8 weeks on...

So 2 months down and all I can say is WOW! My teeth have moved SO much! You can see in the picture below, how much difference 8 weeks has made. I won't lie, it has been painful. I've had to take ibuprofen quite a bit to help with the muscle and head pain. I would say this time has been the hardest time as they have been on over Christmas. I had to be careful what I ate and drank - no mulled wine or tough meats :(.

It was also quite an experience going to my Christmas party. Ok so everyone at works see's them everyday anyway, but it was different to actually go out in town with them on. I'm not sure why but I actually felt very nervous. As it turned out, I shouldn't have been at all. No-one really even noticed them, and I even got chatting to someone else who had them on! It turned out better than I expected and pretty soon I'll be out in town without them on!

Having both top and bottom wires changed was quite tough at first. You can really feel all your teeth moving and because of this they are extremely sensitive. Over Christmas I usually over do it with chocolate, but I couldn't even do this because they were so sensitive! Don't get me wrong, I still managed my fair share of Thorntons, but obviously I had to be picky as you can't have fudge or anything that's crunchy, going to get stuck or end up pulling the brackets off.

Here's a before and after picture at 8 weeks.

As you can see, the top ones are actually almost finished! I was hoping in my next appointment at 12 weeks, the top ones would be finished, but it turns out there's one stubborn one that hasn't quite turned properly yet. So it looks like they still need another couple of months. However, if they do come off at 16 weeks, I'll still be a very happy lady!

4 weeks on...

Today has been 4 weeks since the braces went on, so it's time to have them tightened! I can't actually believe it's already been 4 weeks, it's gone so quick. I am SO glad I pushed through it because I feel so much better about my braces now. The ulcers have stopped and I'm talking more normal. I think they key is to have confidence and to realise that actually, they're only braces! They're normal!

Getting them tightened wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I assumed I'd be in pain but I actually wasn't. If your teeth are overcrowded, you have to have each tooth filed so that it creates room when they move, this wasn't painful at all. They just get a small piece of material (think of a nail file but smoother), and place it between each tooth. This makes the teeth slightly smaller so that there's room for your teeth to move. As long as you don't mind the filing sound then it's fine!

I only had my top teeth tightened in the end as my bottom ones haven't moved enough. Now they've been filed and some room has been created, they should move a lot more.

The worse thing out of all of this has been the eating. Only having white soft foods is starting to get on my nerves and I've lost a lot of weight due to this. I don't think I've weighed this little since I was about 12! At least I'll have fun putting it back on again once they're off! Yummm big chunky burgers and currys!

The first 2 weeks

So, I'm going to be blogging about something slightly different for the next few months. I've decided to go ahead and get braces! I've never been a great fan of my teeth, the front 8 (4 at the top, and 4 at the bottom) have always been wonky. When I was 11 I was told by the dentist I needed a brace, but I kicked up a fuss and said I didn't want one. God knows why, but everyone listened to me. The dentist and my parents both said 'ok, no problem'. NO PROBLEM?? Who listens to an 11 year old! If only they'd have forced me to wear one, then I would have saved myself a good wod of cash. Anyway, fast forward 14 years later, and I'm now in one.

I'm not going to lie to you. I cried. I cried when I first looked in the mirror, I cried when I got home, and I cried the next day when the pain started to kick in. I'm going to be totally honest, the only reason I cried was out of vanity. I work in a pretty big building and talk to a lot of people on a daily basis, so was convinced I'd stand out like a sore thumb. I was absolutely cacking myself walking into work the next day. I don't really know why, it's only a brace - plus, 4 other people on my floor all have them in, it's not like no-one has seen one before. The more I started talking to people, the more comfortable I got. By the end of the day I was laughing again and actually didn't feel so bad.

One of the worst things is the duck face. Everyone is telling me I'm being silly, but I honestly do feel like my whole mouth sticks out for a good mile. I think I just need to get used to it and let it settle down. Several people have told me that after a couple of weeks you don't even notice. I have a bit of a lisp which is really annoying, and I feel like a baby having to mush all my food up. Say goodbye to sweets, curry, dark drinks and anything that's chewy or hard.

I'm going to push through for as long as I can. My dentist has said I may only need them on for 12 weeks. So I'm hoping it'll be the quickest 12 weeks I've ever known! I'll keep you updated with regular posts. But please feel free to ask me any questions!