The amazing braced belly dancer

A friend and I got hired for a birthday party gig last night at an Indian restaurant.  I thought it went pretty well - all the diners seems to enjoy watching me...but then it occurred to me that they might just be staring at my braces!  :(  Ugh, even when I'm all dolled-up and feeling pretty, the braces manage to knock me back to reality like THAT!

Oh, well.

Just a quick update on the Tung Brush.  Several people commented on the whole "bleeding" thing.  It's not like it was a ton of bleeding - it was more like I scraped a little too hard.  And it actually only happened the one time.  You know all the little bumps on your tongue?  I basically scraped off one of those, I think...  Hopefully that makes sense... ???  Overall, I'm really enamored by the brush - it feels like it gets a lot more gunk off of my tongue with much less effort that using my regular toothbrush. 

Now, those pix are a different story.  I'm not good with flossing apparatuses, I guess.   I need to stick with my regular floss - Oral-B Super Floss.  I freakin' love this stuff.  I couldn't get the hang of those floss threaders, but these strings come with a stiff end so you don't need a separate threader.  The Oral Pix, oh those damn Oral Pix.  True, I only tried one, but I managed to stab myself in the gum and let me tell you - that was some blood!  Maybe someone else will have an easier time with them, but I just don't think I have the dexterity for poking little plastic swords between my teeth...

Happy Memorial Day weekend, all...

No pain, no...well, no pain

Wow, so far, nothing hurts.  Maybe it’s too early.  I had my 3^rd official appointment at the ortho this morning at 8.  Only the bottom wire was replaced, moving me up to a 14.25.  There was some minor trouble getting the farthest back two doors shut, due to my incredibly small mouth, I’m sure, but other than that it was a pretty smooth appointment.  I ate a good breakfast – Camille’s Sidewalk Café “Original” breakfast wrap – eggs, bacon, cheese, and tomatoes in a jalapeño-cheddar tortilla….mmm – in anticipation of not being about to chew the rest of the day.  But, 4 hours later, nothing really hurts.  I’m almost disappointed!  :-# 

My next appointment is in 10 week, July 22, at which point Dr. Weber will probably move some brackets around – no new wires.  

 

Dr. Weber also gave me some “Opal Pix” – basically flat sticks for flossing.  (I think my enthusiasm to floss while the wire was off took him by surprise.  I’m flossing regularly, really I am.  But flossing takes FOREVER, so the chance to floss my entire bottom row in less than 30 seconds is THRILLING.  Ah, the sorry state of my life…)  Anyone else try these yet?  Good?  Bad?  Indifferent? 

 

The Tung Brush is going well.  I can’t say that I’m noticing a huge difference yet, ‘cause I’m a big tongue-brusher anyway.  The packaging warned that my tongue might “get sore and bleed”.  Eek.  That’s not really what you want to see on a dental care product…  Basically it’s just a toothbrush with a   round flat head.  The bristles are stiffer and shorter, for better scrubbing power, I guess.  I’ve been using it for 2 days, and last night my tongue DID bleed a little, so if you’re going to try this product, be prepared!  The package also claimed that it wouldn’t trigger my gag reflex, but that’s a joke! :-#   I will post again about my breath – we’ll see how much of a difference this makes over the long haul.  Grade so far:  B+

 

 

Nice and clean

Yesterday I went for my first dental checkup and cleaning since being braced.  Wow.  It took FOREVER.  The hygeinist said I was doing a good job of cleaning, but ortho is just that much harder to keep clean and I still had a lot of buildup.  Oh, well.  No cavities, as usual.  :)

Tonight while grocery shopping, I had the foresight NOT to buy a ton of food that required chewing.  I'm getting a new wire on Thursday so I am expecting several days of soft foods...  In March, right before my first new wire, I bought a huge tub of organic baby salad mix.  Stupid!  Hello, braces to Aimee!!!  You can't eat salad without working teeth! :-#  Lesson learned.  At least my husband enjoyed several days of baby spinach...  This time I stocked up on Stoneyfield Farms Caramel Yogurt (SO good!) and Naked smoothies...

