I have a new smile!

Happy 2013 primal journey readers! My braces are finally off and the outcome is amazing!!! I feel like a new person. The change in my facial appearance is pretty huge!

It didn't come that easily, my husband and I had decided that although the cost was huge, having my teeth straightened was extremely important for more reasons than just the aesthetic.  The amount I've paid for my teeth is much much more that our car is worth, however I believe the investment is so worth it, a lifetime with an amazing smile and the health benefits that have come with it is worth more than any material goods.

It was just over 3 years ago I went to see my Orthodontist for a consultation, I had no idea so much was involved with correcting my crooked teeth.  I knew it would be expensive but it was almost like opening a can of worms, however I was confident that my Orthodontist knew what he was doing.  First he examined my teeth and then took x-rays, it was the x-rays that showed the overgrown bone in my nose, I always knew that I had trouble with my breathing but didn't realise just how blocked it was.

To cut a long story short he explained to me his belief that when you can't breathe through your nose you sleep with your mouth slightly open, this affects your teeth and bite hugely.  I would grind my teeth so badly that I would wake with a headache every single day from the age of about 13.  He would only want to do the braces once my nose was fixed otherwise it's likely they wouldn't work as well and the chance of them overcrowding again was huge.  I was referred to a nose specialist who told me I only had 10% breathing in my nose, I was shocked, but then again not really as I had never been able to blow my nose properly and if I had a cold it would end up as an infection which was never great.  I was put on the waiting list for the nose surgery. Septoplasty is a surgical procedure done to straighten the nasal septum.

I also needed to have all four wisdom teeth removed as 2 of them needed to come out as they were ruptured and it made sense to take out the other 2 so it would create room for my overcrowded mouth.  I had the surgery for the wisdom teeth removal which was straight forward and no complications but boy the recovery was pretty harsh, 2 weeks of full dosage pain killers, swelling like a chipmunk and soft food for a while!

A year later I finally got my nose surgery, it was a more pleasant experience than my wisdom teeth but it was still surgery so recovery is the worst part.  However the outcome was awesome, my breathing was amazing and I loved being able to sleep with my mouth closed and breathe through my nose, it took a while to train myself but after a few months I was breathing through my nose.  Finally the last step was to go back to my orthodontist to get the braces fitted.  I was so excited to get them finally, after all I'd waited my whole life to get them, my parents could never afford it so waiting until I was 30 really felt like a lifetime.  The idea of having braces as an adult was a little daunting, however I knew that I only had to have them for just over a year and really what's a year of your life vs a whole lifetime of straight teeth?! It was a no brainer :)

The first experience of getting the braces was horrible! Now I had metal all over my crooked teeth and I felt and looked like a teenager arghhh! The worst part was adjusting to them, they cut up my mouth badly which would give me painful ulcers, my teeth were so sensitive and I couldn't eat much at all, I just wanted to be able to chew steak! Sleeping was awful and it took about a month before I started to not really notice them and the pain had subsided.  I finally got used to them and my regular visits to the orthodontist and hygienist felt like my second home!  I had my braces put on the 7th December 2011 and the date for them coming off was the 15th January 2013, all in all the 13 months actually went quite quickly.  The last few days went sooo slowww!! Getting them off was a breeze and although there was some tenderness after the cleaning and now the whitening that I'm currently doing it's so nice to be at the end of it.

Finally I can breathe normally and since having the braces my breathing has improved even more so.  I no longer grind my teeth!!! I cannot tell you how awesome this is, for 17 years I have been grinding my teeth and waking up with awful headaches pretty much daily.  This is truly a miracle!!!
It hasn't been long enough to tell you how having straight teeth has changed my life but I can tell you I feel amazing! On top of the world, a new smile does so much for your confidence, I finally feel like my outside matches my happy bubbly inside.  Since I was younger I have wanted to have straight teeth, it's the first thing I notice about someone, and there's nothing like a smile to brighten up someones day, it has always been a huge thing for me.  I cannot stop smiling, I cannot stop looking at how fantastic my teeth look and the outcome is far more than I could have ever imagined.  I truly LOVE my new smile!