Because of a genetic flaw (and defect is such a strong term), I am missing the upper lateral adult incisors. When the adult teeth came in, the right side came in tooth per tooth except for the incisor but the left canine knocked out both the left baby canine and the left lateral incisor thereby leaving a gap. As a teenager the dentist gave me the option of a bridge or using a retainer to move the new canine up to fit between where both teeth should normally go. I chose the latter. I worn the retainer for awhile until I dropped it and broke it at school.

Now it's been twenty some years later and I decided to correct my previous decision and straighten out the spacing problem. It doesn't look that great and it causes me to bite my lip more when I chew. OUCH! I'm not into pain -- good reason to fix it. The dentist and I discuss options and bridgework could be the way to go. He takes impressions and schedule a time to have a final discussion on what is going to be done. A week later I'm back at the dentist's. Well, it seems because I had that tooth moved years ago, it is now in the wrong place for a bridge. Can't be done until it is moved back. "If you want this done you need to see an orthodontist and have upper braces then a retainer. In fifteen months we can install the bridges. Here's the card for the orthodontist."

The initial orthodontist visit is a quick look, what they can do, and what it will cost. After looking around in my mouth, the orthodontist proclaims a Class II Malocclusion (the assistant thought it was only a Class I). He recommended upper and lower braces although lower wasn't as critical and didn't absolutely need them if I didn't want them but I would be the best thing to due. Also the time would be eighteen months in braces and retainers. The price was more, too. It was almost twice what the dentist quoted to me and I felt the first pains of orthodontic treatment. The assistant took me into a small conference room and then proceeded to get out plaster casts of similar work done, plastic teeth with ceramic and metal brackets with assorted colored ligatures, and all the official paperwork. I get a choice of metal or ceramic bracket on the top but am told only metal brackets on the bottom. I get to think about it until next time. I signed the paperwork concerning the money. I was also told that when my teeth were where they were supposed to be from the braces, they would have the baby lateral incisor removed. My initial retainers would have flippers that would look like teeth holding the spots where the lateral incisors weren't until the bridgework was done. "Any questions?" No. I would see them in about a week. The whole process and all the work would take two years and cost approximately $4000. So began the adventure.

3/31/98

An interesting morning at the orthodontist. The first thing I was told was to sit on the bench in back. Already seated was a boy about 8 or 9 years old. A couple of minutes later, a girl around 11 years old sits. Who do you think feels out of place here? I’m 39, large, dark, and not friendly looking. There are kid's magazines on the bench! No Time, Newsweek, or Wall Street Journal here. Actually, I'm more of a PC Magazine, Heavy Metal, Utne type of reader which I haven't found in any waiting room yet. They finally call me back to a room for the pictures and molds of my dental state.

Next, she sticks a mirror in the sides of my mouth and pulls my cheeks out to take side pictures. After the large mirror and the upper and lower inside shots, I get to sit in another chair for a normal face picture with me smiling and not smiling. Now a profile pic.

Okay, time for molds. My choice for the day is what flavor of mold goop I want. Out of twenty flavors, I decide I’m a fan of fruit punch. Tongue up, metal device with goop down, she takes a lower impression. Fruit punch isn’t too bad. She asks me to now close my mouth and blow my cheeks up to help release the mold. POP! Lowers are done. Choice of flavors again, and being quite satisfied with the first selection and not needing more adventure than I’m already experiencing, she mixes more of the same. Tongue down and don’t swallow, a metal mold with more goop is mashed onto my upper teeth. I try not to swallow. The goo oozes toward the back. Okay, I’m not swallowing -- I’m gagging! She tells me to hold on and she removes the mold. If she had taken much longer, she could have told me what I had for breakfast. The mold is good and I’m spitting out mold residue. I get to get up and rinse at the fountain/bowl.

X-ray time. I get weighted down with the lead vest. I walk over to the device and rest my chin on the chin rest, bite the mouth bit, and have the head support tightened. Oh, no. The device won’t rotate around my head because either my shoulders are too large or I don’t have enough neck! They fold down the lead vest some so my shoulders will get a bit of the Chernobyl treatment too but it should give the machine a bit more clearance. I’m told to keep my head still. The machine clears my one shoulder but I feel it start to drag my braided hair from in back of me over my other shoulder and wonder if this thing will continue and begin to twist my head off. No problem, it finished and my head is just fine.

Back to the dental chair. A quick wax bite impression is taken. Much more of this and she might get a bite impression on her hand. Now she has a pair of small needlenose pliers type of tool and small tiny blue rubber bands. One is placed between the two rear molars on either side, top and bottom, and another between the teeth in front of those for a total of eight spacers. I feel like I just ate steak and have a big piece of meat stuck in all those places, only they’re blue. It’s really annoying.

