Retainers

Now it is time to pick up my retainers. I am actually looking forward to getting them. I can see that a couple of the teeth are turning, so am thinking the sooner the better to get them realigned.

I should have got them on Tuesday, but a phone call changed that when they didn't arrive. So Wednesday it was. I went to the dentist and she gave me the retainer. I asked to put it on to see if it fitted and so I could be shown how to remove it. I tried, and I tried, and I tried again.....for 10 minutes, mouth starting to go red and teeth aching, I gave up. She searched through the paperwork and rang the dentist, only to find out it was someone else's retainer! Oops, no wonder it didn't fit!

So next I was given mine, putting the top on was a little uncomfortable, but that's because they have moved, taking them off.......on no, I thought it was going to be stuck on forever, in the process of pulling it off I managed to scratch my gum and make it bleed, eventually it popped off. I was told it will get easier as it is used more. But if I have to do that every day I will be going back. The bottom one is ok, slots over my teeth easily and quickly, and pops off again within a couple of seconds.

Well I have had these for 24 hours now. Sleeping in them was strange, it's like they are huge and they don't feel right, but nothing to stop me from getting my beauty sleep. Taking them off this morning, the bottom was fine, as when I tried them on, but the top.....oh dear, ouch, it felt like it took hours, but realistically maybe 2 minutes, tugging and digging my nails under, made my gum sore again. I do hope this gets easier, maybe my preconception of what was to come was wrong, or I am just a weak wimp!

Anyhow, here is a pic of my lovely retainers.

And the're off!!!!

So with baited breath I turned up at the orthodontist, 30 mins early (never a good idea at my dentist, time keeping isn't high on their list!) and waited.

I had told 3 people I may be getting the braces off, I was scared to tell anyone in case it didn't happen.

So I made it into the dentist room, sat and waited for him to look at my teeth, had my pain and suffering with the Hannibal bands been worth it, had not biting anything brought them together enough?.........

YES! He said, today we will take them off if that’s ok, I thought why are you asking, of course it is ok!

And the process began. As I saw on the video on the Internet, it took about a minute to remove each wire, just grabbed it with some sort of pliers and twisted it till the cement broke and it came away. Then he used some sort of grinding tool to take the rest off, this was a little painful, especially when he got to my super sensitive tooth. He cleaned off a bit of the staining to make them look a bit prettier and that was it done. Hardly hurt at all!

Next I had moulds taken for the retainers, these were the play-doh like stuff in the plastic trays again that I first had at the start, which took about a minute to set. I am having the plastic retainers, they should be ready to wear next week. This is a strange concept. Knowing how fast my teeth misaligned last month when I lost those bands, now I have to spend a few days with nothing on them at all?! Bizarre.

But I can't stop smiling and touching my teeth. It is strange when I do it habitually and get a shock when I don't feel anything, or when I drink something and don't have to rinse my mouth with it. But it is great to smile and not worry about crooked teeth or braces!

So here we are, the finished product and the removed braces.

I have seen a few people since I have had them removed, and so far it is about 50/50 to them commenting the braces have gone. One person said I even sound different!