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Previous update: Braces #6
To read all of my journeys click this tag: Metal-Mouth Me
This is my last braces update!! γ½(*・Ο・)οΎ
#22 : My last Visit. 20 July 2014
I'm sorry but I can't really remember what I've done during my visit after October 2015 to June 2014. They were fine tuning my smile and teeth, so it just repositions my brackets, changes of wires in repeat.
But during my last visit on 20 July 2014, my doctor came and ask me, "So, are you ready to remove your braces?" I glee happily and said YES. I know I'm gonna miss wearing braces but I too can't wait to see my new smile!
Once I removed my braces, my Ortho proceed to make a mold for my retainer! He told me to wear my retainer 24 hours for the past 6 months, and after that, i could wear it only in my sleep. I'm not sure how long should I wear my retainer, 5 years 10 years? but I might wear it for a lifetime I guess.
// REVIEWS & THOUGHT //
I'm a Damon clear/ceramic braces user to correct my underbite. I've been wearing my braces for 2 years, 8 months, 27 days. That's 1001 days in total. I'd my braces done at *Imperial Dental Specialist Centre, Bangsar and this is the end of my braces journey. :')
*P.s, Imperial Dental Specialist Centre used to call How's Orthodontic when I 1st visited there and then changed to Beverly Wilshire (1st picture below).
A) The overall process
1) Pain
You can't avoid this shit I tell you, for my case I did experience huge amount of pain. During my F.A.Q I stated I never took pain killers, but during my second year of braces, I took few painkillers, especially when you have ulcers, and right after the ortho. changes your wire.
Sometimes the process might hurt really badly too, there's one time my teeth drastically moved inwards (due to broken wires or loose bracket) and it became very sensitive to touch. Still, it needed to be corrected, so when my ortho is trying to insert the wire into the brackets it was pure pure torture! My ortho and I have no choice but to inject something to numb my gums. (i was really afraid of injection) TT________TT
Beauty is pain... yea.. Beauty is pain.
pic from google. lol
Mouth ulcers are very common during braces and they are like growing in your mouth like mushroom. This is because the sharp edge of the bracket/elastic holder/button/the end of the wire tends to cut/irritate? your mouth easily.
You can inform to your ortho. and he/she can trim the wire for you, or request an ortho wax (is like wax to stick at the end of your wire). Unless you like that kind of pain in your mouth. I met few people that find it oddly satisfying tho. LOL
To me, having ulcer during braces was really painful because when you've 3-5 ulcers in your mouth, you can imagine how painful that feels when the brackets/wire are constantly poking them.
My biggest ulcer recorded to date was 4 ulcers merged into one! It didn't recover even-though I put on Bonjela/ Sai gua xiong /salt, After 2 weeks of pain, I went back to my Ortho. to adjust the elastic holder, it recovers 1 week after. (torture man torture...)
well, beauty is pain... yea.. Beauty is pain.
B) What's great about it (Braces)
# I look better? (lol) really leh...
Yes, I wasn't joking, after my treatment my face changes, there's some point during the journey where I quite satisfied, and did look "okay" whereby sometimes I just look "hideous". I was quite worried the end result will turn out bad, because my jaw and chin become more square-ish? along the way. Luckily the end result was in between the "okay" and "hideous" side, also I have thicker lips now.
Here's a compilation of my faces for the past 2 years I took with my webcam hahaha. The photos are very personal so please only use it as references. Beware I look tremendously ugleh.
Broaden smile, cheeks are less puffy(aww), longer chin (οΎο½°οΎ)
lolololol i never knew my nose change after braces too
Side profile.
My dimples seem more prominent now, I never knew ears grow too lol.
From top view
Obvious shot of my under bite when all the teeth are straighter.
And a GIF image to show my face/teeth.
(GIF only reply 3 times, click the image again if the GIF doesn't move/load anymore)
# I smile more.
I don't smile with my teeth during the past, my lower jaw is already an issue, showing my teeth just make it worse. :o *sobs* Still doesn't mean I never smile, i did. :) My upper teeth were fine so I will open my mouth widely and using my tongue to cover the lower teeth when someone wanting me to pose for a "happy" picture. (such weird technique.)
After wearing braces, I guess I build more self-confidence, I don't feel shy (well at least to some people) about my teeth, I tend to show my teeth more whenever I smile, pose for a picture or talk to people.
"A confident smile is powerful.It can open doors, break ice and create connections." - This is true.
C) On the down side of my journey. :(
# Gummy Smile.
I noticed my gums are very obvious whenever i smile really hard after the treatment, Some Kpop idol like look really cute with gummy smiles. Hyosung, Sunhwa, Hara to name a few. How jelly. :(
both of them look adorable :D
My dentist told me the only way to fix it is to go for gum laser treatment which means, they will use laser to cut off a bit of my gum to look bigger and nicer.. which cost around RM 1K.
I didn't go for this treatment because i heard that when women gets older they starting to lose their gums (especially pregnancy) so i was quite worry my tooth might fall off during my 30-40s. *gulps*
# Wallace and Gromit teeth?
I always thought my teeth looks like Wallace because I have a very rounded edge and chipped teeth before braces. And I thought, braces might correct that making it more rectangular-ish?
During my last braces treatment, I asked my ortho. again and he told me this is natural and perhaps just a little filling necessarily for my big front tooth.
After I've debonded everything, the ass.ortho. told me to wait while he calls for the main ortho. for the filling treatment. But in the end of the day, my ortho. didn't do it for me. I don't know why tho.Yes... I was quite sad.... but whatever I think I'm asking too much
D) As for the final final review, I will give.
Service: 9/10 (during earlier year 2012-2013) ; 6/10 (later years 2013-2014)
Service did go downhill once the clinic expanded, new ortho coming in and some of them don't have many experiences, so does the receptionist. I don't really want to explain but let's just say I totally can feel the differences from 2012 and 2014.
I do understand they are in the midst of expanding so there's a little mistake here and there. I hope their service will improve, it's sad to see their service went down cause my ortho is really good. My mom actually fixes her teeth here as well, and my brother might have braces once he gets older, so we shall see.
Price : 7/10 (RM7.5K)
Personally, I think is a little expensive, but I went to some other ortho they charged me RM10k with 50-50 success rate, so I guess RM 7.5K is reasonable. 7/10 because extra charged for debonding, x-ray, loose bracket, screw, button etc. You can pay by monthly installment.
Satisfied: 8/10
I honestly would like to thank Dr. How for fixing my teeth and giving me a brand new smile! I wouldn't say I hate my smile, I'm pretty satisfied with everything except the 2 points I've mentioned above and if you want me to be pickier....maybe...the arch for my bottom teeth wasn't that curve/symmetry from my upper teeth? But erm... I don't see any side effects... for now.
I always told my friends that Braces had given me a new life HAHA even though I exaggerated a little... or a lot, but that's how I really felt inside. I made no regrets coming here 3 years ago. I'm happy and I'm a satisfied customer. Yeah. so 8.
That's all for today. To all those metal-mouths peeps who still ongoing with their process, just be patient and your day will come. :) Woohoo for me, I'm gonna celebrate myself with a bunch of chickens and chew a fuckin gum~!
Till Then!
Have a smiley day! :)
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