Mind the Gap

It's officially done. I've got a nice, big hole in the middle of my lower jaw to prove it. The tooth removal was a success yesterday.

According to my dentist (while I was getting the procedure done, mind you), my tooth didn't come out without a fight. In fact, in Dr. Mason's words, "It really doesn't want to come out, does it?"

Yeeeeah...not something you want to hear while having your tooth pulled. It took everything I had to stay calm, keep my eyes closed and just let her finish.

Afterwards, Chris picked me up and took me home. He had to go back to work, so he made sure to pick up something soft for me to eat (mashed potatoes from KFC) and put it in the fridge so I could warm it up when I was ready. Chris really was great about the whole thing; he helped with my PJs, let Shamrock out and made sure he had everything he needed (so he didn't bother me too much) and tucked me in for a nap.

After he left, I put on the Olympics and dozed off within minutes. I woke up around 4:30 PM and attempted to eat some of the mashed potatoes, but that didn't go over so well. Not to gross anyone out, but I began bleeding soon after I took my first bite so I promptly lost my appetite. After that, I just relaxed, fell in and out of sleep and waited for Chris to come home.

It was a rough day, but not nearly as bad as I anticipated. On the whole, I found the experience to be fairly trouble-free. I did as I was instructed and ended up with less pain than I projected. I was only sore for a little while today so I was able to enjoy the lovely weather and have a fun day with my hubby.

Thanks to everyone for your concern and kind words. Your positive thoughts really helped me through the whole experience. :)

Pulling Teeth

The day I've been dreading is almost here. I found out today that I will be having one of my lower teeth removed on Friday morning. I cannot tell you how nervous I am about this procedure.

My teeth have always been the bain of my existence. From having what my mom refers to as "shark teeth" growing up, to experiencing two cracked teeth, having two crowns put in as well as several issues with my gums, I'd say that I've had more problems with my teeth than a normal person should. So when I was told I'd need to have a tooth removed in order for my second set of braces to really work, I wasn't surprised.

I've been taking it in stride, not really letting the idea of having my dentist yank my tooth out affect me. That is, of course, until today. I am terrified! Knowing my dentist will be using a large, steel needle to inject not-strong-enough medication into my jaw truly frightens me.

And not only am I fearful of the procedure itself, but I'm also quite nervous about what I'll be experiencing after. I'm not a fan of pain (that's right, I'm a big wuss) so I'm not excited for tomorrow afternoon (around the time the numbness will be wearing off). Plus (and I know this will sound somewhat vain) I'm concerned about what I'll look like after...

I know eventually the teeth around that one will fill the gap and it will look great in a few months. However, in the interim, I'm worried I'll look odd, like a toothless hillbilly. :(

Oh, well. Whether I'm scared or not, it's going to happen on Friday. Wish me luck, all!!! :)

One Week Down...

only fifty-six left to go! ;)

As promised, I'm giving an update on my Invisalign experience thus far. As I stated in my initial post, the adjustment was greater than I anticipated. However, I have adapted quite well, if I do say so myself.

So here are some of the "adjustments":

• The soreness I felt on my teeth completely faded by Saturday afternoon
• Taking my aligners in and out has become increasingly easier (but has not become any less of a nuisance)
• I now have to carry a cup with me so I can place my aligners in warm water while they're out of my mouth. Convenient, right?! (Hopefully you caught my sarcasm)

I do have some good news, though...

Meet my aligners' new best friends!

On top is Retainer Brite, the daily aligner cleaner to keep them clear, germ free and fresh. Below that is Sonic Brite, a deep cleaning machine to help if any stains or cloudiness occurs. I'm so excited I found these products because I was worried my trays might begin to look old, dingy and be embarrassing to wear. Now I'm a little more confident I can get through this process with my dignity still intact.

I may still have a slight lisp, but I'm getting used to it (well, I'm coming to terms with it, at least). One year with a speech impediment isn't so bad...right?

Stay tuned for more updates... :)

Going Straight

That's right, people. After several years of deliberating, I have taken the plunge to finally straighten up.

In November, I took the first steps to see whether I would be a candidate for Invisalign. For those of you who have never heard of it, Invisalign is a series of clear, removable teeth aligners that orthodontists use as an alternative to traditional metal braces. They look like this-

Since I had braces when I was younger (5th and 6th grade) and still remember how uncomfortable, painful and awkward they were, I was determined to use this method to staighten my teeth instead. Lucky for me, I was informed I would be an excellent candidate for Invisalign.

So here we are. I received my first set of aligners yesterday. I'm a little surprised, to be honest, with how strange it feels to have them in. I saw the photos (like the one below), so I was hoping it would be simple- pop the aligners in and out and no one would know the difference.

Too bad it's not that easy. First, I currently have a lisp. Yup. For the first few days, until my tongue gets used to the extra stuff in my mouth, I'm going to sound a little funny. Second, I have had a little touble putting the aligners in, but mostly trying to pry them out. The first night (last night) is when I panicked because I just could not get them off! I was clawing at the top ones for about 10 solid minutes. Also, (and I was warned about this) it really does hurt to have them in. I was told the pain is only for the first two or three days when you get a new tray (which will be about every three weeks), but from this morning until I got home, I've been wanting to punch my teeth out! My fault for not taking any pain relievers with me to work. I'm definitely taking some Tylenol before I go to bed tonight.

The most difficult thing for me to wrap my head around, though, is how I'm going to have to limit my snacking now. :( It's such a pain (and a little embarrassing) to take the aligners out, so I'm going to try to remove them as little as possible. So basically I'll have them out for breakfast, lunch and dinner...and maybe the occassional mocha.

So as I embark on this year long endeavor, I'll periodically update you on my status/progress. Hopefully, this is a great, worthwhile experience with just a few inconveniences along the way. If not, be prepared for a lot of whining... ;) Wish me and my stubborn teeth luck! :)