It has been two weeks since the removable of my branches and I will say that I am glad they are gone. Good riddance! When I went back to have them removed, I was told I could leave them on for a while longer to try to close the gap even further, but I know without removing the frenum, it was going to be a waste of time and I wanted those braces out of my mouth, pronto.
On the day of the removal, I had planned on being at the dentist for a full day. As you know, I had followed my orthodontist to another office which was an hour away (one way) from my home, because I wanted to say with her and her assistant, as I had been working with them all this time, and it made no sense to me to try and start with someone new, someone who knew nothing about my wants and needs and nothing about my mouth. So instead of having to travel on multiple days and get multiple procedures, I decided to have everything doen in one day.
The first procedure was to remove the braces. Then I had molds made for permanent retainers. I was sent over to the dentists who made the bonding that would close my gap the rest of the way. The dentist did a great job with the matching, but lighting can be a crucial detail, and the lighting in this dental office was poor. The matching was good in THAT lighting, if fact the bonding looked like a perfect match. It was not until a few days later, when I requested the before and after photos, that I noticed what looked like a crack in my teeth. Now, the dentist did warn me that over time, cracking could occur, and I had already known this because it had happened before because I had had bonding before. It was what I really wanted to do in the first place before the talk of braces even came about and at that time I was told that was not an option. But I later found out that it was something I could have actually done.
So, thinking there was a fracture in my tooth, after only a few days, I called to make an appointment to have it repaired. I soon found out that what I had was bonding, and it was considered a “filling” by the insurance company and is a standard, covered procedure. Turns out, I could have in fact had it done instead of paying all the money I had paid to get these darn braces in the first place. I was so upset.
The orthodontist and dentist called back and told me it was not a fracture; it was actual shading and the poor lighting had not allowed us to see it. My husband says it looks like a glare, but not me, it looks like a crack. But I accepted the fact that it was what it was and moved on.
So, she bonded what was left of the gap together and far away it looks good. It’s not perfect because of the frenum. One of the problems I had in the first place with getting the braces was, in the beginning the only probably I had was my gap. That was it. So after nearly twenty months of wearing the braces, they moved my bottom teeth and it is very noticeable to me. In addition, they look large and crooked. I thought they were perfect they way they were.
On top of the permanent retainers, I was given clear, plastic retainers, that I was told I had to wear at all times until I was eating or drinking dark liquids. The problem I have with that, besides having to wear them all the time, is that when I’m out to eat and I forget my case, I literally cannot eat a thing. There was an instance where I had to take them out and put them in paper towel and nearly threw them in the trash because I forgot about them. Not to mention they are so uncomfortable, more uncomfortable than the braces. I was told if I didn’t wear them, my gap would spread back open.
Right now, I’m wearing them most of the time, but I have to be honest, I don’t know if I’ll wear these all the time, but at the cost, I cannot afford to lose or damage them. They give me dry mouth, dry throat. And not to mention trying to talk to people, it’s just very uncomfortable. So, I don’t know. I have decisions to make. The rest of the process was good. I was given instruction, paid my bill and was on my way.
Fast forward. I’m an avid coffee drinker. Back in the day I would drink coffee from noon to night. But now, I might have coffee twice a day, but on average once in the morning and maybe a cup of tea. Over time, my teeth have gotten very yellow. My bottom teeth, especially along the gum line are bad. Before I didn’t smile because of my gap, now I don’t because they are yellow. I told my dentist I wanted to get my teeth bleached. She said the bonding does not bleach so if I get my teeth bleached the bonding is really going to stand out. But I think I am going to take that chance, because I have always been complimented on how white my teeth and how white my eyes are. But, I am going to trying a few things before I take drastic measures.
I’ve been trying Colgate Optic White. I used that even when I had my braces, it’s not working. I’ve also been using Crest 3D White Brilliance and it is not working. My next step before going to my dentist to ask for bleaching trays is trying Crest Whitening Strips. I have used those before with successes, but my teeth were never this yellow. So, at this point I’m not sure. I’ll give the strips a “one-box” try and if I see a difference, I’ll keep using them, but if not, I will go get the trays or go to a teeth whitening facility. Because one thing I can tell you, NOT drinking coffee is not an option, not in my household. We’ll go without food, but we go without coffee.
Overall, I wish my braces experiences could have been better. It could have been better. I’m not happy how my bottom teeth turned out. I am satisfied that my gap is closed, but a closer look will show that my teeth look like they are being pulled at the top and they look crooked. The permanent retainers are very uncomfortable, my tongue constantly hits them, and they feel like dry grit at the back of my teeth. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t. If I was more educated on the bonding, I would have pushed that because that is all that I wanted.
I have to make sure I carry my retainers case with me or there is a good chance I will lose those retainers. They are clear so I don’t leave them sitting on any tissue or napkins. They need to be cleaned, so I use my electric toothbrush and toothpaste every day and once a week I’ll use Polident something similar to it.
There will be one more update after this, and then hopefully, we’ll be done with these braces updates. Until next time, make your time count on the other side of your dash.
