount of time, so I should be happy with that alone. I can't wait to have them off and smile all day long!