In fact it gets more annoying as the day went on. I didn’t take this into consideration when my wife packed my lunch. Raw carrots and cauliflower will definitely knock these out – skip the veggies. Ow! Eating my sandwich is not quite the enjoyable experience it once was. By the end of the day, I called my wife and asked her for a soft meal. We opt for soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. The sandwich is more difficult. I get through it gingerly. Okay, ice cream sounds wonderful. Ah, cold ice cream on the teeth – soothing, pleasant. Ibuprofen isn’t quite calming this discomfort but I keep taking them just in case. My internet reading informs me that this will last 48 to 72 hours before it doesn’t bother me. I decide I must be some type of masochist.

The woman did warn me before I left the orthodontist's office, that I should take some acetaminophen BEFORE I come in to have the anchors installed in two weeks. Says I need to have the pain killer working during the process. That gives me a positive feeling! I now have something to look forward to. What’s next? Whips and chains? Actually, the paperwork I signed about the fees for this were probably as painful. Hopefully, the acetaminophen will dull the pain of writing out the down-payment check when I’m there next time.

4/16/98

It's been two weeks with spacers in and my teeth have been tender off and on the whole time. I have given up real chewy foods altogether now and also given up on my normal lunch vegetables of raw carrots and cauliflower. It's good practice for what's coming up.

Went to the orthodontist today for phase two -- the bands that anchor the braces. I pay my initial large downpayment at the front desk (my wallet hurts after that) and am told to sit on the bench again to wait. No kids there today, just another adult and the kid's magazines. I don't feel as out of place as I did last time. I break out my pocket sketch pad and start to doodle. The wait is short and I'm called back to the chairs.

Now I'm use to dentist offices with tiny rooms and a dental chair with the standard interrogation spotlight, spit bowl, and the usual hydraulic mechanical tools of destruction, but they have this large open room with a dozen dental chairs lined up facing a wall of windows and glass block from which the daylight pours in. I am directed to a chair. I am also use to sitting somewhat upright at the dentist. I sit back and then tilted back. I am staring straight up at the ceiling, which is two stories up, and my blood is slowly pooling at the back of my head.

First the woman removes the spacers. Ah, no more pressure on those teeth. Okay, time for the band fitting. The bands are fitted like rings, mostly a trial and error fitting. This is not an easy on process. The bands are pressed into place. When she can't press them in manually with a tool, she puts a tool in your mouth to bite on to press them down. You may also need to work the front down a little, then the back, then the front, and so on, until it is in place. She fits one on each first molar. Once they are fitted they are removed. I needed to have my lower bands ground down a bit. It sounds like she's using a Dremel tool to grind it. I was warned the glue used may taste bad -- bitter and sour -- she tells me one kid said its was worse than school lunch! Obviously, you get less sensitive to bad flavors as you get older -- probably from learning to eat my vegetables. After the same ritual of fitting the bands, metal is glued to enamel. She checks the fitting again and had the orthodontist check the work. I get to sit up now.

After sitting upright for a minute letting the blood redistribute from my head, I get the care and feeding of braces and the no-no food groups paperwork to read for next time. Along with the information sheets I've been given, I receive a bag of oral maintenance samples -- toothbrush, tiny brush for under the braces, threaders for dental floss, dental wax, oral antiseptic rinse samples, and coupons for same. She tells me that most adults find the spacers the most irritating. I'm already finding my teeth not as tender. Of course, the new metal makes my cheeks feel like sides of beef on meathooks. I get to lie back again as the lower hooks are adjusted back a little. That feels somewhat better. She tells me to use the dental wax if they irritate me too much. The hooks are for rubber bands which I am informed all orthodontic patients get to wear at one time or another. Next time I'm in, I get the upper arch installed. I'm also told I have a deep bite, which is to say my front teeth overlap by more than 20%. I would bite into the lower braces. They will be installing a wire so I can't bite down as far. More dental bondage hardware. I need to bring my brushes and other dental tools next time to learn how to clean the hardware. On recommendation from others on the internet, I ask for extra wax. I check out at the front desk. I notice I'm not moving my mouth as much when I talk. I'm trying not to mumble. I talk to the receptionist and make comment on it and she hands me more dental wax. Now it's off to work.

4/22/98

The metal band are not too bad so far. They are a bit discomforting and I have caught myself talking without moving my mouth as much. These things feel like food magnets though. Everything I eat seems to attach to them. I'm also not eating between meals and I'm eating slower -- I'm taking more care on chewing. I'm becoming obsessive compulsive with brushing, too. If I eat something, I want to go brush right away. I carry toothpaste and toothbrush with me everywhere -- my black bag I carry with me now contains Music CDs, A CD player, drawing pad, pens, medications for blood pressure, meniere's, and pain, toothbrush, and toothpaste -- a regular survival pack! My wife is trying to adapt our meal menu. I miss my hard pretzels but they are on my forbidden list and I need to get use to that. My wife is also trying to get use to me tasting minty ever time we kiss -- nothing like kissing someone who tastes like toothpaste -- very romantic! At least I don't have bad breath. The next appointment for the orthodontist is the 28th when I have the brackets glued to the upper teeth and the arch wire attached. The assistant said she is going to try to talk me into colored ligatures (the rubberbands which hold the wire on the brackets). I'm undecided. I guess I'll see when I get there.

