I'm So Excited!

In just four days, my braces will be off!  I couldn't resist writing today because I am just so excited!!  (I even have a plan for how I'm going to learn how to talk with a retainer-- but we'll see how that works.)  I can't wait to show you guys before and after photos!

Debrace Date?

At my appointment a couple weeks ago, I was so excited.  Everything was perfect, and I was so sure he would tell me when I could get them off.  After all, it had already been more than 13 months.
He took a brace off one of my molars.  It wasn't down far enough.  "Sometimes, they just come down on their own," he said, "if not, there's something I can do."
WHAT?!
After being told that I wouldn't even be able to come in for a month and a half to see if my molar just comes down, I just left.  I walked away.  Crying, I later explained how frustrated I was; not just because they wouldn't be off for months, but because I don't care if one of my molars is a millimeter too high.  Who's going to notice?!
The next day, she talked to the office and scheduled my debrace date. 
September 5th.
That means that after 14 months, I will have perfect, debraced teeth (well except for the molar that doesn't matter anyway).
I am so excited to be able to close my mouth normally, to bite into an apple, and to have beautiful teeth.

Anger and Happiness and Everything in Between

     I went to the ortho today.  Good news: my braces will most likely come off after my next apointment in just over a month. More good news: I don't have to wear my rubber band anymore.  Even more good news (sort of): I can smile with my mouth closed and not look like a clown.  :)
    Bad news:  Apparently, for the last year, one of my front brackets has been in the wrong position and messing up my teeth.  More bad news:  my braces won't come off until the very end of summer.
     I would be fine with the whole braces being on for over a year thing if my ortho hadn't assured me that it would be a year.  "Tops."
     I take things like that extremely seriously; if you assure me you are going to do something, don't tell me last minute that that can't happen.  Especially when my family is paying you thousands of dollars.
     And I really don't want to feel this way about my orthodontist and his staff and practice; he has been so kind and gracious this whole time.  But as stated above, that kind of thing I take very seriously.
     However, ending on a good note, my teeth look amazing, and they will be brace-free very soon.

Bite Update

My bite has been getting so much better!  I have my appointment next week, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  If it is good by then, I hope I can get these things off soon!

Update

The last time I went to the ortho, I asked him if we would be able to stay within the 12 month mark he said in  the beginning.  "Well, that's a little close; I think we'll have to add another month onto that."
...
Grrrrrrr.

It is really just my bite.  And I don't understand it; it was perfect!
But now it isn't.

(Yes, I know: gross picture.  Haha.)

I am still wearing my one rubber band at night.  Well, it is supposed to be at night.  Lately, I have been very tired at night, and I forgot a few times in one week.  So I slowly transitioned to wearing it just during the day, and that seems to be working better.  Crossing my fingers!!

Late Reply Turned Post

    I was looking at the stats and stuff on my blog, wondering why no one ever comments.  When I realized that someone not only commented, but asked me a question I never answered.  Keysha's question is one I have heard a lot.  A lot being nearly every time I told someone I was getting braces.

So I decided to answer publicly.
   
    My reply is this: My main concerns are my space and my bite, my bite being the cause of my space and possibly my mild jaw problems.  A lot of people have had the same response as you.  But my space was something that really bothered me.  I was always self-conscious about it.  I love to smile, but I sometimes considered smiling with my mouth closed or even not smiling.  This went on for years, as I kept asking if I could please fix this .  And I finally did.  I am so thankful that my parents were so understanding and supportive, because I know that there are people who need braces way more than me who are not able to get them.  So everyone can tell me that if they were me they wouldn't get braces.  And you probably wouldn't.  But I did.  And there is no way I would ever change that decision.

Before and (Almost!) After

     After my last post, I was looking back at the beginning of my braces journey.  I saw a photo of my teeth that was just absolutely hideous, and thought, "Wow!  This is amazing!"  I am so happy with the results I have gotten.  I am so thankful for an amazing orthodontist and quite generous parents willing to spend the money and make the sacrifice for me.

     (I hope I get a de-brace date soon!!)

Picture! (Finally)

So here is my promised picture.  I apologize that it is kind of gross (hair in my face, yellow teeth--I really do brush them!).  But anyway, I am so very happy looking at this because not only is my space at LEAST 95% closed, my bite is perfect!  And that is after forgetting rubber bands not one, but two nights in a row.  It is kind of amazing.

So Much Progress!

    I do believe that I am probably the worst blogger ever.  I am so so sorry that it has been so long.  So sorry.
    Anyway, I just found out that I am 8 months and 4 weeks into this crazy braces thing.  Which means I probably have only a few more months to go!  My space is closed.  If there is any more closing to be done, it really is not noticeable.  Isn't that crazy?!  My bite is almost fixed!  (After about eight weeks of having a rubber band on the right side, I am now only wearing it at night.)  I am still working on my tongue thrust, but I think that that matter is close to being resolved.  My goal is to be only wearing my retainer at night by the middle of July.  I do not know how realistic that is, but it is definitely a goal of mine.
    As far as colors, I have had a chain on top since either my 1st or 2nd adjustment.  It has always been light blue, since after a couple days it fades and blends in.  But I have gotten more daring on the bottom.  Last time I got purple, and this time I got a bright, but not bubblegum, pink.  I like the color on the bottom because it is fun for me, but it is not really noticeable.  (I promise a photo within the week.)
    A few months ago, a bracket fell off.  I cannot understand to this day how I did not notice until literally about 15 minutes before I left for my appointment.  Thankfully, it was all the way in the back and straight, so they did not even bother to put one back on until a couple of days ago.  The empty space in the wire did cause the wire to bend, however.
   Also a few months ago, my chain broke.  It only broke in the back, though, so they snipped most of the broken part off and put singles where it broke.  The problem that I realized with that is that chains lose their elasticity after a while, so for all of that time, I knew that my chain was doing nothing but disguising my wire.
     I am so excited at the prospect of my braces being removed soon!  Crossing my fingers!