Day 365

Today is one year since the braces went on. It's also my beloved Caroline's birthday (she'll be my maid of honor at my wedding later this year). It's remarkable how much these little a-holes have moved in the past year.

I had my regularly scheduled tightening yesterday and the ortho says that things are coming together "more beautifully than I had originally thought". Well, aren't you flattering, doctor. The snaggletooth, aka the whole reason I've been putting myself through hell, is completely independent now. The ortho said that it was "genetically" smaller than it's partner on the other side of my mouth. I asked if that's because it grew in as a third tooth or because it ended up sideways. She said it was just genetic, which means she wants to have it bonded once this is over with. I'm a bit skeptical simply because everyone I know with bonds has to get them redone every few years and they're not cheap.

In other notes of remarkability, the snaggletooth has moved in epic proportions since yesterday. Mike joked that it was going to take forever to close the gap between it and my front teeth (which was quite big) but 5 hours later, it had shifted and another 3 hours later it was almost next to the front tooth. The unfortunate thing about how fast my tooth moves is that I can feel it. It's like a dull throb that doesn't go away that eventually results in a pulsing headache in my eye.

I've also had to start wearing the rubber bands from top to bottom again, only this time at night. Last night was quite painful and I couldn't sleep on my right side because of the bands. Guess they're helping my bite (so says the ortho). I'm sure it'll ease up a bit after a few nights.

The past few weeks have been a dream, virtually pain-free. Still some tenderness where molar gaps are closing, but I ate sandwiches and pizza without too much struggle. Don't get me wrong, it still hurt a bit, but not to the levels that it typically does. My bitching has dropped drastically and now I'm more aware how tiresome my complaints have been. Going to do my best to tough it out from here on in.

In retrospect, this blog was supposed to have regular updates and pictures of my teeth as they were moving, but this is only the second one that I've took, let alone posted. I'm a bit disappointed in myself but at the same time, this has been both a physically and emotionally painful process for me. For the most part, I've been in some form of conscious pain from the braces. Mike thinks that's irregular, I just think I'm a wimp and always need something to complain about. I've been like an awkward teenager, not knowing how to smile in pictures and definitely ruining some decent photo ops. It hasn't done much for my already low self-esteem (thanks to a drastic haircut, I've been kinda in the dumps for most of 2010 about how I look), but I'm pretty positive that I'll be happy with the results when they come off for the wedding (fingers crossed that they won't have to go back on afterward, although I'm trying my best not to get my hopes up).

Wonder when I'll get the nerve to start getting color bands?