Braces are on!

Today, I got my braces put on!  And, I'm now officially a brace face.  Was it an easy morning?  NO!  The first thing the dentist did was try to strangle me with a tongue restraining device.  Didn't work.  (And it hurt!)  So, we ended up going with this large rubber circle to hold my lips back while they placed the brackets.  That didn't hurt at all...it was just bizarre having my lips open!!  It's very important to have your teeth extremely dry so that the brackets can be glued/applied to your teeth properly.  The glue that is used smells a bit like crazy glue and is somewhat bitter if it happens to hit your tongue. 

The procedure itself to put on the brackets was long, but didn't really hurt.  The irritating part is actually getting your wires put on.  The wires are what actually move your teeth, so the dentist was putting some pulling pressure on to get them nice and tight.  At one point we stopped for a bathroom break and I said that it should be called the two-month smile rather than the six-month smile -- it just felt tight and uncomfortable. 

Now that I'm home, I'm trying to figure out life with braces.  My teeth don't hurt per say, it's just that the brackets keep catching on my lips and gums.  Very irritating.  And, I've got a bit of a headache from the whole procedure.  The dentist stressed that taking Motrin and Tylenol was really important over the few days.  I've also been given some dental wax and will be making that my new best friend.  The wax can be applied to the brackets that are rubbing against your lips/gums the most.  I've applied a bit and it does seem to make a difference!

This is me! Braces on and we're headed home.  In a regular photo, you can barely make out the outline of the braces.  Don't mind the tired look on my face.  (No make-up and my two-year-old kept me up most of the previous night!)

My crooked awful teeth -- with braces!