Yeah, I broke down and put on wax this morning. My cheeks were starting to become more than just slightly irritated. Waxed my upper canines and first bicuspids, and my lower bicuspids (both).
Ahhh, sweet relief.
Other than that, though, I'm starting to not feel the braces anymore. My lips are even used to how far out the archwire holds them. There's just a residual soreness when I bite down (especially on the buildups), and my front lower incisors feel ever-so-slightly loose. Which is good! Things are on the move...
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A twenty-something's journey with braces
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About me and my teeth
I'm a full-time medical physicist, a working mother of one, a wife, and a writer - all that you can gather from my "regular" profile. I'm also 26 years old and about to join the ~25% of orthodontic patients who are adults.
I've known I needed braces since I was 11 or 12. I vaguely remember having - and breaking - a retainer when I was in 3rd grade. I had a graft done in 6th grade to move tissue from the roof of my mouth and supplement the very low gumline on my lower incisors. I guess the next step after that was braces, but I refused.
My parents didn't have much money but they would have gone ahead with it if I had been willing. (My younger brothers later both had braces.) I think I was trying to save them the money - after all, my teeth weren't that bad, I thought. I also didn't want to mess with braces.
I made it through middle school and high school, marching band and prom, college and my wedding without braces, and I considered myself lucky. Then it became more of a stubbornness issue - I've made it this far! My teeth are fine!
A series of events over this past year, culminating in the extraction of all 4 wisdom teeth - the last barrier to braces - led me to a consult with an orthodontist. I was impressed enough with how far technology has progressed and what options I was given that after 14 years of delay I'm about to take the plunge.
I've known I needed braces since I was 11 or 12. I vaguely remember having - and breaking - a retainer when I was in 3rd grade. I had a graft done in 6th grade to move tissue from the roof of my mouth and supplement the very low gumline on my lower incisors. I guess the next step after that was braces, but I refused.
My parents didn't have much money but they would have gone ahead with it if I had been willing. (My younger brothers later both had braces.) I think I was trying to save them the money - after all, my teeth weren't that bad, I thought. I also didn't want to mess with braces.
I made it through middle school and high school, marching band and prom, college and my wedding without braces, and I considered myself lucky. Then it became more of a stubbornness issue - I've made it this far! My teeth are fine!
A series of events over this past year, culminating in the extraction of all 4 wisdom teeth - the last barrier to braces - led me to a consult with an orthodontist. I was impressed enough with how far technology has progressed and what options I was given that after 14 years of delay I'm about to take the plunge.
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