I got to my appointment and they took me back around 1:05pm. My orthodontist wanted to look at my teeth one last time to make sure they looked okay, which they did, and I was good to go. My assistant was amazing and she was so concerned with making sure I was comfortable and that my teeth look great.
My bottom brackets came off first while the wire was still in. Each one popped off EASY and FAST! She had me bite down on a small piece of sponge to help alleviate some of the sensitivity/pain with the pressure of taking off brackets. Since my upper teeth were ceramic they were a bit more difficult. She took off the power chain and wire and had to pop each bracket individually. I had to wear goggles for protection because ceramic brackets can shatter and fly everywhere when removed. Most of them came off relatively easy, but the one on my left central incisor was stuck like crazy!! She had to break that bracket in small pieces but she couldn't get all of it off so she had to file it down switching between a softer "glue" file and a harsher one to get off the bracket. The process of removing all of my brackets and glue probably took 30-45 minutes. Wasn't that bad or painful overall.
Afterwards I took molds (yuck!), x-rays and pictures. After pictures, as I was sitting in my chair, the song "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang came on, and it was LOUD!! Next thing I know, I turn around and 6 people came out with balloons (with Corn Nuts attached - lol!) clapping their hands to the song, dancing and singing! It was awesome!!! My name was also on the "Congratulations" wall (my name is on the bottom!).
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| My awesome assistant was on the right! |
There was a "Wheel of Prizes" that I spun and won a $25 gift card to a restaurant! They were all out of my favorite restaurant, Cheesecake Factory, so I'll have to pick that up next week. But they didn't want me to leave empty handed, so they gave me a Teeth Whitening & Lip Gloss Plumper Pen! Then they had some feather boas and fun hats for me to wear so I can take pictures with them. Too much fun!
As for my retainers, my ortho said I can pick between the Essix and Hawley. The Essix (clear retainer) lasts maybe 2 years and the Hawley lasts about 5-10. I told them I'll start with the clear retainer and come back and get the Hawley when I need to replace it. It's only $150 to buy a new retainer so that's not too bad.
I'm SO happy with the outcome! My teeth feel slimy and new lol. I can't believe what my teeth used to look like! You couldn't even SEE my bottom teeth when I bit down!
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| Before |
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| After! |
If you are debating whether or not to get braces, I FULLY recommend it! It is a long process but it's so worth it in the end! I'm so happy!
