How to keep an orthodontist busy...

OK so this is a HUGE step for me posting pictures of my teeth for the whole world to see...I don't even normally smile with my mouth open.  My case is definitely a difficult one as you will see below.

BEFORE PICTURES: I've requested my ODs pictures but don't have them yet.

Here is a toothy smile, definitely a rare occurance in photographs.  As you can see my midline is off quite a bit.

Here's a shot of my uppers.  One tooth is totally blocked and he wants to maybe pull this one but then I'll be asymmetrical forever so I'm still on the fence.  We (especially me) decided to wait and see how things start moving before making a final extraction decision.

Lowers after extractions of both first premolars.

Panoramic x-ray. All four wisdom teeth were extracted previously.

Lateralcephalic x-ray.  Class II mallocclusion (overbite), recommended jaw surgery is the only way to correct this due to severity.

Braces on!!!

Smile with braces.



So there you have it....I can't wait to start seeing some results and can feel things loosening/shifting around already and it's only day 2 of braces!!!  Eating is interesting especially since they have added glue bumps to my back molars to prevent biting on brackets (and apparently biting in general...lol) so soft foods it is for awhile until I figure out how to chew again.  Thats all for now.

The adventure begins...

March 28, 2011:  Today is the first day of my adventures in braces and blogging :)

A bit about myself: I am a 29 year old mom from Canada who has always wished I had a fabulous smile. Like many others my family could not afford orthodontic treatment when I was younger. I have decided to finally take the plunge and invest in my teeth and my self-esteem. My teeth are very severely crowded and will keep my orthodontist busy for awhile... I also have a class II malocclusion with recessed chin and weak profile.

I initially saw my orthodontist a couple years ago but chickened out emotionally and financially. I decided to go for it now that I have better insurance and booked again in Nov/10. I was daunted when he discussed my options which involved extractions and orthognathic jaw surgery as well. After seeing the maxillofacial surgeon in Feb/11 he recommended BSSO surgery to advance my lower jaw and possible genioplasty for my recessed chin. I am definitely nervous about this but have been researching and reading others' blogs which I found helpful in making my decision to go ahead with all of the recommended treatments.

I had my two lower bicuspids extracted last week (still have to wait to see which uppers if any need to be extracted) and my braces went on today!! Ceramic uppers and metal lowers. So far they're aching a bit and feel foreign in my mouth, to be expected I guess...Eating my mushy mac n' cheese for dinner was an adventure in itself!

I'll post some pictures of my teeth soon. Hopefully this blog can be helpful to others and document my journey through my treatment. I'm really excited for the end results and having a great smile after 18-24 months.