The Beginning of Our Journey into Adult Braces

I'm married to a researcher.  

It's one of the many things that I love about my husband.  He doesn't make a single decision without first researching the topic at hand for not just hours on end but days on end.  Sometimes weeks or months on end.

I am not a researcher.  And the way I see it there is no need to become one since I'm married to one.  

Who needs google when you have Andrew?

A few months ago when we started visiting orthodontist and trying to decide how to proceed with braces, I ended up seeing three different orthodontist with three different opinions.  Though it felt like I had visited four orthodontist since Andrew had his own opinion based on all the research he had been doing.

Is it crazy that I trusted my husband more than the guys with degrees who have been doing this for many many years?

He had spent hours looking at before and after pictures, watching videos, and reading case studies.  I knew he wasn't taking the decision lightly.

I researched too.  By that I obviously mean that I read blogs where people journaled their journey through adult braces.

Very scientific!

In case there is someone else out there who researches the way I do and for our own memory I'm going to blog our journey through adult braces.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

My journey begins in two short weeks.

On March 6 I will have four teeth pulled.  Yikes!  I'm having the fourth tooth from the front on top and bottom on both sides pulled.

I'm really not nervous about it like I thought I would be.  My dentist is that good.  Plus they are going to give me a happy pill to take before hand to help with my anxiety.  I'm more nervous about the after.  I'm going to have four big holes in my mouth where teeth should go.  How am I supposed to eat like that?

Once those four teeth are removed it is time for a string of appointments with my orthodontist, Dr. Lay.  The first appointment is scheduled for the following week on March 13.  At this appointment I believe they will be putting in spacers - which from what I can tell are like little rubber bands that will sit around my tooth - and my top brackets.

On March 17 I go back so that Dr. Lay can put the bands on the top brackets and start moving those top teeth.

I go back again the week after on March 28 to get my bottom brackets and bands.  

Then I should be good to go for a little while.  All decked out in my braces.

My students are so excited about this.  Several of them are currently going through braces and they think it is so cool that I'm getting them too.  They all have suggestions as to what colors I should get.  They want me to get neon, glow in the dark, or zebra.  All a little wild when you are 30.

Andrew will begin the process in April.  He will have one single tooth pulled on April 23.  Then he will he will get spacers and the first of his brackets on April 30.  He will have one less appointment than I do because he isn't getting bottom braces.

My students also think it would be so funny if Mr. Weaver and I got stuck together when we kiss goodnight.  LOL!  Love that they think the only time we kiss is to say goodnight.  :)

Truth be told I'm kind of excited about getting braces.  It's not only going to help with the cosmetics of my teeth but the health of my teeth.  I'm a grinder at night.  I always have been.  I don't do it as often now, but I still do it.  It seems I do it because of the placement of my teeth.  Hopefully braces and then sleeping in a retainer will help me to stop doing this.