Hey guys! I know it has been awhile since I have written a post. A one-week break turned into much longer than it should have. I am still in the learning process of blogging, so I am trying my best.
Today, I wanted to write about the Invisalign braces that I got today. Now before I explain my situation, I understand that there are people who have had it worse than I do. I am very blessed by my dental health and my family helping financially support me. I am by no means trying to brag.
While my teeth might look decent now. They did not always look that way. I was born with an underbite. That means that my lower teeth were in in front of my upper teeth. This type of bite can cause all kinds of complications. My grandmother actually had this type of bite as well. It is thought to be an inherited trait.
Not only did I have an underbite, but I had crooked teeth and a large gap in between my two front teeth. I would show you a picture, but I am still not very fond of those pictures. It was because of my underbite and gapped teeth that I became very insecure about my teeth. I did not even want to smile for pictures.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY VIDEO!
My parents took me to an orthodontist. I want to say I was around eleven or twelve years old. That was so long ago, I now don’t even really remember. I think I’m getting a little old. 😉
The first thing the orthodontist did was put spacers in my back teeth. That was no big deal. They put a couple what looked like rubber pieces in between my back teeth. No pain at all, I thought well this is easy.
Next, I had to get an expander. The expander was placed at the roof of my mouth and was going to expand my upper jaw so that my upper teeth could go over my lower teeth. Anyone who has had an expander knows that while this is pretty neat we can do this… it is quite painful. My mom would have to stick a “key” up in my expander ever so often to crank the expander wider, which gradually also expanded my upper jaw. Ouch!
While having an expander, I also had to have a device for night time. The device was in the shape like a C. One part cushioned itself on my forehead, the other part on my jaw. I had to hook rubber bands onto it to also help pull my teeth forward. While it was a pretty shade of purple, I did not want any of my friends seeing me in this.
Next came braces, yes the kind they have to hook to your teeth. I had braces for close to two years. While I did have to deal with some pain, it overall wasn’t that bad.
Towards the end of my braces, I had to have a minor oral surgery. I am not an orthodontist, so I have no idea what this surgery was even called. I had to have the small part at the top of my upper lip snipped some, so that my front teeth could close properly. It was not painful and took less than 20 minutes. It did come for a pretty price. $280 bucks right there on the spot. I still remember my Dad’s face of shock when they told him the price.
Finally after years of dental work, I was free!! Well kind of. I had a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth. I also had to wear a top retainer at night. The orthodontist did tell my teeth might shift some.
I wore my retainer very well the first year. Every night I wore it. Then gradually over time I slacked. I was about the age of 14 and my family was vacationing in Florida. My best friend had gone with us. I don’t have to wear my retainer when I’m on vacation right? 😉
WRONG! And if I could go back in time and tell myself to put that retainer in I would. So please if you currently are wearing a retainer or your child is. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR RETAINER! EVEN ON VACATION! 😉
So fast-forward to 2017. I knew my teeth were shifting pretty well. I started to notice a gap developing in the front two teeth in pictures. October of 2017, my bottom retainer finally broke and I had to have it removed.
I remember after I had it removed, I sat in my car crying while it was raining. I called my husband sobbing. I wish I had just worn my retainer when I was 14. I was crying so much I could not even talk without gasping for air. My husband told me it would be okay, we could get braces again. And bonus he always wanted to kiss a girl with braces, he said. 😉
After discussing with another orthodontist, I decided to get braces. I was given the option of using Invisalign. This made me super happy not having to have stuff cemented to my teeth again.
So here I am, my first day, June 26, 2018. They are overall pretty comfy to wear. If you have worn a retainer, it pretty much feels the same. I can feel pressure on my teeth so I know I am going to be a little sore. I am also able to talk pretty well, although the letter S is a little tricky to say.
I will have 14 trays in total. I will get a new tray every 2 weeks. Hopefully, I will be done in January of 2019. I pretty much have to keep them in, unless I am eating.
I look forward to being able to share my progress with you guys. If any of you feel insecure about your teeth, I 100% can relate.
One of the most beautiful things about a girl is her smile.
If you have any advice, tips, or questions about my fun dental experience or Invisalign, just leave it in the comments below.
I hope my story can encourage y’all to seek out dental help if you need it and don’t forget to smile!
Oh yeah, and WEAR YOUR RETAINERS! 😉
-Brittany
