My saga with orthodontic work began 20 years ago, when I was a child. In order to widen my very narrow arch and alleviate crowding, I was fitted with "crozats." I have yet to meet another person who has had crozats, or even heard of them, but according to my parents (and dentist) they were/are quite effective for children. I also had brackets on my bottom front four teeth to properly align them. My teeth were in good shape by the end of my treatment, but my orthodontist still recommended braces. However, when my parents were told it would cost $5,000-$6,000 for treatment, my trips to the orthodontist promptly ended and that was that.
Over the years, my teeth have slowly returned to their crowded beginnings- particularly my bottom teeth. I have always been okay with the way they looked because my bottom teeth are pretty much covered when I smile, but more recently my top teeth have begun to shift. It has only gotten worse, and I begun to become self-concious about it. Additionally, my dental cleanings have been awful- my crowding prohibits me from cleaning/flossing thoroughly, thus resulting in painful deep cleanings from my dentist.
As I approach 30 (December of this year) I decided it was time to take the plunge and go for braces. My ortho gave me damon braces- clear on my "social" teeth, metal on the rest. I am still waiting on an archwire on the bottom teeth...she needs to correct my deep bite first. I am glad that I went through with this, but I am also uncomfortable in the braces, obsessive about cleaning them, always looking for movement, and impatient with the process. I feel the urge to call my orthodontist daily with questions. Why did you place the brackets so high? Why are my front teeth shifting back? When will you put my bottom arch on? I am so full of questions, which is why I am thankful I found this site!
And so the new braces saga begins. Will post pictures later, thanks for reading.
