Most people wait until all their baby teeth fall out and come back in, then they get an expander by the end of elementary school and braces in middle or high school. My journey was much more long and complicated than that. I started off with the worst under bite. My bottom teeth were completely in front of my top teeth. I was still the cutest kid ever though. Even in this picture though you can see my jaw jutting out. So it was a priority to get that aligned. My baby teeth were slow to fall out. Everyone I knew at school had lost a tooth, and I was still waiting for that magic moment. It finally happened right before Corie and I were going to see 102 Dalmatians. I was not really sure was all losing a tooth entailed though, and I was worried I would have to miss the movie. My mom assured me that a hole in my mouth would not prevent me from going. I still thought that maybe I needed to lay down for the rest of the afternoon or something. But apparently losing a baby tooth is not a big deal after all. It was a little disappointing. After the one fell out the rest would not, so I had all four of my top front teeth pulled...on the same day. I looked like I had no teeth when I smiled. Cool.
Once these teeth were pulled everything began. I got an expander in Kindergarten to make my mouth wider for all those teeth that needed to grow back in. I had that for a while and it made me talk with a lisp. Then in second grade my four front teeth were fully grown back in. Yes, it took them that long. I got braces on those four teeth and I had the back 6 pulled soon after. Pretty much the only reason I got braces then was so that I would have something to attach my headgear to. That's right, I said headgear. It was bright orange plastic and was attached to my face by rubber bands connected to my braces brackets. Luckily, I only had to wear it at night. The downside to that was the rubber band coming out of my mouth made me drool so much. One night I refused to to wear my headgear and mom told me I could wear it to church in the morning instead. I never thought she would actually make me do it. She did. It was soo embarrassing! So I wore it every night after that.
Once my jaw was perfectly aligned and all my new teeth had come in. I got my headgear off and my four little braces and I was metal free for a little while. Then in 5th grade I got the full set of braces. It was really cool at first. I was the first of all my friends to get a real full set of braces. They all thought I was so cool and mature. The coolness wore off the first time they got tightened. Ouchies! Also, in 5th grade I was not as concerned about oral hygiene. My mom would have to force me to use the Water Pick and brush all the disgusting food out of my braces. I would always gag at the Water Pick in my mouth and be super dramatic about it. I remember one time getting pineapple stuck in my braces and barfing when it came out. I got this second set of braces off in 7th grade and I was the happiest girl.
But I didn't wear my retainer so I was only happy until 8th grade when I got a full set back on. I got these off at the end of my 10th grade year. I still wear retainer to bed every night, and I have a permanent one on my bottom teeth. I am going to wear these until I get married I have decided. Then, this mouth is going to be metal free!! I hope...
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