Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Just Call me Brace Face


Actually, please don't. I should have known that I was in for a treat today at the dentist's office. Due to TMJ, my teeth do not meet where they're supposed to and are quickly being ground down. In addition, in order for me to open my mouth completely I have to unhinge my jaw. That's obviously not a good thing. I am going to an orthodontist on the 3rd for my first appointment. The dentist estimated I will have to wear them for 2 years. Great! A 27 year old with braces. I know there are plenty of people who have had them in their 20s and above. The issue for me is that I never had ANY trouble with my teeth or skin in high school. What happened when I got to college? My face broke out and my teeth and jaw quickly deteriorated. Oh well, what can you do? I also found out that I have 7 flossing cavities. That doesn't mean that floss is what caused them, it's actually the exact opposite. I'm not a consistent flosser, but I will be now. Especially since it's going to cost me about $100 a tooth to fix.
Moral of this story: FLOSS, FLOSS, FLOSS!!!!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Yep, I've had to step up my flossing in the past couple of years too - although I've never had any cavities - flossing or otherwise! And I also have problems with my jaw - it used to pop all the time and not allow me to open it all the way sometimes. It was cantankerous. I didn't have TMJ but probably would have if I didn't get my stint, which is sort of like a retainer. I had to wear it at night (this was back in college) to realign the muscles that were getting messed up at night because I was clinching my jaw while I slept. Anyway - now I only wear the thing about once a month and have no jaw problems. Those braces will be a pain, yes, but you will love the results!

jennifer said...

YIKES! Hopefully you aren't in too much pain! I agree with Rachel, you'll love the way your teeth look after the fact!

LoriLoo310 said...

I would have to say that braces are worth the pain of a couple of years. I had them for 3 1/2 years and they were really worth it!