I have no update on the progress of my mouth and I'm starting to think I imagined the tooth moving. However I do still feel pressure on my teeth and how much progress can you expect in less than 2 weeks anyway?
On Tuesday I celebrated the birthday of a good friend Gabby with some other friends. No one commented on my braces, except Gabby who is also an adult with braces. It was nice talking to someone who understood it. And the night was super fun, I didn't even feel self-conscious (about the braces, I ALWAYS feel self-conscious about my mouth)
Yesterday I had a relaxing time at home and same with tonight. But today was the first time my manager and my boss noticed them. My manager was totally nice about it, and I already loved her so it was fine. She said she even wanted braces because she has an open bite that bothers her. Other than that though her teeth are fine, so I don't know if she wants to spend the money, but good for her if she does. My main boss just asked me "what's with the braces?" I just told him I needed them and let it pass. So overall nothing too bad and I'm feeling more and more comfortable. I already felt self-conscious about my mouth, so really, what's different now?
This weekend I'm going shopping with my best friend and then meeting our other friend for dinner, and another friend on Sunday for coffee, so it should be a really fun weekend. I'm excited and in a way better mood. Hooray!
I still feel like my ligs are stained though, so I'm avoiding coffee and dark soups, and I read somewhere to try a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, so I may just do that!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
A think a tooth is moving!!!
I think one of my teeth is moving. The annoying snaggletooth that I hate so much seems to have shifted, or there's a larger space between the two teeth that are pushing it out and I love it! I could be imagining it, but at least I have only progress to look forward to now, rather than just staring at my naked and unmoving teeth with disgust. I had a nice day at work today, but it's sort of sad that aside from my closest friends, the people I'm most comfortable with are my coworkers, rather than my other friends. I thought it would be the opposite. I guess I have nicer coworkers than I thought :)
I really can't wait to get my bottom braces now. I just want both sets all tied up so progress can happen everywhere. I'm also freaking out because I really think I stained my ligs. Now I'm avoiding coffee at all costs unless I have a straw (I bought some at the grocery store today) and no more dark soups. Maybe if I learn from this mistake, the next time I get new ones I'll do a better job. They don't look awful, but they do look sort of discoloured. ahhhhhh! So not good because if I have to interview in these things I'm going to have to make them as squeaky clean as humanly possible. Ughhhhhhh...I need to try harder, but now I'm tired lol. Goodnight all!
I really can't wait to get my bottom braces now. I just want both sets all tied up so progress can happen everywhere. I'm also freaking out because I really think I stained my ligs. Now I'm avoiding coffee at all costs unless I have a straw (I bought some at the grocery store today) and no more dark soups. Maybe if I learn from this mistake, the next time I get new ones I'll do a better job. They don't look awful, but they do look sort of discoloured. ahhhhhh! So not good because if I have to interview in these things I'm going to have to make them as squeaky clean as humanly possible. Ughhhhhhh...I need to try harder, but now I'm tired lol. Goodnight all!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Mental Attitude Set Back
Today I had a major set back with my emotional well being involved with these braces and my mouth in general. I don't know if it has to do with feeling like a freak yesterday at the party, but I'm so ashamed of my mouth. I felt so disgusting all day. My brother said one side of my face looked swollen, and it did, but at the bottom, and I'm afraid that it means another root canal for a bottom tooth and that will delay progress and I've just started! I don't want any delay, I want it to be over, sooner rather than later. And I feel like my clear ligs are getting stained even though I'm trying to be as careful as possible. And a piece of gum over one of my teeth is red and I don't know why. So my mouth feels like a trash bin and I just hate the way I look. I know I need to break out of this and think positively, but it was so damn hard today. And on top of that I miss my mom. But I'm making it my mission to break out of it though. I need to stop obsessing about what I can't change right now. That means I'm going to get a hair cut, start getting my nails done again, be more responsible with putting on makeup, start working out again, eating right, and just letting myself relax. Even if I have to wait to improve my mouth, there are other things I can focus on until then. Other parts of my appearance and helloo how about my job search again? And I need to start reading again. Not people's stupid rants, but articles and books. I need to expand my mind and refocus. It's time to do this. I have to.
