Tuesday, June 13, 2006

blast from the past

As long as we are talking about 'remember when', let me tell you something I am reliving right now. My teeth hurt. My teeth hurt in that special way teeth hurt right after you get your braces tightened. Why do they hurt this way? Because I got braces today - 25 years to the month after having them removed. I had braces from 6th-8th grade. They tell you to wear your retainer. They don't tell you you have to KEEP wearing it for the rest of your life (and it gets expensive to keep with it). My teeth have been shifting for about 10 years now. Within the past year my front teeth stopped meeting when I bit into things and my back teeth have shifted so much it can be painful to chew sometimes. I have no guarantee this isn't due to degeneration of my jaw muscles but only time will tell and my teeth are crooked even if it is. So a couple months back I plopped down $6000, had impressions done and today received my first set of OrthoClear aligners. I'd been willing to go with a repeat of a mouth of metal if it would be cheaper but because the orthodontist thinks these will work better, faster. I'll still end up with some metal for 4-6 months after about 18 months of the aligners.

I popped these things in and it was an instant flashback to a pain I had not forgotten but had not thought about in years. And I get to re-experience it every 2 weeks for the next 2 years. It will be nice to bite into things properly when this is over.

5 comments:

Glynis said...

Oh, Stacey, I feel for you! I remember that just-back-from-the-orthodontist feeling and not fondly!

Unknown said...

Ugh. I never had to wear braces, but did have to wear a retainer to pull my eye teeth down. That was uncomfortable enough.

faery-wings said...

oh Stacey- on the one hand I feel so badly for you, on the other I am jealous. I had spent years and years in braces. My wisdom teeth are impacted and screwed up all of my teeth over the years. In some ways, I would Love to get braces, but after 5 fillings last month, I'll pass on the pain.

Good luck though!

Bonnie said...

Shame stacey! Ouch, that can't be nice. I have never had braces but it sounds awful. My dh had them and head gear when he ws younger..did not look nice...or feel nice I imagine!
Hopefully it sorts it out...

ArtcTrish said...

Oh, I remember that! All 5 1/2 years of it! Had I know the way your teeth move, like you said, I would have chosen the metal retainer not the football player retainer. Let us know how it goes, I'm personally curious.