a little delay

So, I was supposed to go for my first adjustment this past Saturday, and I couldn't believe how  much I was looking forward to it. At this point, it's just one adjustment closer to getting these damn things off. But of course on Wednesday my ortho's office called me and said they needed to push the appointment back two weeks. Unfortunately I go to school an hour and a half away from my hometown which means I can only see my doctor on Saturdays, which she is only there once a month for. So she changed her hours, meaning I have to wait until February 25th for my adjustment. That office infuriates me. If I didn't like my orthodontist so much I would straight up leave.

But life with braces is getting a little bit easier. I forget I have them a lot of the time. I just cannot wait for them to look a little bit better when my teeth are straighter. I went out with some friends this weekend and finally got over the closed-mouth smile thing, especially since I look SO STRANGE when I do it. All of my friends make fun of me for it, so I finally just embraced the brace and smiled for the camera. Here are a couple of shots:

Other than my metal mouth, my life is pretty crazy. As I've said a thousand times, I am in my last semester of school and I am so incredibly busy. I am taking a full load of courses and working two jobs, one of which is an internship I travel to twice a week from Philadelphia to New York. A lot of people think I'm crazy but I think it will end up being worth it.

I actually took the day off today to study for a HUGE law exam I have tomorrow, so I should probably stop procrastinating. Hoping all of your lives are wonderful.

M

ending January a little bit straighter

I have to start this blog post off by saying exactly how much it has helped me to know that there are other people out there going through what I'm going through. People think braces aren't a big deal and are always saying things likes "You will look so great when you get them off!". It's so good to know that there are people out there who truly understand how much mental turmoil is involved in the process.

I will have my braces on for three weeks this coming Friday, and I already feel like they are so normal. Honestly, sometimes I even forget they are there. I know that my teeth haven't really moved much but just the fact that I have braces and will never have crooked teeth again is such a soothing feeling.

I will be going for my first adjustment on February 11th and I am so excited!

Until then,
Michele

week one update!

So I've had my braces for a little more than a week now. It's been a strange transition. Sometimes I'll run my tongue over my teeth and think, "OMG WHAT?". But other times I look at myself and I feel like they look so normal, like I've had them forever.

The hardest part has been coming back to school and revealing them to all of my friends. I didn't tell most people I was getting them on so when I see people I kind of hide my mouth, which is silly because once I smile and we have the quick "Oh wow, you got braces?" conversation I feel so much more comfortable. I just can't wait until everyone knows about them and I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Thankfully I worked up the courage to tell the guy I've been talking to and he basically told me I'm silly for thinking he would care. He said he had braces for three years and how much worse things could be. That was a relief. Since I've gone back to school I haven't seen him so he doesn't know what I look like as a metal mouth, so I'm hoping that will be quick and painless--whenever it happens!

I know it's only been 9 days but I feel like my teeth already look straighter. I am so happy that I've started this process because even though it's playing with my self esteem, it's also giving me reasons to feel good about myself and the things I am doing to better myself. I have gotten a lot of words of respect from people and that makes me feel good. I just have to get comfortable with smiling with my mouth open!

M

tiny, hidden blessings.

So I know I have been updating a lot - but I guess I just have a lot of thoughts to get out!

I've had my braces for about 24 hours now and other than some discomfort, I don't think I hate them as much as I thought I was going to. I just woke up so my mouth feels gross and full of foreign metal, but I know that is something I will get used to sooner or later.

Yesterday after getting home from my appointment, I honestly felt relief. I think I was mostly worried about getting braces before I had them. But now that I have them, I'm still the same girl - I look the same, I just have some stuff on my teeth that will only be there for a short time and is there to make me better. I was so surprised with how okay I was with them.

I honestly planned to spending the remainder of this weekend in the house not dealing with the reality, but I willed myself to go out with some friends last night and their reaction was so much better than I expected. Given, they knew that I was getting them on, so they weren't shocked, but they were both like, "OMG I expected them to be so much more noticeable. I'm not even lying, they look cute!" Now I'm sure some of that was exaggeration to make me feel better about it, but I have very genuine close friends who are always honest, so it made me feel a little better.

