Teeth Talk: I've got (adult) braces!

Well, hello there! I'm back after a long hiatus (due to laziness mostly), and I figured it was apt to begin with the obvious. My colleague is still not used to the sight of me, and whenever I smile he goes "What's new?".

Yes, I've got braces. Adult braces, to be exact - because well, I have officially entered the era of responsibilities, fast lanes and ka-ching! Which was one of my main reasons to finally bite the bullet and get metal contraptions to my teeth, at a much much later age than most of my peers. Budget was an issue during my high school days, and my dentist insisted that braces were not necessary as my condition was not overly severe.

But for vanity sake, I went ahead and got braces anyway. Don't judge. And don't get me wrong - it was tough dealing with the fact that these tiny little metal torture devices would be in my mouth for a whole TWO years. It took quite a lot of positive energy, closed smile practices in front of the mirror and sneaky stares at Julia Robert's perfect teeth.

Oh, and also because I had an initial sibling discount on the account that my younger sis started wearing them as well.

Here are some photos of my overbite and overlapping teeth:

After enduring the photos, it was time to get rid of the rabbit front teeth teeth and crooked bottom row, once and for all.

The first appointment was easy: I visited the orthodontist for a consultation and took some measurements of my teeth and placed a gum like paste over both the top and bottom rows to create a mould. She also took photographs and set me up for an X-Ray.

After reviewing the X-Ray, she sent me to extract one tooth. Only one, thankfully, as I had previously taken out three pre-molars while growing up due to overcrowding and lack of space in my tiny mouth.

Would you look at the size of that?!

One week after the extraction, I went back to the orthodontist to place separators, which were basically tiny little rubber bands in between my molars on each side, upper and lower. They created some space to place the brackets (little metal bands for the braces to adhere to).

And I'm not gonna lie - those separators - tiny as they may seem - were pretty painful. I had them on for a week, and towards the 3rd or 4th day, it was quite a challenge to chew with my back teeth.

After that, it was CRUNCH TIME! Here's what I remembered about the entire braces procedure:

Lots of sharp tools poking in my mouth, water and air being blown into my mouth at intervals, and a weird gummy, metal taste afterward. The procedure took about 30-40 minutes, tops. I had a difficulty saying 'Thank you' to the orthodontist but she was probably used to patients talking all funny while leaving the office, so she just chuckled and waved.

I didn't forget to ask if I could still eat after that. There was an extremely delicious dim sum place nearby!

If you'd like to know more about the braces procedure, here's a Youtube video you could watch: 

There are also tons of helpful Youtube videos on types of braces, how to care for your braces, and more!

As for the rubber band colours: I chose metallic grey as I wanted something subtle, since my graduation was literally two days away. It turned out to be not the best choice as the metal reflected light and made me look as if I'd just chewed R2D2 and had residue all over my front teeth.

Many people asked about the pain - and I would say the first week is definitely the worst. Imagine being hit in the mouth with a baseball bat. Okay, maybe not to that extreme, but it did feel relatively uncomfortable to chew, talk and brush. I found that dental wax (provided by your ortho) helps relieve the rubbing of metal against the inside of the mouth, and when the pain became unbearable, some Uphamol / painkillers did the trick.

But once the first week has passed, my teeth grew accustomed to the wires and I could chew normally. I would say the pain varies depending on the severity of your teeth.

For brushing, a special toothbrush is provided as well as mouth rinse and a braces care guide. Instead of using the toothbrush given by the ortho, I found that brushes with slim bristles (0.1mm or more), such as the Colgate Slim Soft, work better to get into hard to reach areas.

I also keep a spare toothbrush in my office just in case of brushing emergencies (eg: heading out for a meeting, spinach stuck somewhere unimaginable, etc).

Here's a helpful video if you have just started wearing braces and would like to know how to deal with common braces problems:

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For month 2, I went with light purple which was definitely more subtle and wearable. I also noticed my front teeth getting slightly straighter and my bottom teeth slowly aligning.

Here's the most recent photo - with a much thicker wire compared to month 1 and 2. My rabbit teeth seem to be cooperating and my bottom row is definitely showing improvement.

Above - Weekly comparison during my first month with braces.

Comparison - first and third month.

And here's how I look with braces on:

Overall, I would say that the discomfort is definitely worthwhile - I can see the changes in a mere 3 months and I really hope it would improve the quality of my bite as well as smile. 

For the total cost, I paid RM2k upon installing the braces, RM250 for the X-Ray and I also have to pay a monthly payment of RM150 for braces tightening.

Do stay tuned for more updates as I trudge along this braces journey! If you have any questions at all, leave them in the comments below. :)

Million thanks for reading! Till next time.

Love, Mabel. xx