On a side note, dad's birthday went fine, I don't think he noticed my braces and neither did my aunt surprisingly. Or they just didn't say anything, but that's pretty unlikely with the two of them, and I can eat shrimp oreganato, pizza bread, Parmesan cheese, and pumpkin pie. Score for more tasty foods that don't bother my mouth! Let's see how tomorrow goes and the beginning of my mission to divert this negativity!!
On a side note, dad's birthday went fine, I don't think he noticed my braces and neither did my aunt surprisingly. Or they just didn't say anything, but that's pretty unlikely with the two of them, and I can eat shrimp oreganato, pizza bread, Parmesan cheese, and pumpkin pie. Score for more tasty foods that don't bother my mouth! Let's see how tomorrow goes and the beginning of my mission to divert this negativity!!
Halloween Party and Dad's Birthday
The party went pretty well last night. No one really mentioned my mouth...to my face at least. And I'm pretty sure one person was being snide, but compared to all of the people there, it wasn't really a big deal. Plus I always have a choice of avoiding parties for the next two years anyway lol! But now I know all of my besties are totally cool with it, not one bad thing to say, and even made me laugh really hard about anybody who could possibly be snide about the braces. This is why I know I have good friends. Great friends in fact. So all I need to know is if I'm okay at work, I'm okay with friends, and everything is great with boyfriend, then my journey will be fine, and still totally worth it.
Today I have dad's birthday party. I really don't care if he or my aunt says anything because it's partially his fault I never got these things when I was supposed to. So if I look stupid and he says something, I'll tell him thank you :).
Perhaps I'll post later to update on the party. Now the list of foods I can eat comfortably has grown to include cake, small pieces of chips, and mushroom tartlets. Hooray!!
Today I have dad's birthday party. I really don't care if he or my aunt says anything because it's partially his fault I never got these things when I was supposed to. So if I look stupid and he says something, I'll tell him thank you :).
Perhaps I'll post later to update on the party. Now the list of foods I can eat comfortably has grown to include cake, small pieces of chips, and mushroom tartlets. Hooray!!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Halloween Partyyy!!
Okay so I no longer have to post date my blog because I'm finally posting in real time. Yay!
Today I have a Halloween party with some good friends of mine and my besties. Besties have already seen my braceface, but not everyone else, so I'm sort of nervous. Will people say something or will it be ignored? I think mostly friends don't ignore such things, but hopefully it won't be too bad. Either way, yesterday two of my friends told me the top clear brackets are so unnoticeable that it's really no big deal, and it happened to be two friends that I know wouldn't lie to me to make me feel better, so it makes me feel better. I don't really feel too bad about it though because I just know I'll only see progress from now on. I mean, I can't wait until I have braces on straight teeth rather than braces on crooked teeth, but I know every day is a step to a straight, nice smile, and I will always be excited for the day I go in to have them taken off. Depending on where I work at that time I may just take the day off and spend it going everywhere and smiling at random people. They'll think I'm crazy, but eh, who cares? And by then that's when I'll post on Facebook that I had them. No one in the Facebook world needs to know that now; I'd rather keep it to my close friends and coworkers.
My friend also told me I should go crazy with coloured ligs, but I'm not sure I'm confident enough for that, nor will I ever be with braces on, I don't think. I've pretty much decided though that if I ever decide to go crazy with coloured ligs, it will be when I'm two-three months away from getting them off. Might as well make the final stretch something to celebrate, right?
So I'll probably post a little later, or tomorrow, on how this Halloween party goes. So far two more of my besties haven't seen my braces, so that will get done today. Then all of the most important people in my life will have seen them, aside from my family. That step will be tomorrow, for my dad's birthday party.