Ooh, and I bought a tongue brush.  Well, it's a Tung Brush.  Anyone use one of these things before?  I feel like I still have icky breath and maybe I'm just not getting all the gunk off the back of my tongue... we shall see...

slacker

I’m being a blogging slacker.  Does anyone else just go through periods where they have a lot to say and periods where they just don’t?  I’m in one of those “quiet times”.  The Braces are fine.  I had a slight toothache yesterday in a tooth that has moved quite a bit, so I’m not too worried about it.  I feel like I have been eating a ton lately.  I’m not entirely sure if I’m eating more than normal, or if I’m just spending more time eating due to the careful-chewing factor.  Eating actually wears me out sometimes! 

 

I have a cleaning in two weeks and an adjustment a few days after that – I’ll get a new wire, I’m assuming.  I wish time were moving faster.  While I preach patience to everyone else, I really possess very little myself!  I just want this to be over!  I’ve gotten increasingly aware of people staring at me.  Since I don’t really notice The Braces as much – I can talk and eat without too much hassle – I forget they are there and then wonder why people are looking at me funny.  Then I remember!  Damn metal mouth!  Last week I attended an art tour and made the mistake of trying to socialize while snacking on chips and guacamole.  Everytime I took a bite, someone would try to talk to me.  Grrr…

 

I got a letter about my 10 year high school reunion.  I was planning on skipping it, mostly because of The Braces, but I’d kinda like to go.  I don’t get home very often, plus its during our County Fair, which my husband has never witnessed.  So, maybe I’ll suck it up and go.  I’ve done quite a bit with my life since high school – may as well go back and rub it in, huh? :-#

 

How is everyone else doing? 

 

minor irritation

I’ve got some irritated gums, just on the top right side of my mouth.  It seems to be minor; I only just now noticed after brushing up post-lunch…  I hope it’s nothing serious!  I have a dentist appointment in about 4 weeks, and I’m praying that my streak of no-cavities checkups continues unmarred now that I’m in braces.  I haven’t had a cavity since high school.  I’ve got good teeth – they’re just kind of ugly. J 

A week or so ago, I was experiencing another kind of tooth pain – a weird every-now-and-then oh-my-god-that-hurts throb along the left side of my mouth.  When I described it to my husband, he told me I’d described the pain he gets before needing a root canal!!!  It has since disappeared…for good I hope.  Is it me, or does everytime your mouth hurt feel like the first time?  Like, you don’t recognize the pain as a kind you’ve felt before?  I’m guessing that’s what happened – I’ve probably felt that same sensation several times and just didn’t recognize it…  That’s the theory I’m going with at least – it seems to be the least scary!

 

Ooh, and on the progress front, I’ve noticed that the space between my bottom 1^st molars and my wisdom teeth has closed significantly.  I’m not getting crap stuck in there nearly as much!  Heck, they can take the braces off right now!  That was definitely high on my list of things to fix…

Ugh

You know what doesn’t go well with braces?  A monster cold.  I went to bed so sick on Sunday night that I didn’t even brush my teeth.  That’s pretty bad!  I’m much better today, but still coughing like mad.  Ugh.  At least it’s not the flu… L

 

Finally...some photos

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I promised pics like 2 months ago... :-#

First of all, a refresher on the "before" - my "orthodontic mug shot" if you will.


Ugh, I absolutely abhor photos of myself. And OF COURSE, I didn't wear makeup the day I got braces, since I figured I'd be drooling everywhere... So, sigh...here's the only photo I got on Braces Day before I went to the ortho:



And after I got back home:



And here are a couple that I just took. I apparently don't have any kind of macro setting on this camera, so I apologize for the crappy shots...


Man, that looks so creepy - you can see my eyes. I look like some sort of screaming freak. :)

As usual, I majorly need lip balm, but you can tell from the "befores" that my top front teeth are much straighter, and as the nice lady at work said "not sticking out as much."

So, there you go! Enjoy! I'm certainly not.... ;)