Hello, from your friendly neighborhood dental assistant! My name is Emily. Let's talk for a minute about my teeth. (Crazy right, we normally talk about your teeth, but this time it's all about mine!) I was really unhappy with the appearance of my teeth. There was no space, and they were very crowded in the front. When I smiled, I tried not to show them often because I disliked how they looked. Even while I was looking for a picture for this blog, I had a hard time finding a picture where I was showing my teeth. Obviously, I tried to hide it more than I had originally thought.
However, a solution soon came to my rescue! I began working at York Dental and was so excited to learn that Dr. Alrabady (Dr. A) provided orthodontic services. As I continued working and becoming more familiar with the processes involved with braces, I felt more confident that this would be my dental salvation.
I had talked with Dr. A about the possibility of getting braces and he said that I would be a good candidate because of the crowding that I have. I then made an appointment at our office to have a cleaning to make sure that my dental health was good. I left the appointment cavity free!!! But... I had to have my wisdom teeth removed. So I scheduled a couple more appointments with Dr. A to take care of my wisdom teeth. My wisdom teeth had been bothering me for some time, so having to get them removed was no news to me. I was a bit anxious about the shot though, since I had never had any major dental work done. However, Dr. A used an instrument called the "DentalVibe" when he injected the anesthetic, which made it virtually painless. The DentalVibe basically massages or pulsates in the area where the injection will take place and causes patients to sense the vibrations rather than the injection. I felt little to no pain at all. After two quick appointments, my wisdom teeth were out, and I would not have to experience anymore discomfort from them. I had a little bit of pain from the extractions the next few days, but it was nothing that a little tylenol couldn't help. I waited about two weeks before getting the braces to give the extraction sites time to heal.
Then came the day! April 26, 2016 I was finally ready to start with braces.
We began with some diagnostic procedures, such as x-rays, impressions, and pictures, so that we would be able to evaluate the progress I would be making as I continued in treatment. We took two types of x-rays: cephalometric and panoramic. The cephalometric x-ray shows a side-view of the face, as well as the jaw alignment and the way you bite. The panoramic x-ray gives an entire view of the oral cavity and surrounding structures and tissues.
We took some impressions and made models of my teeth out of plaster. Then we took the following super attractive pictures of my teeth:
When we had finished with all the preliminaries, it was time to begin. First, my co-worker, Nicole, placed separators in between the molar tooth that the band would go around and the surrounding teeth. Then she prepared my teeth to have the brackets placed on them. Dr. A placed the brackets, in order that they would have the best possibility for movement and that they may straighten into the correct positions by the end of my treatment.
That night I had some minor discomfort where the separators were placed because they were beginning to shift. I had never really felt my teeth shift as an adult, and it was one of the weirdest parts of the whole process. The ache was not severe though, just faintly irritating.
I had my brackets and separators, but the job was not quite complete. The separators would not stay in forever. I had an appointment the next day to have the separators removed, have them replaced with bands, and also have a wire placed. The bands completely surrounded the first molar to hold the wire in its designated position. They also alleviated nearly all the discomfort I had previously had from the separators. A wire was then placed and tiny metal ties were looped around each of the brackets.
And that was ultimately what I experienced in getting braces. I know now what is involved, and I can more easily discuss and understand what patients might experience in getting braces. Even though I sometimes get food stuck in between the brackets, I have to be careful with the things I eat, and dental wax has become my best friend, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I keep looking forward to the outcome. I am already beginning to notice a difference when I smile and in the general feeling of my teeth. I'm excited to see what is in store within the next few months of this process.
So now I am on my way to a more beautiful smile. One that I am comfortable showing off... One that deserves to be shown off.
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