On a sidenote, I think Tumblr girls are the only people who look cute or beautiful in braces. I found this blog that has the cutest pictures. I don't know if I feel jealous or if I admire them...I probably admire them, jealousy is sort of a wasted feeling. If you guys want to, take a look at it. The blog may give good ideas on hair or makeup that distracts the braces. http://clarity3m-braces-adult-age.tumblr.com/
I guess that's about it for now guys. I'll keep you updated!!
New easy to eat food items: Fried potatoes and scrambled eggs and onions. Yum! Breakfast lives!
Today I have a Halloween party with some good friends of mine and my besties. Besties have already seen my braceface, but not everyone else, so I'm sort of nervous. Will people say something or will it be ignored? I think mostly friends don't ignore such things, but hopefully it won't be too bad. Either way, yesterday two of my friends told me the top clear brackets are so unnoticeable that it's really no big deal, and it happened to be two friends that I know wouldn't lie to me to make me feel better, so it makes me feel better. I don't really feel too bad about it though because I just know I'll only see progress from now on. I mean, I can't wait until I have braces on straight teeth rather than braces on crooked teeth, but I know every day is a step to a straight, nice smile, and I will always be excited for the day I go in to have them taken off. Depending on where I work at that time I may just take the day off and spend it going everywhere and smiling at random people. They'll think I'm crazy, but eh, who cares? And by then that's when I'll post on Facebook that I had them. No one in the Facebook world needs to know that now; I'd rather keep it to my close friends and coworkers.
My friend also told me I should go crazy with coloured ligs, but I'm not sure I'm confident enough for that, nor will I ever be with braces on, I don't think. I've pretty much decided though that if I ever decide to go crazy with coloured ligs, it will be when I'm two-three months away from getting them off. Might as well make the final stretch something to celebrate, right?
So I'll probably post a little later, or tomorrow, on how this Halloween party goes. So far two more of my besties haven't seen my braces, so that will get done today. Then all of the most important people in my life will have seen them, aside from my family. That step will be tomorrow, for my dad's birthday party.
On a sidenote, I think Tumblr girls are the only people who look cute or beautiful in braces. I found this blog that has the cutest pictures. I don't know if I feel jealous or if I admire them...I probably admire them, jealousy is sort of a wasted feeling. If you guys want to, take a look at it. The blog may give good ideas on hair or makeup that distracts the braces. http://clarity3m-braces-adult-age.tumblr.com/
I guess that's about it for now guys. I'll keep you updated!!
New easy to eat food items: Fried potatoes and scrambled eggs and onions. Yum! Breakfast lives!
Friday, October 25, 2013
October 25, 2013
Did I mention how much I miss eating the way I used to? Not even a full week and I already can’t take it. How will I eat sandwiches? When will a burger be in my future again?? As I said I’m majorly paranoid that anything I eat will knock off a bracket or break my wire so I’m eating tentatively as it is. Plus I’m somewhat sore. Forget eating carrots. And no nuts…but I like nuts… Oh well, it WILL be worth it, and maybe I’ll find a blog of someone whose boyfriend offered an engagement ring after 365 days of soups, rather than sandwiches. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see here, http://nypost.com/2013/09/24/i-wooed-my-man-with-a-sandwich/.
I’m hoping that maybe I can use this time to eat healthier. If I already can’t eat what I want, I might as well eat healthy, which I also do not want. Hahaha. But I can’t eat any hard veggies or high acid fruits. Why must everything be difficult?! And on top of that, I can’t have anything that will stain my clear ligatures, which is hell in and of itself. Everything I eat I’m afraid will stain them. But I must say, I think Chinese food, and maybe other Asian food options, will be my saving grace. The noodles are sooo soft I can eat them without a problem. Rice is also very easy for me. At least I won’t have to give that up! But it’s still not healthy. I’ve decided I need to up my Calcium and Vitamin D intake because braces can aid in bone loss in jaws, which of course is the thing I target and decide to worry about. I’m going to invest in some Women’s Centrum, which has half your daily value of Calcium, some Cod Liver Oil pills, and stock up on almond milk, yogurt, spinach, maybe broccoli if I steam it enough, and some others. Maybe I’ll even get some protein shakes. I gotta prepare for my inevitable extractions of 4 (yes, 4!!!!) teeth anyway.
