On the 14th of May 2007, the dentist gave me a general check up and took x-rays of my teeth. He told me that my teeth were strong and healthy but I needed to get three fillings. I didn't think that was too bad after not having a check up in over a decade. He then referred me to an orthodontist and told me to get more x-rays at the local hospital so I would be well-prepared for my first orthodontic consultation. As soon as I got home that day, I called the orthodontist to make an appointment. To my disappointment, I had to wait a month until my first consultation. In the meantime, I got my 3 fillings plus a clean. My dental bill for the month was $439.
On the 13th of June, I met my orthodontist for the first time. All of my friends had gone to him (including a daughter of a dental nurse) so I was confident I was seeing the right man. He told me that my teeth were healthy but there was "just a little bit of crowding". He took moulds of my mouth and told me that I would need all four wisdom teeth removed in addition to four others to make room. I decided to get ceramic braces and he told me that everything would cost $5,800 and I could pay that off in $290 monthly instalments. He then made an appointment for me to see an oral surgeon in another two weeks.
I wanted to cry after my oral surgeon appointment. Because I don't have health insurance, the total cost was $2,440. I ended up claiming $130 through Medicare for the anaesthetist bill, but compared to the couple of thousand dollars I just spent, $130 was small change.
My operation was on a Thursday and I was fine by the following Tuesday. Living on liquids wasn't difficult. I had lots of scrambled eggs, mashed potato, yoghurts and juice. I also lost 2kg which was great! Everything was delightful until I attempted to eat a steak that broke one of my stitches! For the next two days, all I could taste was blood. I couldn't eat because I was nauseous the whole time. Everything I ate got stuck in that hole. I became very dependent on my cleaning-hole-syringe-thingy. The hole is still there, but it's not very deep. It took about 6 weeks to get shallow enough for me to clean it out with only my tongue.
I had my oral surgeon check up on the 7th of August and he gave me the all clear to get my braces on. The next day I had my separators put on. It felt like I was chewing on balloons. It was a little uncomfortable but there was no pain until the day after. Painkillers helped, but it hurt too much to chew so, once again, I was restricted to liquids.
The 15th of August was the big day. I was so excited. After all those years of waiting, I was finally taking the plunge and fixing one of my biggest faults. I made sure I had a big breakfast before my appointment and finished it off with a good chewy because I knew I wouldn't have one for the next couple of years. The whole process didn't seem to take long. I was surprised that there was no pain. The only bad part was when the orthodontist stuffed cotton wool in my throat. I gagged so many times. I never want to do that again. After the orthodontist finished, he showed me my teeth. I was horrified! The angle of the brackets seemed to accentuate the crooked teeth. There was also a very noticeable spring on one side of my mouth. Nobody told me about that! The orthodontist showed me how to floss and brush my teeth. He also gave me a "goody bag" and told me to buy fluoride rinse. I thanked the orthodontist and left.
So far, the experience hasn't been too bad. I've had an ulcer from one of the metal bands on my molars, but salt water fixed that in no time. After two weeks, I already had a wire sticking into my cheek. It was about 3mm long, but it caused me a lot of grief. I called the orthodontist that morning and got an appointment 30 minutes later. While I was getting clipped, he decided to give me a premature adjustment. Oh my goodness, I had never expected such pain! My teeth felt so tight and a part of my gum started to bleed! I immediately took a panadol and after an hour of aching, the pain finally subsided.
Since I've had the braces on, I haven't been able to bite into things. Everything has to be pulled apart or eaten with a knife and fork. I haven't really altered my diet. I only eat sugary things if I can brush my teeth straight away and I never liked soft drink, so giving that up wasn't a problem. I have found that creamy/chicken soups stain the little bands and make my teeth look yellow. But it's one of the easiest things to eat so I don't mind.
I've been surprised that not many people have noticed immediately. I think that's because I mumble alot - a habit I picked up so people wouldn't look at my teeth so much. My boyfriend has been wonderful. He thinks I look really hot because the braces make me look like a teenager!
One of the things I wanted to know before I got the braces on was an estimate for the cost of the whole thing. Most of the information I found was for the U.S.A only, so here's a breakdown of all my costs (remembering that I don't have health insurance):
- dental check up: $40
- dental procedures including 3 fillings and a clean: $399
- oral surgeon fees for the extraction of 4 wisdom teeth and 4 others: $1400
- hospital bed at a private hospital: $610
- aneasthetist bill: $435
- braces incl. $400 for ceramic braces: $5,800
TOTAL: $8,684
That's a lot of money for such a small part of my body, but definitely worth it! I also work for an accountant, so I know what I can claim on my next tax return. For anyone else who is curious, in Australia, if your out-of-pocket medical costs exceed $1,500, you get back 20% of any expenses that exceed the $1,500. Here's an example of what I can claim:
- cost above $1500: $6,745
- cost after Medicare refund: $6615
- 20% of $6,615 = $1,323
So if I pay all my bills by the 30th of June 2008, I will get $1,323 back from the tax office.
That's everything that has happened so far. My next adjustment is on the 26th of September. Hopefully it won't be as bad as the last one. I'll start putting up photos soon. I didn't take a "before" photo because I wanted to forget what my teeth looked like, but now I have noticed changes and I want to compare the differences so I will start taking regular photos.
