FeR

Meet girl Plank – she also has braces. She got them on a week before me.

I chose blue o-rings because it matches my uniform.

No, it’s not my birthday. It’s a term I saw the people on ArchedWire forum use for the day that you get your braces on.

When I had braces last time, I did not own my own camera – let alone a digital camera and a blog to show anyone who is interested (or not – sorry you stumbled here). Even so, I have to MAKE myself not care about what other people may think when I whip out my camera. At least I gave them a “warning” with my photo taking last week.

Lower arch – before. Spacers still intact.

Upper arch – before.

Tools of the trade.

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Ah!
The spacers are hurting now.

It started this morning when I woke up – I couldn’t even finish half a piece of toast (dunked in coffee). Whatever chewing ability (or should I say, pain tolerance?) I had from yesterday vanished in my previous night’s slumber. I had the first aid revalidation course today and I was grumpy towards the end – the combination of pain and weariness from the pain was starting to take a toll on me (I think I was also grumpy because I was hungry? *hehe*)

I brought some bananas for morning tea and even that hurt! Meh! Hungry during lunch but couldn’t finish my tuna sandwich (which I swallowed most of it, I think, instead of chewing them properly).

Yes, I shouldn’t complain. I CHOSE to do this. I was somewhat prepared for the pain because I’ve read about how much agony the spacers can be (and yes, they DO play the pain down at the orthodontist) but yet nothing prepares you for the real deal until you’re doing through it. I don’t quite remember how tender my teeth can feel when I had my braces last time (then again, I didn’t get spacers put in last time) My incisors are hurting because the spacers are pushing them together – so here’s hoping I don’t knock the fronts anytime soon!
:O

I dislike it when I know I CAN pull them out (because I can’t stand it!) but I SHOULDN’T. So it’s basically a choice to suffer.

The near-breaking point is when I have to floss. Oh! Flossing has never been sooooooooooooooooo torturous. You know it hurts but at the same time you’ve just GOT to do it. 5 more days to go before they come off! Some said the spacers are worse than the actual metal bands – here’s hoping!

I guessed right.
Impressions and spacers – plus photos!

When I first arrived, I passed the paperwork to Anne (an unfamiliar yet familiar face) – my signed consent form. I was then ushered to the treatment room and I was told that they were going to take some photos. Front, side and with the expander thing-a-ma-jig (keeps your mouth open, exposing your teeth?) so that my cross bite is exposed. I took the opportunity then to ask if I could have a photo of my x-ray! I told myself I have to be less “shy” and just snap away if I want to have some photos (nothing in the contract says that I can’t take photos) to keep a photographic trail of my treatment.

They explained to me that they were going to put pink stuff on these trays to get impressions of my teeth. I didn’t remember it being pink last time but I definitely remember it was not as nice tasting/smelling (it was of strawberries!) as this.

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Not only is he chatty, he does not make fun of me when I asked about coloured contacts.

(I know! I’m such a vain pot – never experienced putting on NORMAL contacts before and wanting to jump right into aesthetic ones – but he didn’t judge me)

And he gives me realistic expectations.

He says, “BOOM!” when he put on my mock glasses to emphasize to me how different things look like when I have them on.

He remembers my phobia about sticking something into my eye (okay, he probably wrote notes down but it was nice he actually reads what he writes!)

He reminds me (a little) of MrBean when he does an impersonation of someone having no problem putting contacts on.

Thus, he has a sense of humour.

He is just 20 steps away from work.

So now I “have” my “lady doctor” and an optometrist. Who knows what’s next?