Here we go again....

So it's been just over 9 years since I had my braces.  I've had no end of trouble with my teeth since then.

Firstly, I had my teeth whitened, which was great (for about 2 weeks as I used to smoke) and I ended up having my gums contoured.

The gum disease I have meant that my gums soon grew back and so I had to have them cut back again, but this time the dentist cut too far back leaving me with gaping holes in between my teeth.

So, next step I went to another dentist and had composite resin applied to hide the gaps but this has made my teeth look wider and every so often I have to have it taken off and reapplied as it stains (this time due to tea as I no longer smoke).

Due to the gum disease, my teeth have moved again. Although this time, because of the retainer holding them together, they've moved forwards, as one, so I have an overbite. And I have two massive gaps - one on each side of my 6 front upper teeth. They're so massive that the last dentist I saw thought I'd had two teeth taken out!  Two other top teeth have moved backwards into my mouth and are so wobbly, they feel like they're going to fall out at any minute.

And then last night, my retainer from 9 years ago started to fall off. I noticed from reading this blog that I already had a problem with a retainer snapping at the time and that the dentist had to put a double strength one on. Well, the retainer is fine but the stuff that holds it on has busted. It's now only held on by three teeth. My teeth are determined to move, aren't they!  I have an emergency appointment at the dentist for 10.45 this morning but the only thing she can do is remove it  completely. So I'll have to fork out a load more money to a. get it removed and then b. to have another one put there in the future by which time I don't know if my teeth will have moved back to where they were originally so I'll have to go through the whole thing again. And still end up with awful looking teeth.

And don't even get me started on the bottom ones. I know they've never had a mention in the blog before but that's mainly because I have always been able to hide them when smiling, but the two at the very front have moved so much and are so wobbly, there's no hiding those babies anymore. Not even going to talk about those ones, I'd be here all day!!

Here's an interesting piece of info. I was seeing a dentist for many years (the one who put the composite resin on my teeth) and he never once mentioned that I should see a hygienist to clean my teeth. So in all those years, my gum disease has steadily been getting worse and worse.

I visited a periodontist in January and she refuses to do anything other than give my teeth a deep cleaning. Which she scheduled for May but then rang me up to re-schedule for August as she's away.

What I really want is for my front teeth to be removed and be done with all this. I've spent thousands of pounds on my teeth over the years and they still look terrible. And now with my retainer hanging off, they're going to look even worse!!

No-one understands how depressing this is for me. Every single person I speak to (apart from hubby) tells me that I don't want false teeth at my age, there's nothing wrong with my teeth, etc. etc.  Well you have them then! Seriously, I've lived with this shit since I was 12 when I had my first brace, when do I finally say enough's enough? Just because I'm not in any physical pain (although I am at the moment, with the retainer constantly digging into my lip), doesn't mean I'm not in any mental or emotional pain.

Right, I'd better go and get ready for the dentist - again...... :(

EDIT:

So I've been to the dentist. She took off the part of my retainer that was hanging off.  So now I have a piece of retainer on one tooth (???!!!), nothing on the next two teeth and retainer on the last three. So the retainer DID snap. Seriously, if a double-strength retainer won't hold (I know it's been 9 years but even so) what chance have I got?!   I have to go back in two weeks and they'll fit a complete new one. Will cost me about £200.  Although I have a suspicion that my teeth won't stay still that long and by the time I go back, I won't be able to have a new one fitted cause my teeth will have moved. Took two months last time, but I have a feeling it's going to be a lot quicker this time around. I'm going to see my ordinary dentist again on 5th June though, so maybe he'll finally realise that we're flogging a dead horse here. Watch this space....

Finished at last?

So....I went back to the dentist about a month ago and all he did was take the band off the bracket. What a waste of time, I knew the tooth would move again but for some reason he thought it might stay put. How does that work then? I'm sure he just couldn't be bothered with me.

Anyway, obviously the tooth did move so I had to go back AGAIN and he put the band back on. A complete waste of a month. Then last week my retainer snapped right where the moving tooth is. Thankfully I still had the band on!

Finally I went back this morning and he put a double strength retainer on the back and took the dodgy metal coloured brackets off. I would be celebrating but I doubt this is over yet. I have to go back in a months time to check everything is ok. IF, and that's a big IF, everything's good then this whole saga has taken exactly a year start to finish.

Y'know, I'm seriously loosing faith with my dentist. My teeth have been really loose lately yet when I mentioned it to him today he said of course they are, they're moving and not to worry about it. Hmm........ I wouldn't be surprised if they all fell out.

Dear God, please let this be the end of it!!!

Frustrated

It's been a couple of months since I had my braces off and unfortunately one tooth has started to move again despite the permanent retainer on the back. Gutted. I went back to the dentist on Monday and he's put brackets on the tooth that's moved and the tooth next to it. It'll take about a month to close again so I'll have it on over Christmas and New Year. Oh joy. It looks bloody stupid too, they're metal brackets as he didn't have any clear ones and it looks like I've got a piece of spinach caught between my teeth or something, horrible!! And it bloody hurts!!

The rest of my teeth still look great though, it's just that one at the side. I don't know what my dentist plans to do when the gap is closed again, I guess I'll find out when I go back.

To contour or not to contour......

Hmm...since getting my braces off there's been a marked difference in my upper gums. My "gummy smile" appears to have gone. Completely. I'm not sure if I've "trained" myself to smile so that I don't show gum or whether the braces have pushed my gums up.

All very odd. I might not need the gum contouring after all which would be a result!

They're Off!

Finally! I got them completely removed today. Ready for the finished article?



Wait for it..........












Wait for it.............








TA-DA!!!!!!!!!



And just in case you'd forgotten, this is what they looked like at the start of my treatment.....





I am sooooooo chuffed!!!! It was worth every single penny. I don't think they need whitening, do you? I will get my gums sorted out though but I can't afford that at the moment. The main thing is my teeth are fixed, hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Retainer

Well, I thought I was getting my braces off today. Turns out, the dentist just put the permanent retainer on the back (which funnily enough I'm almost already used to), and took the wires off. I still have the brackets on my teeth but he wants to leave them for another 2 weeks to make sure the retainer holds my teeth in place.

I'm not that bothered, my teeth look great!! I won't post a pic today, I'll wait till I've had the brackets taken off (and the batteries are flat in my camera, lol).

So....my next entry will probably be my last for a while. Other things are happening at the moment which means I might not be able to have the gum surgery done just yet, I'll have to check it's ok with my dentist.

Anyway, off to make a cup of tea!

Braces off!

Just a quick note to say my braces come off tomorrow!! Whooo-hoooo!!!!!