Life after braces

This will most likely be my last post on this blog...although I may pop in from time to time if something comes up. But if nothing happens, then this will (most probably) be my last post here, to tie up my braces journey.

So it's been one week since I've been debraced, and while that was a milestone event in my braces journey, life after braces was, surprisingly, not much different than life during braces. It's definitely great being able to eat food without worrying about food being caught on the wires and brackets, and it's definitely freeing to have the ability to eat basically whatever I want, whenever I want, without having to rush off to the washroom immediately after to pull bits of food from the wires. That's one advantage of nighttime retainer wear--the ability to just eat and drink whatever, whenever, during for much of the day. Another difference is the simplification that is brushing and flossing now, without all the appliance in the way. Flossing is absolutely so much easier and faster without braces--I can floss my teeth so much faster now without having to thread the floss through the wire. I used to suck at flossing (though that could be because of my crooked teeth), but after nearly two years of flossing with braces, regular flossing is a piece of cake now. Granted, flossing underneath the permanent retainer is a bit of a hassle, but I'll take that over flossing with braces anyday.

Speaking of permanent retainers, I'll probably ask to have my top one adjusted on my retainer check appointment in May. The tech placed it just a bit too high--it's so high that I can't floss under it. I literally can't put a floss threader in between my teeth for my top social six...and my gums on the top arch by the canines have been bleeding with brushing. I know flossing would help...but I can't floss the gums due to the retainer....which is a bit problematic. Right now I'm just doing really good brushing and hopefully it'll be worth something.

Retainers....well, I still lisp with them in, and they make my lips and mouth so dry when I wake up in the morning with them in, but otherwise they're much, much easier to deal with than braces. Although I have noticed that my top right first premolar sitting a bit uncomfortably after taking off the retainer and getting better during the day...on days that it happens. It doesn't happen everyday, and it comes and goes. I wonder if that's just my bite settling itself. My retainers still fit perfectly, and it's not tight when I put it on every night, so that's a plus. I don't really like having plastic in my mouth, but if that's the price for maintaining straight teeth, then so be it.

It's different having straight teeth. I'm still getting used to it myself, and I still catch myself smiling in the mirrors, just to admire my new teeth. I'm learning to smile to accommodate my new chompers. It's a nice kind of different though. Though I do notice that my top arch has a slight cant to the left, and my midline is slanted and isn't actually in the middle. I don't know if I've always had that, as it's difficult to compare my current smile with my old smile, or if it's something that got unmasked as my teeth straightened...but either way, there is a slight left cant to my smile. It's not terribly noticeable, and it's probably only really noticeable by me. As I've said, a perfect Hollywood smile wasn't my aim, and I'll take straight teeth with a slightly canted smile than my old smile. Beside, if Tom Cruise can still win awards and charm Hollywood with his entire top arch shifted to the left by one entire tooth, I'm sure my slightly canted smile will be just fine.

All in all, very pleased with my results, and here's to hoping I never have to be in braces again!