A few things about the experience:
1) No pain; Slight discomfort. The overall process from cleaning to wire placement was pretty quick and easy. The cleaning was fine. The impressions were my favorite part. I had the opportunity to pick my flavors. I chose chocolate and strawberry. It was like biting into a piece of saltwater taffy! It only lasted a minute thought :(. The only discomfort was the device used to hold my tongue in place when they put on the brackets. It would put a little pressure on the soft tissue under my tongue. It only lasted for 20 minutes or so. It wasn't bad.
2) After we finished I looked at myself and thought yikes! It's going to take some getting use to. I went with clear so it will help me clean them better. The food will be more noticeable against a clear backdrop instead of a metal one. The little dots of color will come off after I brush.
3) Since I've gotten home I've noticed more pressure and a little soreness. I was told by the office that it will continue to increase but after a few days it'll be okay. I have plenty of Advil.
4) Talking isn't an issue. I noticed that I tend to suck in my saliva more. It feels like my mouth is producing more saliva than usual.
Overall, the experience wasn't bad. A few times in the beginning stages, I started to wonder if I was crazy for doing this. I mean, I'm a grown woman getting braces! What am I doing? popped into my head a few times, but after I relaxed and reminded myself of the reasons as well as a reassuring smile from my husband - it was okay. I'm happy that I finally have them on. I can't wait to start seeing some results!
As the afternoon went on, the pressure increased. I decided to take a nap to deal with my painful plight. While trying to get the cover situation under control -yanking and pulling - I accidentally hit myself in the mouth. Oh, the pain! :( It wasn't even that hard, but the throbbing stayed with me for a while. I felt like a perfect infomercial for the Snuggie.
Later I had some rice for lunch - no problem there. The back teeth are fine, but the front top and bottom are so sensitive. After lunch I brushed for the first time - that was an ordeal. While zealously brushing I pushed my front teeth with my tongue and the pain! It's not excruciating, but it's not rainbows and kittens either.
Around dinner time my front top and bottom teeth really started to hurt. It has definitely slowed me down while eating.
It's now after 9 pm and I just finished brushing and flossing. I really like to floss, but this took a long time and quite the effort. I keep looking at the little reminder card they gave me with the picture of the person who didn't brush and floss enough. It's good motivation to keep up the momentum. While flossing I noticed that some spaces were tighter. Could it already be working???
I've noticed the saliva production in my mouth is crazy! I'm hopping it's just because everything is new. Otherwise, I'm going to have to invest in one of those suction machines the dentist uses ;)
I know this is silly but part of me started to wonder...what if my teeth don't move? Like, what if I'm that freak case that braces just don't work for? I know it's just my overactive imagination.
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