The one thing I actually like, yes, I said l-i-k-e, about my braces is the way they have already affected my eating habits. I recently started getting serious about getting into better shape and have been working out and eating better for about a month and I've seen some progress, losing about 8 pounds in the last two weeks. What I've noticed since yesterday is how much my braces limit my desire to snack, and how much slower I eat, allowing myself to feel full before finishing a meal. I think they are going to really help me with my weight loss goals, and that's a wonderful thing.

So those are my day one reactions. Right now I just wish I could rip them out because they are slashing up the inside of my mouth and they still feel strange when I talk - but wax and time will heal all wounds!

M

It's official - I am a 22 year old Brace Face.

As I'm sure most of you already know, looking in the mirror is not fun anymore.

My appointment was this morning at 9:30 and I was at the dentist's office for about 3 hours. I had to have another one of those crazy wires put on the roof of my mouth so cementing that in took a good chunk of time. Then after the cementing of the bands (which, btw, is horrible because of the terrible taste of that stuff!) she went ahead and cemented on each bracket, then did the wire and the ligatures. I was mostly bored.

I don't feel a lot of pressure on my teeth as of yet, though my four front bottom teeth are a little tender. I know I'll wake up tomorrow and be in a bunch of pain, but it will be worth it!

Here are a few pictures:

Day One. I cannot WAIT for them to start moving so they don't look so horrific. 

and there's a smile for you.

I don't feel as upset about this as I thought I would. They're on and I'm doing this for myself and I'm lucky and grateful to be able to have my smile corrected. I think my biggest fear is people seeing me. I haven't told many people because I don't like talking about it. But now I don't have a choice. I think the initial panic will subside quickly, I just can't wait for it to happen. 

My biggest fear is telling this guy I've been seeing who has absolutely no idea. I hope all goes well!

Until next time,

M

Friday the 13th is upon us...

So I am getting my braces on tomorrow morning. My appointment is at 9:30 and I couldn't be less enthused about something. I've been having a lot of trouble coming to terms with the fact that this whole process is actually going to come to fruition and I will have metal brackets across my teeth for a year and a half. Some days I feel fine about it and others I just cannot believe the luck (or lack there of) I have. I've honestly spent some nights in bed before I could fall asleep getting angry with myself thinking things like "Why didn't I just leave it alone? My teeth aren't that bad." But they are, and like I said in my very first post, this is a positive thing--it's not going to make my life worse, but all the better, and I am very grateful to have a family that is willing to help me feel more confident in my appearance.

I wasn't supposed to see my dentist before tomorrow, but the other day a spacer fell out of my teeth and I called to be sure it wasn't a big deal. She asked me to come in so she could replace it, and it ended up turning into an hour-long appointment in which she put a wire in my mouth. It is connected to the bands on my back lower teeth and goes along the inside of my lower teeth. She said it's there because my lower molars are exactly where they should be and the wire will help guide my lower teeth as the braces move them. It looks like this...

It's kind of annoying since I am just getting used to it, and honestly it's given me a little bit of a lisp since my tongue hits up against it every time I speak. She is putting another one behind my top teeth as well, but said she wanted to wait and mold it so it would be more comfortable for me.

That same day that I got this crazy wire, I also went on a date with a guy I went to high school with, but who I've never really hung around with other than at the occasional hometown party thrown by a mutual friend. Anyway, I ran into him on NYE and he ended  up asking for my number and the next day asking me out to dinner. So this past Tuesday we went out and had a really great time, which I honestly didn't expect. We are supposed to go play pool tonight and of course he has no idea that tomorrow morning I will look like a 13 year old. So this has been a major issue flying around my head for the past few nights. As everyone keeps telling me, "if he's a good guy and likes you then he won't care." But I don't know, I think if I was in that position, as shallow as it sounds, I might care. But I guess we'll see what happens when I finally build up the nerve to tell him. Wish me luck!

I will post some photos and knee-jerk reactions to my new metal mouth tomorrow when I get home from the dentist.

Until then!

M

appointment!

So I had my last pre-braces appointment today. And honestly, I don't even actually understand what they did. I had about 6 molds taken of my teeth but other than that, I don't think anything new is going on in here.

So I'll go back in 2 weeks so they can actually put them on - not feeling great about it, but it is what it is I guess.

M