Brace Yourself

I'm getting older every day. We all are but I'm going through the experience of a young teenager right now. Since Chris and I have been married there have been many times when I have said I really wanted to get braces. We've discussed it off and on, but I finally did it. It's been a long process of just going through all the consultations and cleanings just to get here. I had to have a periodontal cleaning because it had been so long since I had been to the dentist. We don't have dental insurance. Then, I had to have some teeth bonded because they had been cracked and chipped. I've had a consultation appointment with the dentist and one with the orthodontist. Then, I've had to have like a million pictures taken of my teeth, gums, and X-Rays of all the same things. It's crazy what you go through. Today is the beginning. I got the top braces put on this morning. Of all the things they didn't tell me at my consultation, they forgot to tell me after having a set of braces put on you are on a liquid diet for 24 hours. Well, I didn't eat a good breakfast. I guess that should have just been something I assumed, but I didn't. I was going to have a waffle for breakfast but Eli kept acting hungry so he ate half of it after already eating most of his oatmeal and some pureed fruit. I had half a waffle. That's not much with a small glass of orange juice so as soon as I left the orthodontist I headed straight to McAlister's Deli. I needed a warm bowl of soup. I ate it in the car with no screaming kids. It was great!

My teeth and gums are already getting sore. This will continue for the next 4 days. Headaches will come and go over the next 2+ years and pain will be a tolerance I have to build upon. I don't have to go back for about 10 weeks, so I guess that's good. At some point in the next 6 months, I will also have the pleasure of taking out all my wisdom teeth. Doesn't that sound like fun! I know the end product will be worth it and then I can go back to the dentist to spend more money and have them whitened. That will be a great day! For now, I will endure with the teenagers of today and I will truly know what it feels like when my own children go through this.