Today I got to use my WaterPik that I bought based on some suggestions in blog posts and such. It was…interesting… but I’m in love with it. It took awhile to understand how to use it because I like to see what I’m doing when I’m flossing. So that’s how I started and I ended up with a soaking wet face, wet hands, and a wet wall. Guess I have to give up that love of seeing what I’m doing. I flossed a second time with my mouth closed and just got used to feeling around. My mouth feels fantastic and even looks way cleaner than it usually does! It looks like this device is going to be my friend, even after I’ve had the braces taken off. My other discoveries today were, 1, do not eat bean and tomato soup if you have clear ligs because you’ll be paranoid the whole time that you’re staining them and 2, I can eat popcorn shrimp, fries, and chicken tenders without much problem! You may have noticed I still can’t find any healthy food to eat besides for smoothies and juice. That’s a problem. I need to find a better way. Maybe I’ll make a list at some point. Ciao for now guys.
Did I mention how much I miss eating the way I used to? Not even a full week and I already can’t take it. How will I eat sandwiches? When will a burger be in my future again?? As I said I’m majorly paranoid that anything I eat will knock off a bracket or break my wire so I’m eating tentatively as it is. Plus I’m somewhat sore. Forget eating carrots. And no nuts…but I like nuts… Oh well, it WILL be worth it, and maybe I’ll find a blog of someone whose boyfriend offered an engagement ring after 365 days of soups, rather than sandwiches. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see here, http://nypost.com/2013/09/24/i-wooed-my-man-with-a-sandwich/.
I’m hoping that maybe I can use this time to eat healthier. If I already can’t eat what I want, I might as well eat healthy, which I also do not want. Hahaha. But I can’t eat any hard veggies or high acid fruits. Why must everything be difficult?! And on top of that, I can’t have anything that will stain my clear ligatures, which is hell in and of itself. Everything I eat I’m afraid will stain them. But I must say, I think Chinese food, and maybe other Asian food options, will be my saving grace. The noodles are sooo soft I can eat them without a problem. Rice is also very easy for me. At least I won’t have to give that up! But it’s still not healthy. I’ve decided I need to up my Calcium and Vitamin D intake because braces can aid in bone loss in jaws, which of course is the thing I target and decide to worry about. I’m going to invest in some Women’s Centrum, which has half your daily value of Calcium, some Cod Liver Oil pills, and stock up on almond milk, yogurt, spinach, maybe broccoli if I steam it enough, and some others. Maybe I’ll even get some protein shakes. I gotta prepare for my inevitable extractions of 4 (yes, 4!!!!) teeth anyway.
Today I got to use my WaterPik that I bought based on some suggestions in blog posts and such. It was…interesting… but I’m in love with it. It took awhile to understand how to use it because I like to see what I’m doing when I’m flossing. So that’s how I started and I ended up with a soaking wet face, wet hands, and a wet wall. Guess I have to give up that love of seeing what I’m doing. I flossed a second time with my mouth closed and just got used to feeling around. My mouth feels fantastic and even looks way cleaner than it usually does! It looks like this device is going to be my friend, even after I’ve had the braces taken off. My other discoveries today were, 1, do not eat bean and tomato soup if you have clear ligs because you’ll be paranoid the whole time that you’re staining them and 2, I can eat popcorn shrimp, fries, and chicken tenders without much problem! You may have noticed I still can’t find any healthy food to eat besides for smoothies and juice. That’s a problem. I need to find a better way. Maybe I’ll make a list at some point. Ciao for now guys.
