Archive for December, 2003

I had braces on my teeth for nine years.  Nine years.  That’s  a quarter of my life.  It’s a heck of a long time.  I had them on for so long that I didn’t remember life without them.

Last Thursday, I finally got them off.  It was the weirdest feeling in the world.  Everyone kept asking me if my teeth were slimy.  They were but there was something else about them.  The felt soft.  They didn’t have a metal casing anymore and they felt vulnerable and soft. 

I had to relearn talking.  I was lisping because my tongue and lips didn’t know where to go.  It was an odd feeling.

I have to say, though, that they are BEAUTIFUL.  My teeth are beautiful.  I never thought I’d be able to say that.  They are, though.  They are amazing.  I had a really, really crooked smile before.  People actually made fun of it. It wasn’t good for my self-esteem.

Today, I went in and got my retainers.  I got a glow-in-the-dark pink for my top (a tribute to my niece who adores the color pink) and a glow-in-the-dark white for my bottom (it’s much smaller and not as noticeable).

It’s weird.  Now I’m relearning to talk again.  Ok, I’ve only had them on for under an hour but it’s still a bit of a chore.  I’m at work and people are talking to me and I can’t say s’s.    People are laughing and I’m laughing because it’s funny.

I could have to wear these for up to 2 years.  These first 3-6 months, I have to wear them  24/7 except when I eat and brush my teeth.

I’m happy, though.  It’s so nice to be moving ahead on these.