12 June 2014, Thursday, Day 1.
Braces fitting date. I initially chose the next day but it was Friday the 13th so to be safe, I moved it to Thursday the 12th. Haha.
For those who are wondering, no pain at all during the braces fitting! It was so comfortable that I almost fell asleep on the dentist chair. Haha. Only towards the end there was some pressure applied but the session overall was easy breezy. At first it felt a little weird to have something extra infront of my teeth and my mouth is a constant pout when I close it. Practiced smiling for the next 30 minutes... and realize I can't smile without teeth at all now.... No biggie, because my smile without teeth before braces was horrible anyway. Haha.
My first braces photo! Close up you can see the clear brackets. My smile is kinda different from usual because Dr Sham had to fit something temporary in my back teeth so that I don't bite on the brackets and because of that, my top front teeth doesn't touch the bottom front teeth anymore. It's different for everyone though.
The awesome thing about ceramic braces? 1-2 meters away from frontal view, cannot see the braces at all! Most people don't realize that I am wearing braces until I tell them or when they come nearer! I even went to Milly's 3rd outlet grand opening right after braces fitting and you can refer to the photos from that entry - can't see the ceramics at all.
It was quite okay for the first few hours but the misery came when I tried to have dinner. Dr Sham advised me to have porridge for the first day so I ordered fish porridge... I realize it is very difficult to have food at all! It was difficult to fit the rice into my mouth... probably the spoon I was using was too thick. End up I used chopsticks to push them in and it was easier. Anyway... the good thing about having braces is that we tend to eat less, and at the same time diet. However, I am always feeling hungry so I am really quite vexed now about what I can eat. Now is really a good time to try those meal replacement juices!
At night, I felt the ache looming and quickly popped some painkillers. Dr Sham has advised that usually the most painful period is between 12 - 24 hours AFTER fitting. I can feel pain on one of my front tooth already. But many people also say that it only hurts for a week only. Can't wait for it to feel normal!
13 June 2014. Friday, Day 2.
Yeap, Friday the 13th. Things didn't go too well this day. It was more sore than Day 1, and I felt a slight regret. Like, why am I putting myself through this misery? It's not like my teeth before was extremely hideous!
The main reason for my misery..... was the inability to eat.
It surprised me very much that I didn't really care much about how I looked with braces. My lips did look unnatural when closed because I already have protruding mouth before braces, so after braces, it was understandably slightly more protruding. I believe it would go back soon as the teeth move. Many people also did not realize I had braces on until I told them! There was pressure and soreness but still bearable... It comes and goes.
However, I did spend the entire day feeling miserable about the eating difficulty because my front tooth was weak from the new braces and the side teeth had huge gaps from the tooth extraction. Hungry all the time yet nothing much I can eat easily. I think it was especially worse for me because of braces PLUS extraction gaps. It would actually be easy to bite using the side teeth even when the front hurts, but I could not because food kept dropping into the extraction holes. Read online that I would probably need 1-2 weeks before eating normally again. Can't wait!
For those of you who do not have to go through extractions, I think eating would be quite easy.... Besides not being able to bite from the front (just cut meat into smaller sizes), just use the back teeth to chew. For those who extracted teeth like me..... Good luck.... Haha. I got quite tired chewing carefully with only two back teeth and swallowing food that are not soft enough.
By day 4-5, I realize I started to eat more rice and meat.... Although have to eat quite slowly, but at least they are solid food and make me feel fuller.
By 1 week, I was able to have normal meals again, although I can't really gobble up my food like the past. The good thing is, the ache was significantly lesser!
After 2 weeks, I was able to eat normally, except for certain food. I was still able to eat my favourite chicken wings as long as I use my hands/forks to cut instead of using my frontal teeth to bite into it. Sometimes I even forget that I am wearing braces! Saying good bye to my "almost-diet" because I am back to being a glutton. Lol.
Also, I realize that my dental hygiene has gone up by heaps after braces because I tend to brush after every meal and make sure that no food is stuck in between the teeth. After using the special tiny brush, then I realize how much dirt can be trapped! Brushing alone is not enough!
As braces is a long commitment, and there is bound to be some depressing periods during the braces journey, I believe it is extremely important to get a good orthodontist that we can trust!
TLC DENTAL CENTRE
9 Penang Road #07-27
Park Mall
Singapore 238459
Phone: (65) 6338 6639
Website: http://www.tlcdental.com.sg/aesthetic-braces/
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