October 24, 2013
So here I am creating a multiple entry introduction to my process, and I got my top braces on this past Monday, October 21st. I decided on the clear brackets on top, and I’m probably going to get regular on the bottom because they said my teeth are too crowded for the clear on the bottom. I guess that’s fine. At least the top set won’t be too too noticeable. It’s still definitely noticeable though, but I’d rather not go through the dreaded lisp brought on by lingual braces. I know people have said it goes away, but I’ve seen too many people with other hardware that still have speech impediments even after a year. I’d rather not risk it. I talk too much anyway. So, a week after they put in my spacers, I got the top braces. The spacers hurt a lot. It hurt when the orthodontist put them in, but after that it felt fine. I ate alright that night, just paranoid about having them fall out since I was told this could happen. But oh my goodness, when I woke up the next morning?? My teeth hurt soooo much. I couldn’t chew on anything. And when I tried to floss later on that night? I almost died. I had to take a pain killer just from flossing. It wore off after two days, but it doesn’t make me excited to get the bottom spacers.
The braces experience was different than I thought. It didn’t hurt and the brackets don’t look *that* bad, and they don’t tear at the sides of my mouth or anything. My stomach sank when she put in the wire. The brackets themselves are so unnoticeable, but add a metal wire and no matter how thin, you’re going to notice. However, after a few sessions in front of the mirror, I sort of got used to it. The braces really don’t look that much worse than my regular gross teeth, so why sweat it? I’m pretty sure it’s that “adult braces stigma.” I don’t even know what people think about adults in braces, and I don’t think I want to know. I know bad teeth are a sign of poverty so people probably thought I was a trailer park person, which is totally not the case. And most people want to know, “Why didn’t you get braces in high school or middle school?”…you know, when it’s normal. But who cares?? If you want to build your confidence, you can do it whenever you want. It’s never too late. And you can do it whatever way you see fit, unless it involves hurting another person.
My experience so far has been alright. No severe pain; I’m just horrified of eating. I feel as if any food I eat will break a bracket or my wire and that means more appointments and a longer treatment period. I already have an estimated 2.5 years, I don’t need this to last any longer!! I’m going to miss eating comfortably soo much, especially since I love eating! I secretly keep telling people I’m only estimated for 2 years because I’m hoping maybe my teeth will hear it and move faster. My friends and family have been supportive. My brother wants them too but can’t afford them right now, but I will fully support him when he gets it done. Thankfully no one at work has made any bad comments, which is what I was worried about since I work in a sort of catty office for a law office. If someone said or is saying something, I haven’t heard about it, and I hope I never do. I mean it’s only been 3 days at work with them, but overall no one is bothering me and that makes me feel sooo much more comfortable. I really want to start looking for a new job, but I know I can’t just yet because my teeth in braces and crooked is just too much. I really don’t think anyone would hire me as I am now…not yet.
I think out of everyone though, my biggest supporter is my boyfriend Aaron. We’ve been living together for a year now, since I left my house during Sandy. It’s been a pretty smooth ride and we firmly intend to marry each other. Maybe that’s why he is so easy going about the whole thing. We’re stuck with each other forever, so why worry about a couple of years? But he hasn’t made one nasty comment, has made sure I feel comfortable, and wouldn’t stop staring at me until I stopped feeling awkward around him. He doesn’t think I look horrible, he’ll always look at me with love, and he’s proud that I’m doing something I want so badly for myself. With a guy like him, who could be worried about all of this? At least I have firm support on all the right sides. My next appointment is November 19th for my bottom spacers, and then November 25th for my bottom braces. It looks like I won’t be enjoying Thanksgiving dinner this year . And one of my favorite holidays too. Oh well, just another thing to add to the list of things I can’t wait to do when I get my braces off! I’ll start a list in the next post and maybe I’ll keep adding to it throughout this project. See you guys later!
