In the year 2011 I was fortunate enough to be hired as a permanent in a company that has great health and dental benefit coverage. Which meant a portion of my orthodontic fees would be paid for. The year 2011 was also the first year where I started making new year's resolutions and getting braces was one of them.
That summer my friend from Edmonton came back to Vancouver for a visit. She called me and a lot of her university friends out for bubble tea. There was one fellow there that recently got braces and I was intrigued! He was also my age and it turns out he worked at the orthodontic office. So the ball started rolling! I asked him for the office number and a few weeks later I scheduled myself for a consultation.
I was super excited to go in for the x-rays and photos and everything! Then I got to talk to the orthodontist and she gave me news that I was not prepared to hear. I never thought my teeth were THAT bad. My front top right tooth was wonky but I thought everything else was fine. She gave me two options. One was to keep all my teeth but I might look like a cave woman afterwards because my bite might be off. Option two was to extract 4 teeth, obviously this was the BEST option. I told her I had to go home and think about it because I was not expecting any teeth espeically 4 teeth to be pulled out.
That afternoon I talked to my mom and she looked me in the face and said it is only 4 teeth. She was right, so right. Then I made the appointment with a specialist to get my teeth pulled out.
I was on the verge of vomiting and having diarrhea at the same time when my friend was driving me to the dental specialist. I did not want my teeth pulled out. No. Asked the receptionist how long it would take and she said 15 minutes. When I got into the room I started sweating profusely. My hands were soaking wet. My hands never sweat. I was in the dental chair rubbing my palms on my lap. My jeans were soaking wet. The last tooth won't budge and the specialist had to put his palm on my forehead for leverage. After each tooth I would do the OK sign with my hand and use my fingers to show how many more to go. It was awful. But it was over with in 15 minutes.
Turns out the reason why they suggest 2 sessions to get 4 teeth pulled out is so the person can eat. What usually happens is they pull 2 teeth from the left at one sitting so while you recover you can use your right side to eat and vice versa. I could not spare so many days off work so I made them pull all 4 teeth at once. I opted for local anesthesia and I was numb up to my eyebrows for a whole day. I couldn't eat properly for weeks. I looked like a hill billy with missing teeth.
The way I ate was the super unhealthiest way EVER. Because I couldn't chew properly and was in pain. I would eat a little bit of food. Drank lots of vitamin water, supplemented by Boost and because I lacked nutrients I was tired all the time so I loaded up on Red Bull. I know, it was BAD!
A month after they placed the braces on. It was all fine and dandy during the day but OMG!!!! That evening was the WORSE! THE WORSE! That evening I went out for a friend's birthday dinner and all I ate was watered down rice and tofu. While they ate Japanese charcoal grilled meats on sticks. All my life I never had headaches but now I have migraines and tension head aches, only for a day or two after each monthly adjustment though. While the gaps were closing in instead of looking like a hill billy I looked like a nerdy hill billy.
This photo was taken right after I got the braces placed in.
Ensure to wear your rubber bands ALL the time and brush and floss properly. They say no to eating hard crunchy foods, chew gum, eat gummy candy. Bad again, I do it all. However, I do find that the older you are and knowing you have to spend a pretty penny on them you are more responsible and diligent in wearing the rubber bands and flossing properly.
This was taken a few days ago during one of my monthly adjustment appointments.
They quoted me 2.5 years and I have about 10 months left. I have noticed the shape of my face and jaw has changed, for the better! :D yeah cheek bones! People keep on saying it will be worth it in the end. I suppose so. I did it for the sake of keeping the promise I made to the 10 year old self me, my new year's resolution and especially to what my mother had said to me almost 2 years ago.
A promise is a promise! including new year resolutions!
Yeahup I thought about being her for Halloween before.
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