Where is my time machine?

The first day….no, the first 7 days… I have thought at least 5 times a day, “Can I go back in time and change my mind?”

 I am slowly getting use to the feel of the brackets inside of my mouth. I am a little cut up and raw in the back of my mouth; top and bottom on both sides because I have tie wires on the last two molars of both upper and lower teeth. The tie wires are like little metal hooks that stick out on the brackets so orthodontists can use rubber bands at some point in your treatment.

I am told that after a couple of weeks, your mouth tissue will adjust and you will stop getting rubbed raw. There is something to look forward to! In the meantime, I am using a lot of dental wax.

The tooth sensitivity was the worst for the first 3-4 days. Since then, the pain has been tolerable with Tylenol, ibuprofen and my personal favorite…wine.  The orthodontic assistant that put my braces on told me that with each adjustment the wire used will get thicker and sturdier and will make my teeth hurt much more. She said that the wire in place now can easily be bent and is nothing compared to the wires of my future. PSSHHH is what I say. If they intend to beef up my mouth accessories then I will just have to beef up my wine supply.

Speaking of beef….that’s not happening, nor will it probably happen until I get this bite turbo out of my mouth. Bite turbos are also referred to as glue blobs, fangs or whale’s tails. They are named based on the shape of the bite turbo used in each individuals’ mouth but all serve the same purpose.  Bite turbos can be metal or tooth colored plastic.  I have a whale’s tail bonded behind my front teeth and it is tooth colored. Here it is….

I need the bite turbo because my overbite is so deep and tightly cuddled against my front lower teeth that I would be biting down on the braces for the lower teeth. Seeing how I already have chipping and wear to my front teeth, I should take the bite turbo lovingly….but alas, I HATE the bite turbo. I cannot chew anything. The whale’s tail may stop my front teeth from banging into other teeth but it also means that my molars don’t touch anymore.

  I can mush, smush, smash, mash, etc. into the roof of my mouth and then swallow the food. I don’t get the whale’s tail off until my reclined front teeth are flanked forward. This could be between six months or up to a year, which will be right before my surgery. That time frame or the picture of my whale’s tail might not look or sound like much but trust me when I say that it is unbelievably annoying. In fact, when it is removed I plan on asking the orthodontist for it so that I can have a celebration and bash it to smithereens. Side note, I have never used the word smithereens in a sentence…..I rather like it. One last thing about the bite turbo and then I will shut up about it…..I have a lisp. The orthodontist told me to practice my S’ by reading aloud. I have three children who I read to all day long and the lisp is still there. Insert *sigh*.  

OK, now that I have officially terrified anyone who will be getting braces in their future…..the most important point of this whole post is that I survived. Am I a complainer? It sure sounds like it. Am I resilient? Heck yes. I can still see the big picture and the end result. Have I had moments of regret? Yes. Have I had times that I feel unattractive? Yes. Has there been pain? Yes.  BUT I am still choosing to embrace the process. I have been blessed to be able to financially take care of the issues impacting my dental health, my husband tells me I am still as pretty as ever, and my four year old refers to my braces as a beautiful necklace on my teeth. All wonderful things. I am still happy that I have officially jumped into this process instead of just thinking about it. It will all be worth it in the end. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some lisping, mashing, pumpkin seed baking, and wine to drink. Goodnight beauts and don’t forget to….

Keep it lovely!