Braceface is temporary

I really don't know why so many people whine about getting braces. I mean, I understand the gist of it: You don't want to have metal in your mouth for 2 years, they're unattractive, they're uncomfortable, they're painful, etc. I had them when I was 16 so I felt the same way prior to getting them.

But people need to see the bigger picture here: These discomforts will only last a couple of years! Once you get them off the results are SO worth it and they'll last a lifetime! I'm actually really glad I got braces when I did and if I had to get them again I wouldn't even hesitate.

A former friend of mine is such a pessimist. She just can't weight the good and the bad. The bad is literally ALL she focuses on. It's pretty discouraging to deal with someone like that constantly so I'm glad I don't have to anymore. Her teeth were pretty straight until her wisdom teeth came in and crowded them. She suffered pain from them for years. By the time she was able to get just 2 of them removed they had already caused a lot of damage. Her teeth are no longer perfectly straight and she hopes no dentist tells her she has to get braces. She's actually hoping her teeth will realign on their own. As much as we'd all love that, unfortunately it doesn't work that way. I tried to tell her all the great benefits of having braces but like I said before, the bad is the only things she can focus on so no amount of bright sides or convincing will work.

So many jaw surgery blogs I've read, the person had to get braces for the second time and while they dread the discomfort they're certainly not opposing it. Wonder why. My teeth weren't really very crooked when I got braces, but when I got them off I noticed quite a difference and was very glad  I went through this.

My advice to anyone getting braces is that I know how you feel about them. Believe me, I went through it. Try not to focus too much on the discomfort or how you'll look, because after a few weeks adjustment you'll barely even notice they're there. You'll get used to them and so will everyone around you. After a while they tend to blend in with everything else on your face. (If you're a girl, I read a study in a magazine when I had them that some boys even find them attractive and want to kiss a girl with braces ;). Time flies so 2 years will go by quicker than you think. Think about how you'll look and feel when you finally get them off. How straight your teeth will be. Your beautiful smile of pearly whites. The perfect bite. When you look back you'll see braces as one of the greatest investments you've ever made. I promise you it'll be worth it :)

A blast to the past

I finally stopped by my Ortho's office to make an appointment (this is too important to me to simply call). It felt so weird considering I hadn't been there in YEARS. My last time there was to check on the progress from my retainers and that was about 6 or 7 years ago. There was only one person there since they were only a few minutes from closing, and I explained to her I wanted to make an appointment to get some information on the surgery I declined to get. She scheduled me in for 2 weeks from now ^_^

I also voiced my concerns for something else...

I had stopped wearing my retainers last year around a time I was really stressed out, and my teeth started to form a small gap in between my central incisors. I've been wearing the retainers as much as I can to close it, but they won't close all the way. She said she'll also have him take a look at my teeth and the retainers. I hope I don't have to get braces again to close them. I certainly don't want to have them bonded either.

A lot of the blogs I've read, patients have to have surgical hooks fitted onto their braces before the surgery. If I have to get braces again just for that purpose, I really won't mind. I'm kinda missing them actually. My teeth felt so straight with them on. Not that they weren't straight upon removing them, but they felt secure lol

Now I have a date to look forward to: Wednesday, March 26, 2014.

And so my journey begins :)

Hola

Hi, may name is Idelise, I'm 25, and I'm on a mission to be happy and photogenic again! :D

So here's my story...condensed version:
I had braces when I was 16 and declined to get a jaw surgery to correct my bite. That lead to massive problems over the years so now I'm going to see if I can get a second chance. Granted, this time my parents wont be paying for it so I'm on my own (yippe?). I will also see if I can get a corrective surgery for the bone in my nose to fix a problem an accident caused when I was a kid. That problem has led me with pain, breathing problems and a runny nose for years.

I wasn't given much information about my bite when I chose to decline the surgery, but thanks to Google I've concluded what I have looks like an Overjet. For the longest time I thought it was an Overbite but my top teeth don't cover the bottom. I guess I'll find out everything when I go back my Orthodontist.

Even though I declined to get the corrective jaw surgery, I did get the jaw surgery to remove all 4 of my wisdom teeth because it was mandatory since I had braces. I remember being very swollen after the surgery, and incredibly sensitive. I couldn't eat or drink anything, no matter how soft, for about a week and in the process lost 8 lbs. I was prescribed Vicodin for that surgery and while it did help a lot with the pain, I was still sensitive.

At least I'll have somewhat of an idea of what to expect when I finally get my corrective surgeries. The Jaw Surgery community has helped me a lot too <3