NO MORE BRACES!!!

Well hello there.

Welcome to my blog... my name is Alexis AND I HAVE NO MORE BRACES!!!!!

I will post a HUGE detailed message tomorrow with everything that happened... but for now I wanted to show you my new sparkly teeth (vs. before my braces).

Neon Pink & Root Canals

Happy Valentines Day!

Good news and bad news since I last blogged.

Good news:


1) I now have NEON PINK ligatures on my braces... and will have them on for the next two weeks! I feel like a huge geek and I kinda love it.


2) I'm still on track to get my braces off on MARCH 2!!! That's 16 days away. I still can't believe how fast the time has actually gone by.

Bad news:

I had TWO fricken root canals last week. Yeah I know. As soon as I thought my dental hell was coming to an end... they had to spring that surprise on me. It hurt like hell when the root canal specialist stuck the general anesthetic needles in my gums. They had to put temporary fillings in the teeth for now until I get my braces off and get the insides bleached. After that I get the permanent fillings. So until then, the specialist said I have to be very careful with what I eat and ensure I don't put any extra pressure on those teeth or bite into anything hard. Ugh. I booked the permanent fillings and bleaching for later in the day after I get the braces off... so only 2 more weeks of being careful.

Just a short update for now!

Alexis

P.s. adding an after-thought! I forgot to mention that they took my last molds today! They took top and bottom molds and a "bite" wax mold thingy. This is to make my permanent retainers (in the back of my teeth) and my clear retainer (looks like invisalign). It's so close I can't handle it anymore!!!

De-Bracing Date - MARCH 2!!!!!

Happy belated New Year!


This is the most recent photo I have of myself, for your jaw/face progress inquiries, It was taken on New Years Eve:


Between my last post in October and the beginning of January there have not been many changes/updates....UNTIL NOW!

You heard it here first folks (before TMZ could break the news) - my braces are OFFICIALLY coming off on March 2! Holy cow. I can't believe my 2 year adventure is coming to a close.

MARCH 2 =40 days from today!!!!!!!

...and so the countdown has begun. I feel like this whole process has been about countdowns. Countdown to my ortho appointments, to my surgery, to my braces coming off. I may miss it. I'll have to think of something else to count down to. Any ideas will help my withdrawal of countdowns. Thanks in advance.

I have an appointment in 4 weeks from now (on Valentines Day of course) to get my last adjustment and for them to take molds to make my retainer(s).

Before my braces are taken off, I need to get my front tooth checked out. As I mentioned in previous posts, my front top left tooth seems to be darker in colour than the rest of my teeth. My dentist took xrays and did an exam, but he couldn't find the reason for it. He is sending me to a root canal specialist this coming Monday morning (at 7:50 am...FML) to check if I have a dead/infected nerve that is causing the darkness. I REALLY hope I don't need a root canal and the darkness can be fixed by professional whitening. If I do need a root canal, my orthodontist has made it clear that I'll need to have it done BEFORE the braces come off. Oy. It would make sense though... it would complete my round of dental hell in these past 2 years... 1st braces, then wisdom teeth removal, then jaw surgery... and now a root canal.

I also spoke with my dentist about the professional whitening services they provide because you KNOW I'm getting these suckers whitened as soon as the braces come off. They offer two choices. The first is an in-office one-time 45 appointment which costs $800+. The second option (which he recommended) is a take home 2 week process where you have to wear these invisalign type retainers twice a day for 30 min. He said you can see results after the first day. This option costs approx. 1/2 the in-office procedure. I think I'm gonna save my money and go with the 2nd procedure. I'll put the savings towards a basket of apples I'll be able to bite into once the braces come off. Oh and GUM!!!! So much gum...mmm.

A quick update on jaw surgery progress. My upper left lip is still partially numb, as is my chin and middle of my bottom lip. The numbness is less and less each day, which also makes the area more sensitive to cold/hot because the nerve endings are extra sensitive. My upper jaw is still numb as well. They originally said most feeling should come back in 6 months after the surgery, but can sometimes take up to a year. I'm just glad I have muscle movement in those areas... the numbness can go away as slowly as it wants.

Until my next post... keep fit and have fun!

Alexis