I'm 34 years old...if I had to guess, this started developing maybe around 20ish (?). I never REALLY needed braces as a kid. No dentist ever informed my parents if I did.
I'll spare you the trip down memory lane lol. All that really matters now is that yes...I'm an adult and yes...I need braces.
I notice the lack of information about really correcting an underbite without surgery. Ummmmmm yeah, I'm not 'bout that life. I don't want to go the route of having jaw surgery. I think I can be satisfied with near perfect underbite correction...I'm not that vain lol.
So this blog is to chronicle my entire braces journey. I hope this can serve as some sort of encouragement to those of you out there that may not want to or maybe can't afford jaw surgery AND braces.
Let's start from the beginning shall we?
Well the beginning of this journey....
Some time last year I decided that I wanted to do something about my increasingly bad underbite. My teeth aren't HORRIBLE...however, I hate my smile and my profile.
The worse my teeth get, the older I think it makes me look. Kinda like the cartoon witches with the old lady chin and underbite *wipes away forming tears*.
So for open enrollment I changed my dental insurance at work and made up my mind that I was going to do this!
A couple months later here I am looking for dentists in my network that could do this. I soon found out the difference between an orthodontist and a regular DDS. Yeah I know, wth? I've just never been big on going to the dentist regularly...well until one of my teeth demand me to do so. One root canal, a couple fillings, one molar extraction...yeah of course I'll go THEN.
All of that's changing now. I found a dentist close to home, booked an appointment and started the ball rolling. Dr Charles Jouandot is now my (and my daughter's) regular dentist. He's pretty cool. He dealt with me being scared and acting like an afraid kid smh. He also sung second line music while he did my dental work, so that's definitely awesome in my book!
(If you've never been to New Orleans and experienced the awesomeness that is my home...Ion't know WHAT your life is about!)
So far I've had my X-rays done, a good cleaning, 2 new fillings and an old filling removed and redone. I was a little worried because Dr Charles found that all of my wisdoms grew in at a completely twisted 90 degree angle, which makes them impossible to remove without surgery. I prayed they wouldn't be an issue with braces because they've never bothered me. Not once. Never since I've had them (all 19 years) have they given me any trouble.
On last Thursday I had my 1st ortho consultation with Dr Leeann Evans. She's soooooo pretty! Like model pretty. I know...that's way off topic.
Anyway, your 1st consultation is always free which is awesome! They take X-rays, examine your teeth, and come up with a treatment plan. They tell you the financials and even tell you what your downpayment has to be.
At 1st glance Dr Evans already determined that I'd need surgery. She told me that my upper jaw was too far back in addition to my lower jaw being too far out...
I told her right then and there that I wasn't interested in having jaw surgery. She explained to me that braces could correct some of the issue but it will never be perfect. I kinda figured that but I was willing to take my chances. As she's looking at my X-rays she's looking at the missing molar and other things, I ask her a question.
Does it matter at all that I can pull my jaw back on my own?
She looks at me and said "You can?"
Yep! I can....wait how?
Here's some pictures. Now lemme just say...I'm REALLY putting myself out there. I don't like my smile...I never show my teeth in pictures. Just.......no.
*sigh*
So here are some profile pictures with my teeth showing and hidden. Also a straight on picture showing how it looks if I bite down completely. Pretty bad underbite, don't you think!?
Well.....
Here's what I mean by "I can move my jaw back on my own". It's still apparent that I have an underbite but NOWHERE NEAR as bad, right? It even changes my profile a little bit.
Well once I showed Dr Evans this she said, oh well we can definitely correct this without surgery!
*queues angelic harps and singing*
You're talking about a happy woman?!?
I was told by Dr Charles to make sure I ask about the wisdom teeth issue. Dr Evans told me that as long as they're not bothering me and I can keep them clean, there's no real reason to remove them. They aren't going to effect her treatment plan.
Say wha nah?!
But there's still the issue of the missing molar. What missing molar? This missing molar...
Yeah....what happens now? How is this corrected? Well.....
Dr Evans is examining my teeth and yelling out dental lingo that I don't nearly understand to a dental assistant in the room with us. When she's done in my mouth.....pause LOL.....I ask her about the molar opposite that missing tooth. It's had a root canal and filling. Dr Charles is also going to have to remove that filling and crown the tooth because it was so poorly done.
She tells me that it's not a standard treatment plan but since that tooth has already been compromised, she'd rather remove that one instead of a tooth that's still good. Usually if any teeth need to be removed, it's more than likely premolars but this case will be different.
She begins writing out and explaining her treatment plan. I'll have that molar removed by Dr Charles and have lower braces for about 6-8 months. This will start on the teeth behind the missing molar and pull the tooth in front of the space back. Then once those teeth on both sides move halfway into that space, she'll connect the next preceding tooth and so on. If I remember correctly, once we get to the canines the rest of the bottom braces will be installed across the bottom front to pull my bottom teeth back. I'll have a piece installed that will prevent me from biting down all the way. I'm sorry I really forgot the technical name for it. At any rate, it's going to be necessary to stop my teeth from clashing into each other and allow my bottom teeth to be moved to where they're supposed to be.
After she thinks my bottom teeth have progressed to where she wants them, then the top braces will be installed and we'll go from there.
All in all she said I'm looking at 2-3 years in braces. She also told me she'd prefer me in metal braces...those are more aggressive and will give her more of the results she wants. That was actually pretty fine by me! They're the cheapest anyway!
*does the money dance*
So on to the financial part of it all. Yes...they're expensive. REALLY expensive...$5300
But....because I elected to change my dental coverage, Humana pays $1250 of that. Even for adults...so that's VERY helpful! They worked the numbers and determined that my downpayment has to be $1060 and my monthly payments for 24 months will be $125.
I asked about stretching the payments out further to make them more affordable. She was able to stretch them out to 30 months and that drops them to about $100. Sweet!
I'm going to give them $1200 (even more if I have more by the time my appointment rolls around). I've saved a good bit of my income tax return for this purpose.
*says a little prayer for EIC and a very good boyfriend*
My next dental appointment is with Dr Charles on 4/22 to have that molar removed. After that I have about a week to heal and I see Dr Evans on 4/28 for my records appointment and to install my bottom braces. From what I understand they'll take before pictures, impressions, more X-rays and lay out a more extensive treatment plan. They'll submit this to my insurance and also apply my downpayment. Then set up autopay from any account I choose for monthly payments. Easy-peasy.
I'm very excited to finally have a smile I'm happy with again. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. But the end will justify the means and I'll have my perfect smile!
I know I said this already but...I really hope this helps someone. It can be discouraging to think the only way to correct our particular problem is to have jaw surgery. There are other options! You just have to find an open minded orthodontist and make it clear what you want. Understand that your results may not be 100% perfect, but I know it'll be an improvement!
Leave ya girl some comments, encouraging words...or whatever you feel like leaving.
I'll be back after having that molar removed....
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