PS: I will put up pics eventually, because you can’t see the progress until you see how bad it is >_>
So here I am creating a multiple entry introduction to my process, and I got my top braces on this past Monday, October 21st. I decided on the clear brackets on top, and I’m probably going to get regular on the bottom because they said my teeth are too crowded for the clear on the bottom. I guess that’s fine. At least the top set won’t be too too noticeable. It’s still definitely noticeable though, but I’d rather not go through the dreaded lisp brought on by lingual braces. I know people have said it goes away, but I’ve seen too many people with other hardware that still have speech impediments even after a year. I’d rather not risk it. I talk too much anyway. So, a week after they put in my spacers, I got the top braces. The spacers hurt a lot. It hurt when the orthodontist put them in, but after that it felt fine. I ate alright that night, just paranoid about having them fall out since I was told this could happen. But oh my goodness, when I woke up the next morning?? My teeth hurt soooo much. I couldn’t chew on anything. And when I tried to floss later on that night? I almost died. I had to take a pain killer just from flossing. It wore off after two days, but it doesn’t make me excited to get the bottom spacers.
The braces experience was different than I thought. It didn’t hurt and the brackets don’t look *that* bad, and they don’t tear at the sides of my mouth or anything. My stomach sank when she put in the wire. The brackets themselves are so unnoticeable, but add a metal wire and no matter how thin, you’re going to notice. However, after a few sessions in front of the mirror, I sort of got used to it. The braces really don’t look that much worse than my regular gross teeth, so why sweat it? I’m pretty sure it’s that “adult braces stigma.” I don’t even know what people think about adults in braces, and I don’t think I want to know. I know bad teeth are a sign of poverty so people probably thought I was a trailer park person, which is totally not the case. And most people want to know, “Why didn’t you get braces in high school or middle school?”…you know, when it’s normal. But who cares?? If you want to build your confidence, you can do it whenever you want. It’s never too late. And you can do it whatever way you see fit, unless it involves hurting another person.
My experience so far has been alright. No severe pain; I’m just horrified of eating. I feel as if any food I eat will break a bracket or my wire and that means more appointments and a longer treatment period. I already have an estimated 2.5 years, I don’t need this to last any longer!! I’m going to miss eating comfortably soo much, especially since I love eating! I secretly keep telling people I’m only estimated for 2 years because I’m hoping maybe my teeth will hear it and move faster. My friends and family have been supportive. My brother wants them too but can’t afford them right now, but I will fully support him when he gets it done. Thankfully no one at work has made any bad comments, which is what I was worried about since I work in a sort of catty office for a law office. If someone said or is saying something, I haven’t heard about it, and I hope I never do. I mean it’s only been 3 days at work with them, but overall no one is bothering me and that makes me feel sooo much more comfortable. I really want to start looking for a new job, but I know I can’t just yet because my teeth in braces and crooked is just too much. I really don’t think anyone would hire me as I am now…not yet.
I think out of everyone though, my biggest supporter is my boyfriend Aaron. We’ve been living together for a year now, since I left my house during Sandy. It’s been a pretty smooth ride and we firmly intend to marry each other. Maybe that’s why he is so easy going about the whole thing. We’re stuck with each other forever, so why worry about a couple of years? But he hasn’t made one nasty comment, has made sure I feel comfortable, and wouldn’t stop staring at me until I stopped feeling awkward around him. He doesn’t think I look horrible, he’ll always look at me with love, and he’s proud that I’m doing something I want so badly for myself. With a guy like him, who could be worried about all of this? At least I have firm support on all the right sides. My next appointment is November 19th for my bottom spacers, and then November 25th for my bottom braces. It looks like I won’t be enjoying Thanksgiving dinner this year . And one of my favorite holidays too. Oh well, just another thing to add to the list of things I can’t wait to do when I get my braces off! I’ll start a list in the next post and maybe I’ll keep adding to it throughout this project. See you guys later!
