Today was my appointment to pick up my retainers. I chose the Hawley retainer per my orthodontist's recommendation because of how severe my issues were and this retainer is stronger and more likely to keep everything in place.
How did the appointment go? When I arrived the lab tech brought my retainers and showed me how to put them in and take them out. She then spent about five minutes taking them in and out in order to bend the wire as needed to make sure that the wire fits snuggly against all my teeth. After this was done, she taught me how to clean them and other care instructions. To clean them I cannot use toothpaste because it is abrasive and will scratch the plastic, which will be a place for bacteria to grow. So, I am supposed to use a little bit of hand soap and warm water. She also gave me a photo collage of my before and after photos and we spent some time looking at them. I have gone through a dramatic change and I literally forgot how bad my teeth were. My self-esteem was tied into my smile and I didn't talk to anyone or smile or laugh because of how self-conscious I was. I was isolated and depressed because of my smile. I don't even recognize that person anymore because of how my self-esteem has grown and I can finally come out of my shell. So, if you are thinking about doing this, do it. It will be beyond worth it. I would do it 100 times over if I had to because of how much my life has changed. Two years is all I invested to have decades of confidence and comfort with my bite and smile. How long do you have to wear the retainers? I have a retainer check appointment in two months. Until then, I have to wear them 24/7 except when eating and brushing. After this appointment, hopefully I will get the OK to only have to wear them at night. My orthodontist came by and made sure the retainers fit correctly. I then asked him a few questions: What can I do about the white spots on my teeth? He told me that most of those spots were already there and the new ones should fade with time. He also suggested whitening because it will minimize the contrast and help the white spots blend in. Google says the white spots are there because I did not take care of my teeth during my treatment. I did the best I could with brushing, flossing, and waterpiking. So, hopefully they will fade away soon! When can I bleach my teeth? Right now. He ground off all the glue and I am good to start my whitening phase. Should I use a whitening strips or go to the dentist? He said "try the cheap stuff first." Makes sense. The whitening strips work for some and not for others, so why not give the cheaper alternative a try first? How do the retainers feel? My talking is very slurred and hard to understand right now. I was told this will get better as I talk more and get used to them. The bottom one is sorta cutting into the area under my tongue, which is uncomfortable. I didn't realize this until I got home though, so make sure you move your tongue around a bit to see if you have this problem and maybe it can be fixed before you leave. When I take the retainers out, my teeth initially feel a little sore, but nowhere near as sore as I expected. They are real easy to pop in and out and haven't been an inconvenience so far.
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7/7/2016 04:52:45 am
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