I remember when my dentist told me I needed to consider getting braces. I was petrified, at the time I already did not like going to the dentist. I could not fathom having metal studs and bands in my mouth. I can remember the talks I had with my mom about the situation. She was adamant that I get them. Not to mention the insurance was helping quite a bit so i think that is why she was so steadfast about me getting them. A few weeks following the dentist's recommendation my appointment with an orthodontist surgeon.
The orthodontist we went to seemed like it was for the younger people, I was a freshman going into my sophomore year at this point. We checked in and had to fill out a lot of paperwork. Shortly after my mom finished filling everything in and hanging the papers back to the receptionist I got called back. They had to do x rays on me first and foremost. I am not a fan of the x rays at the dentist and I came to find out these are worse. I had to put on a lead apron, put the weird ‘T’ looking plastic piece in my mouth by my molars, stand in the center of a machine which whirled around my head and bite on a plastic piece so my head would not move, it was horrible.
After that horrific experience, they sat me down in one of their chairs to take a look at my teeth with their own eyes. It was not like the dentist thank goodness. They didn't try to poke and prod around with their metal tools. Shortly after they put in these metal spacers, they kind of looked like staples to me. They had to be placed between my molars. It was painful. After about a week or so I would need to go back to have the spacers removed and have my braces put on. They told me I should heavily apply chapstick the day and night before as my mouth will be open for a while and that'll dry my lips out really bad. Thank goodness i listened.
Having the braces put on was no easy or fun task. They had to put this plastic red mouth and lip separator in and that was no joke. I did not enjoy that one bit but that was only the beginning. For the next hour to hour and a half i had my mouth forcibly staying open, a miniature vacuum tube to suck up any saliva and fingers in my mouth. The process was long. They had to clean my teeth very well before they could put the glue on that hold the metal studs in place. I can still remember the glue and the odd smell and taste it had. Once the stud was set in the glue an odd tool was used to super dry the glue. It worked in a matter of seconds and the once wet glue was hard as concrete. Once all the studs were in it was time for the metal bars to go across the studs. I was not ready for the pain it gave me. After about an hour or so I was done and my mouth in pain.
Getting braces was not a fun experience by any means. The monthly checkups and rewiring was a nuscenec. On the other hand I am glad I did. Now I have a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth and that's that. The pain I had to go through for braces sucked to put it blunt but as I said, I am happy that I got braces because now my teeth are as straight as they can be.
