Yesterday's tight schedule ended up working quite well, getting me to the office shortly after 9:00 am - plenty of time to uncover the cases and get the computers up before opening at 10:00 am. I spent a full hour with the Orthodontist and assorted staff, almost half-an-hour with his exam after a thorough round of photographs, 3-D x-rays, and a medical history. His exam was extremely detailed.
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My bottom teeth are very crowded and yes, I do find it difficult to floss them now and again (although I NEVER miss a day). When this process is complete, that crowding will be lessened - not eliminated, but better. |
The crowding of my teeth in my upper jaw is minimal, but the crowding of my teeth in my lower jaw is severe, which was exactly as I had thought. The entire procedure will take 18-24 months - a long time, and it's not going to be a 100% straightness for the lower jaw. To do that would require removing one or two teeth, and they're actually in good shape, so we're not doing that. We'll move them slowly and inexorably to a new position through bands, pressure and time.
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I'll probably end up with something quite similar to this - clear on my top front teeth, metal on the rest of them. This photo doesn't show the banding necessary for my crowns. I think that'll be the hardest thing for me. |
I liked him quite a bit, and have set up two more appointments with him. The next one, on October 19th, will be for mouth molds, etc so that the retainers for night wear can be made, and any appliances can be customized. The second, on November 2nd will be to apply the actual braces. That one will be a longer one - it's going to take time. The standard brackets aren't a problem for my teeth, but they won't stick to crowns, and I have several of those on my rear bottom teeth. The crowns will have brackets installed over them instead - like a necklace holding the bracket into position. I suspect that's going to be thoroughly uncomfortable and a bit scary.
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I suspect the band around each of my crowns will be similar to this. I'm most afraid of these digging into my gums. I'm sure I'll have additional questions next time I'm there, but this is something I really want to do for my general health, so I'll buck up and deal with it as necessary. I think I'll also call my dentist for their opinion on the bands and my crowns. |
There will be some rubber band use to help the teeth move appropriately, so I'll have to get good with replacing those bands often because they are removed when I eat, and replaced with new ones afterwards. I'll have to look into foods that I can eat instead of my grains - I love my grains but they probably will be ill-advised while wearing the braces.
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It's going to be expensive. I left a call for my broker asking him to call me on Wednesday or Friday to see about getting the funds I need pulled out of my account. *sigh* |
So, I'm talking to my broker later this week about financing this. DH refuses to help out at all, so it's all up to me and it's EXPENSIVE. Almost $8000! There are three different payment options available, and I'll discuss them with my broker to see what he advises, but no matter which way I choose, I'll need almost $2500 down before work can start. Ouch! Still, it's something I've wanted for more than half of my life, and it's a health issue. I think it's extremely important. So, I'm going ahead with it. I'll have to remind myself of the positives when my teeth are hurting later this year - LOL. Meanwhile, I'm off to the pool. Have an excellent Tuesday and Slava Ukraini.
BTW - on that note, I noticed Putin gave Russian citizenship to Edward Snowden yesterday. I had to laugh. Does that mean that Snowden will now be conscripted and sent to the Eastern Front of Ukraine?
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