Almost exactly one week from now (my appointment's at 9 am, so they might be done by 11) I'll be in braces. This after 14 years of putting them off.
Whoa.
Thank you, that is all.
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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.
2 comments:
hi jenny! enjoyed reading your blog, i came across it as i'm researching the damon system. i'm 30 and recently decided to finally take the leap - i have an appt to get "damons" on feb. 25, but i have a second opinion in between now and then, just in case. one thing that seems off is the price - i was quoted $5800. would you say that's ballpark for this system, in your experience (if you don't mind answering that, of course!)? i'm guessing it's due to the newer technology, but it is a big difference from the cost of traditional. also, i read about your appt to have impressions and bite pattern taken first. my ortho didn't have me make an appt to do this! i guess i should ask about that step. thanks for your info, it was all helpful.
Hi Jaime, thanks for stopping by!
The cost for my treatment (18-20 months) will be just over $5300. So not far off from what you were quoted. I also live in a slightly less expensive part of the country, I think.
My ortho said it would not be much less (I'm guessing in the $4K range) for traditional braces at his office, but I definitely want the Damons.
The reason my impressions were done so far ahead of time is because my ortho uses the OrthoCAD iQ system, and that involves sending my impressions off to generate a computer plan and have the indirect-bonding trays made for my brackets.
Some orthos place the brackets by hand the same day impressions are taken. Sounds like what your ortho will do, though it doesn't hurt to ask.
Also, if you haven't checked out Archwired.com I highly suggest it; it is a website and message board for adults in braces. There's a link on the left sidebar.
Good luck!
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