Month 8 and Week 35

...aaaand another month is up! Holy cow, time's just a flying, isn't it? I don't remember eight months passing by since I've gotten braces on in April, but obviously it has been eight months because here we are, in December. In some ways, it really only feels like yesterday when I went to the orthodontist to have the brackets applied and the first wires slotted in (and boy, do I remember the pain and the learning curve that came with that), but looking at my teeth now, it's all been so worth it.

In the span of eight months, my teeth have straighten, leveled and aligned. Compared to my "before" picture, it's like we're talking about two different sets of teeth. And I guess, in a way, we are. I mean, that's kind of why I voluntarily signed up for braces, for straighter teeth. And the correct my bite. So obviously, my "before" teeth and my "current" teeth are definitely two different sets of teeth. One is a vast improvement on the other.

In this past month, I managed to finally be rid of elastics (hopefully for good. Really really hoping for good. Crossing my fingers that the orthodontist doesn't put me back on them when I next go in to see him in January). My open bite is definitely 100% gone, and I've got that small overbite that an ideal bite has. My top lateral incisors have rotated out a little more. The gap between my lower right lateral incisor and canine have closed. My upper left canine have got the bracket repositioned, and right now it's looking a little...tipped inward, but I'm sure that's nothing a new wire and/or bracket repositioning can't fix.

I think it's time to do another Things I've Learned (So Far), just because I haven't done one in a such a long time! Plus eight months is a good time as any to do one.

So...Things I've Learned (So Far):
1) Wear your elastics religiously. They work. They are a pain in the ass (and mouth), but they do work. They are a necessary evil.
2) Life with braces is so, so, so much more freeing and better without elastics. The more compliant you are with elastics wear, the sooner you will reach the desired changes, which means, the sooner you will be rid of them.
3) Brushing and flossing gets much, much easier with practice. Before it would take me forever to brush and floss, and now it takes me 10-15 minutes. Which isn't bad.
4) You learn to swish water very well when eating out. (Admittedly this probably a bad habit, and for those of you reading, please don't pick up this habit. Don't be lazy like me. Pack a toothbrush and toothpaste and brush after eating out.)
5) Powerchains are a bit like elastics--they are a pain, but they do work to close gaps. So put up with them if you want your gaps closed!
6) Not all food on the banned list are equally bad. Granted you really shouldn't be eating anything on the banned list. But if you're careful and crafty enough....(full confession: I've eaten candy bars with bits of nuts in them. And nothing's happened. But I was super careful with the nuts. I've also eaten chips. Again I was super careful with them).
7) Your changing bite will feel weird and awkward at times, and some days you don't even know how to bite food because of the changing bite. That's normal. Your mouth will always find a way.
8) If it weren't for the fact that I see my bite turbos everytime I brush, and the fact that I can feel them with my tongue, I'd have forgotten that they're there.
9) It feels really fucking weird to have the wires out and the brackets gate opened with nothing in them. I can not stress enough how weird the feeling is.
10) Bracket repositioning is a necessary evil, and not one that is particularly enjoyable.

Before. Look how my teeth have changed over the course of 8 months. It really is amazing. And man....look at the cross bite, the gap in between my front central incisor, the way my top left central incisor slanted towards the left...I definitely don't miss this at all

Month 7

Week 34

Month 8/Week 35. Look at all the change that have happened! Cross bite is gone. Gap between front central incisors is gone. Teeth are mostly straightened and aligned. No more edge to edge bite. It's amazing what some brackets and wires and time can do!