PS: I will put up pics eventually, because you can’t see the progress until you see how bad it is >_>
October 23, 2013
I’ve wanted to get braces so long ago I can’t even remember when it started. Maybe when one of my ex-boyfriends told me I’d never be able to get a job because my teeth aren’t straight (or white enough) and it looks unprofessional and maybe I should fix that. It started then, but even though I soon realized he was a jerk, and I would totally be able to get a job, I did agree my teeth needed work, and badly. While I did not obsess about it, I did think my mouth was gross and refrained from smiling with teeth in any pictures. Once I broke up with my next boyfriend, I became obsessed. I don’t know what sparked the change, but soon my teeth were the bane of my existence. I despised them. I felt disgusting, embarrassed, and absolutely resolute in getting them fixed. So what was the problem? I had no job, no income of my own, and my parents wholeheartedly DISAGREED with my desire. Now, while I can understand why they didn’t want me in braces as a youngin’ (we had a lot of stuff going on), I had NO idea why on earth they were so against it when I decided I actually wanted it. The answer was, “No, your teeth are fine. People your age don’t get braces. Just no.”
As the years passed I’d still try to bring up the subject of the dreaded braces. The answer was always a creative variation of the above. *sigh* I would dream of the day I could get my own job, move out, and get those braces that I desired so strongly. Every fiber of my being knew it was the right decision, but the inability to do it was disheartening. It also didn’t help that I’d try to Google all I could find on the subject and it would just make me worry. What would people think? Would I look like a freak? Well I could get clear braces..oh you can still see them. Well I could get Invisalign…what? My teeth are too crooked for that?! How about lingual? The dreaded lisp. Well what choice did I have? Look like a freak or sound like a lisping fool. Are teeth really worth this? My parents thought no, so, maybe they were right.
Eventually I would calm myself down, tell myself I was fine the way I was, and stopped obsessing…until the next session started. Even when I was calm, talking to people was uncomfortable because I was always afraid of what people were thinking about my teeth. And because I read too many things that told me if you don’t look a certain way, you’re less likely to get a job, have friends, go on dates, or be happy. Damn it is amazing what we let media tell us. My teeth were gross, but I had tons of friends that seriously liked me, I had no problems getting boyfriends, I got a job, and I was mostly happy. But no matter what, straight teeth are not only good for self-confidence, but also good oral health. I have a snaggletooth that I bite my lip with often and my dentist told me in its current position I could lose the tooth, and that would be way worse than any braces. The idea of being able to floss without difficulty is so exciting.
So fast forward about 5 more years. Here I am, 25, in the same mode of thought about my teeth. It’s better late than never I guess. 24 was my most difficult year, losing my mother, dealing with hurricane Sandy, and in my final year of my Masters Degree program. If I could go through all of that and survive, I’m pretty sure I can survive a couple of years in braces. After all, I’ve survived all of these years hating my teeth and being self-conscious of my appearance. Why not feel weird for a couple of years to make sure this hatred ends. I can’t even imagine the amount of confidence that I’ll have!!
I’ve wanted to get braces so long ago I can’t even remember when it started. Maybe when one of my ex-boyfriends told me I’d never be able to get a job because my teeth aren’t straight (or white enough) and it looks unprofessional and maybe I should fix that. It started then, but even though I soon realized he was a jerk, and I would totally be able to get a job, I did agree my teeth needed work, and badly. While I did not obsess about it, I did think my mouth was gross and refrained from smiling with teeth in any pictures. Once I broke up with my next boyfriend, I became obsessed. I don’t know what sparked the change, but soon my teeth were the bane of my existence. I despised them. I felt disgusting, embarrassed, and absolutely resolute in getting them fixed. So what was the problem? I had no job, no income of my own, and my parents wholeheartedly DISAGREED with my desire. Now, while I can understand why they didn’t want me in braces as a youngin’ (we had a lot of stuff going on), I had NO idea why on earth they were so against it when I decided I actually wanted it. The answer was, “No, your teeth are fine. People your age don’t get braces. Just no.”
