Traveling Twosome
  • Traveling Twosome Blog
  • BeBelize - Our life in Belize (2011-2013)
  • Earlier adventures (2003-2010)
    • First Belize Trip 2010
    • Fall Sail Cruise Aboard Logos 2009
    • Conch Key 2007
    • Charleston Sailing School 2007
    • Biscayne Bay Sailing School 2007
    • Key Lime Sailing Club 2006
    • Southwest Parks 2006
    • BEYC/Jost van Dyke, BVI 2005
    • Offshore Sailing School 2004
    • Annapolis Sailboat Show 2004
    • Finger Lakes 2004
    • NY State Bike Tour 2004
    • Biras Creek, BVI 2003
Picture
"Pearl" in Winter Garden, Florida
Picture
Long shadows in Wyoming

Just Call Me Brace Face!

9/2/2017

2 Comments

 
Picture
I got my braces (well, most of them!) this past Monday.  Clear on the front top six teeth, metal on the sides and bottom teeth.  They didn't put brackets on my back molars yet, since those have crowns and need to be prepared differently; I go back to have those braced on September 18th.

It wasn't too bad getting the braces installed; no more uncomfortable than a teeth cleaning, which I'd just been through a week earlier.  The only uncomfortable part was when the technician had to pull off a metal bracket and place it differently, per the orthodontist's instructions.  They really yank those things off!  Then they have to grind the adhesive off with an instrument that sounds eerily reminiscent of a dentist's drill, a sound that instills fear in my heart!  It was a little painful and has me dreading the day I have to get all the brackets and glue taken off at once.  Owie!

Dr. Ogden, my orthodontist, couldn't have been any kinder or gentler and further confirmed for me that I made an excellent choice.

Here is a scary looking close up of my teeth in braces on Day 1.  One thing I found interesting is that they don't give you a mirror to look at your teeth after getting braced, so I walked out of the office having no idea how I looked.  Kinda different than a hair salon, eh?!
Picture
With my normal smile, the bottom metal braces really don't show much, so I'm okay with how they look.  In fact, Barry says I look younger, so I'll take it!
Picture
My teeth were fairly sore the first few days, but nothing a Tylenol or Ibuprofen couldn't handle.  I have a list of forbidden foods, but nothing I'm not already used to after breaking my jaw.  Mostly I have to avoid anything too hard, like bagels, nuts, pizza crust, baguettes, apples, corn on the cob, etc.), chewy, or sticky, like caramels.  No popcorn or chewing gum, which is probably more difficult for teens in braces than for me.  I had already been cutting a lot of food up small to eat from my jaw being a bit more vulnerable to problems during the healing phase, so I'm still doing that when necessary.

My oral hygiene routine takes up even more of my day now.  Here's what was in my "swag bag" from the orthodontist:
Picture
I have to brush my teeth a minimum of three times daily with a small, super soft brush, each time with toothpaste first, then with plain water to make sure I can see any remaining debris around my brackets.  I can't use whitening toothpaste because it might give me two-toned teeth when the brackets are removed, so I had to shop for plain Colgate and Sensodyne, harder and harder to find as most toothpastes do have whitening ingredients now.  I use a anti-plaque mouth rinse twice a day and rinse with water after any snacks when I can't brush immediately.

I have to use special orthodontic flossers that fit in behind the wires, and these are not easy to find!  The orthodontist's office gave me three to start with, but I couldn't find any more locally so had to order more online.  The typical type they sell in drugstores, I discovered after purchasing some at Walgreens, don't fit under the wires. 

See the difference in the diameter of the lower "arm" in the Platypus flossers (left) vs the standard ones for folks without braces (right)?  The skinny "arm" allows getting these things under the wires of your braces.  Ah, the things you learn!
Picture
Picture
So this is going to be my life for the next 8 to 14 months.  In the meantime, I promise my next post will be about our RV and our long-underway (but finally finished!) bedroom redo. Stay tuned!
2 Comments
Allison link
9/3/2017 12:50:41 am

Oy! I had braces in junior high, but I did not have these cleaning requirements. Probably should have. Hopefully this will go really fast without too much discomfort.

Reply
Emily Smith
9/3/2017 11:30:24 am

Me too! Braces in Junior High, and I guess I am just lucky if I brushed back then -- certainly didn't floss, use mouth rinse, etc. I remember very little about it, actually, though I have the metal mouth photos to prove it. I do remember how nice it was getting them off and finally having straight teeth. All of a sudden boys started looking at me. :-)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    ©2018 by Barry & Emily Smith. 
    ​All rights reserved.
    Picture

    Emily & Barry

    We're a long-married, early-retired couple who are currently traveling as nomads with no fixed home base.  After years of living in North Carolina (Emily's home state), we spent 18 months living oceanfront on Ambergris Caye, Belize, a year road-tripping the US in a Honda CR-V, a year in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and are now roaming North America in our 32' motorhome, Pearl, following warm weather whenever possible.

    Our passions are bicycling, walking and hiking, birding, continuing our midlife struggles to learn Spanish, enjoying healthy food (and the occasional donuts & pie!), traveling (duh!)  We travel with a fleet of bicycles and Paisley, our 10-year old Boston Terrier. 

    Picture
    Paisley, May 2016
    Picture
    States visited (pre-RV)
    Picture
    Pearl, a 2007 Newmar Bay Star
    Picture
    States visited in "Pearl"

    Archives

    July 2019
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    September 2012

    Favorite Travel Blogs

    Wheeling It
    Technomadia
    Travel with Kevin & Ruth
    San Pedro Scoop
    Metamorphosis Road
    Allison's Post-Work Thinking
    Life's a Beach!
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Traveling Twosome Blog
  • BeBelize - Our life in Belize (2011-2013)
  • Earlier adventures (2003-2010)
    • First Belize Trip 2010
    • Fall Sail Cruise Aboard Logos 2009
    • Conch Key 2007
    • Charleston Sailing School 2007
    • Biscayne Bay Sailing School 2007
    • Key Lime Sailing Club 2006
    • Southwest Parks 2006
    • BEYC/Jost van Dyke, BVI 2005
    • Offshore Sailing School 2004
    • Annapolis Sailboat Show 2004
    • Finger Lakes 2004
    • NY State Bike Tour 2004
    • Biras Creek, BVI 2003