archwired

For a couple of months that i was planning to go to the dentist for orthodontic treatment, i was able to finally have my teeth wired yesterday. But i had several visits to the clinic before the installation was done.

So when i started the half-day session, i was feeling weird. Wondering if it would be really painful or what. In the first place, i don't like going to doctors... with all the 'hospital smell' and needles. Anyway, i braved these fears with the hope that my lisping and my overbite will be corrected.

Yes, i have a Class II malocclusion, so the dentist say. Indeed, i have been lisping when i talk and i could not tear food with my front teeth because i also had an open bite. Double trouble.

So i lied down on the dentist chair, opened my mouth wide and closed my eyes. I told myself i just have to overcome my fear at the start -- and the rest would probably be okay.

So the doc polished every teeth and then placed some soury, weird-tasting substance on each teeth. Because i was reading a lot of articles in the net about teeth braces, i knew it was that 'glue' that holds each bracket into each teeth. Where else would i know that if i have closed my eyes for most of the time she was doing the job, but at least, i felt she was trying to stick those small metal brackets skillfully. One by one, she glued the metal brackets and everytime i was told to gargle, i can already feel the metals touching the inside of my cheeks.

Then she placed the buccal tube on each side of my lower teeth which probably holds the archwires that she placed after the tubes were installed. From what i see, it looked like a small hook that holds the thin wires on both ends. Aside from the feeling of heaviness on my teeth, i felt the pain of my lips being torn apart. The doc's assistant was pulling it outwards so they could glue the hook at the molars. Sure, my lips was torn. There was blood from the inside of my mouth. Then she fastened those little rubber bands into each bracket.

Before the session was done, i was made to choose from a variety of colors of the rubber. That made the brace looked like an ornament - with colors from pink to violet to neon green. i would have preferred gold but it costs a little higher so i chose teal instead.

it was like having teal flowerettes on each tooth. not bad. but there was no pain. yes, it just feels heavy with the 'metal feel' on the insides of your mouth.

today, it still feels heavy but i have problems with eating. my right incisor feels numb and i couldn't eat fast nor big chunks of food! and oh my, brushing and flossing has become a tedious chore now. even the touch of the toothbrush bristles is painful on the gumline.. my oh my. but if i'd endure this, hopefully, these will pay off.

it's just that, it's hard to be on a weight-gain diet with this metals on my mouth... hmmm...