As the years passed I’d still try to bring up the subject of the dreaded braces. The answer was always a creative variation of the above. *sigh* I would dream of the day I could get my own job, move out, and get those braces that I desired so strongly. Every fiber of my being knew it was the right decision, but the inability to do it was disheartening. It also didn’t help that I’d try to Google all I could find on the subject and it would just make me worry. What would people think? Would I look like a freak? Well I could get clear braces..oh you can still see them. Well I could get Invisalign…what? My teeth are too crooked for that?! How about lingual? The dreaded lisp. Well what choice did I have? Look like a freak or sound like a lisping fool. Are teeth really worth this? My parents thought no, so, maybe they were right.
Eventually I would calm myself down, tell myself I was fine the way I was, and stopped obsessing…until the next session started. Even when I was calm, talking to people was uncomfortable because I was always afraid of what people were thinking about my teeth. And because I read too many things that told me if you don’t look a certain way, you’re less likely to get a job, have friends, go on dates, or be happy. Damn it is amazing what we let media tell us. My teeth were gross, but I had tons of friends that seriously liked me, I had no problems getting boyfriends, I got a job, and I was mostly happy. But no matter what, straight teeth are not only good for self-confidence, but also good oral health. I have a snaggletooth that I bite my lip with often and my dentist told me in its current position I could lose the tooth, and that would be way worse than any braces. The idea of being able to floss without difficulty is so exciting.
So fast forward about 5 more years. Here I am, 25, in the same mode of thought about my teeth. It’s better late than never I guess. 24 was my most difficult year, losing my mother, dealing with hurricane Sandy, and in my final year of my Masters Degree program. If I could go through all of that and survive, I’m pretty sure I can survive a couple of years in braces. After all, I’ve survived all of these years hating my teeth and being self-conscious of my appearance. Why not feel weird for a couple of years to make sure this hatred ends. I can’t even imagine the amount of confidence that I’ll have!!
October 22, 2013
I firmly believe this to be true…or I’ve yet to find one. On my own journey to getting adult braces I tried to seek refuge on the internet, but it seemed the majority of braces blogs died halfway through treatment (I want to know what happened dangit!) or the blog was super short, or there were little to no comments or feedback on the blog itself. This leads to the question, why am I doing this? Well I guess I plan to use it as a diary of sorts. I have so many thoughts, questions, and concerns dealing with these things and no one to share it with. I’m trying to keep quiet about it except for my closest friends and coworkers because…well obviously they’re going to notice eventually. I can’t keep these babies a secret. So, why not chart my journey? My progress, my thoughts, my worries, and the thousands of things I Google a day. If anyone reads this then my whole blog will be a lie! And that would make things veryyyy interesting. So let’s see where this goes. If anything else maybe I’ll have a quirky little writing sample and an example of my social media prowess….?
PS: I'm putting the dates I wrote these up in the corner, but they will not match the posted date for a few posts. I made a few entries before deciding to keep this blog..or at least try to keep it.
I firmly believe this to be true…or I’ve yet to find one. On my own journey to getting adult braces I tried to seek refuge on the internet, but it seemed the majority of braces blogs died halfway through treatment (I want to know what happened dangit!) or the blog was super short, or there were little to no comments or feedback on the blog itself. This leads to the question, why am I doing this? Well I guess I plan to use it as a diary of sorts. I have so many thoughts, questions, and concerns dealing with these things and no one to share it with. I’m trying to keep quiet about it except for my closest friends and coworkers because…well obviously they’re going to notice eventually. I can’t keep these babies a secret. So, why not chart my journey? My progress, my thoughts, my worries, and the thousands of things I Google a day. If anyone reads this then my whole blog will be a lie! And that would make things veryyyy interesting. So let’s see where this goes. If anything else maybe I’ll have a quirky little writing sample and an example of my social media prowess….?
PS: I'm putting the dates I wrote these up in the corner, but they will not match the posted date for a few posts. I made a few entries before deciding to keep this blog..or at least try to keep it.
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