5/15/98

I had my upper braces installed on 4/28/98 but they are coming off again on 5/18/98. I will continue with documenting my orthodontic adventures when I have them put back in in a couple of months. Right now I have been detoured by a brain tumor and surgery for it on 6/4/98. When I spoke to the orthodontist concerning this, his recommendation was removal because it's still early in the process and during my recovery I would not be able to keep up with the dental hygiene necessary for braces. I agree. So until July or so...

7/16/98

Since I have survived the craniotomy and the news and my recovery have been excellent, I have scheduled an appointment with my orthodontist. Tomorrow I go back in to have upper brackets and archwire reinstalled. I also get to sit on the bench with the kids who will try not to stare at me but now since I have real short hair on the front of my noggin and real long hair in the back and a big "C" shaped scar on the left side in the short haired section, I'm sure I'm a bit of a sight. Add the braces and I'll more like the unusual character that I am. I am also positive that the person who installs the brackets will be asking me questions about my surgery as they do the installation. I will shrug and nod a lot. I will let you know.

7/17/98

Back to the bench again. This time a mother and son come to sit also. I get the "what's with this guy?" look from both. They'll get over it. A couple of the staff ask me how I'm doing and say how glad they are to see me back. It's only been six weeks the neurosurgeon opened my head and poked around and most people are amazed to see me up and around. I get called back to dentist chair row and am ushered to a chair in the center.

The chair is tilted back to make sure most of blood pools toward the back of my head. The assistant inserts the lip spreaders then a rubber widget to bite down on which goes behind the teeth. My teeth are open for business. I get the front surface of my upper teeth cleaned followed by a tooth rinse with suction in the back of my mouth so I won't drown. Now a quick blow-dry. Next comes the acid etching to rough up the enamel so the glue will hold -- kinda' like sanding a painted surface so the new paint will grip and not peel off quickly. I'm asked if I want to rinse because the acid is bitter but I didn't find it really annoying and pass on the trip to the sink. Just a note -- these chairs don't have the rinse and spit bowls like at a normal dentist -- there is a counter with two sinks over by the bench where you can rinse, spit, brush, floss, or whatever your oral pleasure is -- as long as it's dental hygiene. Of course part of the conversation is about the tumor stuff and I nod and shrug and an occasional "uh-huh" past the rubber widget. "How many weeks has it been since your surgery?" and I hold up six fingers. She puts contact cement on the surfaces and signals the orthodontist.

The orthodontist gets to place the bracket into place. I'm having the ceramic one put in (I know -- a disappointment to all the hard core metal fans but, hey, it's my teeth!). He comments about the incision on my head. "uh-huh." He then queries about putting one on the upper baby lateral incisor. He did before but mentions about keeping the tooth and crowning it. I try to tell him the plan about removing it and the bridgework but it comes out "uh eye ah ee ere ohin oo ull ih". It was a stupid and worthless effort and I finally shrug. He says we'll discuss it later. Last one glued in place. He tells the assistant to have me come back in a month and have the lower braces put on. She puts the wire on the bracket and I'm finished. She hands me my folder and it's off to check out. I'm offered more dental wax at the front desk but I haven't used any of the other three packs and thank her anyway.

I was told at the beginning that they would need to install a bite wire -- similar to a bite plate -- so my teeth won't overlap as much and I won't bite off my lower bracket. But this mean my teeth won't fully close and talking will be difficult at first -- try saying the letter "S" with your teeth apart -- go ahead! I dare ya'! Something new to try.

8/18/98

My lower front teeth hurt -- a strong ache with throbbing. An ibuprofen and acetaminophen day for sure. But I have brackets on top and bottom now.

Yesterday I went to the ortho's office -- bright and early so I'm not too late for work. I waited on the "bench" until it was my turn to be seated and was called back after a few minutes. A lot of the staff said "hi" and ask me how I was doing (I'm the "brain tumor removed recently" guy). After I'm seated in the reverse tilt chair, I asked the assistant about the bite wire and the assistant didn't seem to know anything about it. She called over the orthodontist. After having a look at my bite, he though it would just squeek by without. So on through the lip spreaders and rubber wedge to bite down on, tooth grit to clean the surface, the bitter stuff to etch the teeth, and then to the metal brackets for the lower teeth. The orthodontist finished gluing and aligning the metal bracket and waited for them to dry. The spreaders and wedge were removed and I bit down again so he could look at the position versus my upper teeth. The assistant then removed my upper archwire and put in a heavier gauge wire. The lowers had the lighter "starter" wire installed. I was asked what color ligatures I prefered and I get the clear for the uppers and the grey for the lowers (to match the metal). I guess I haven't felt confident about being colorful yet. I was dismissed and I went to the front desk to set an appointment for September 18. I was told next time the lower move up to the heavier gauge wire (a heavier stranded wire) and the uppers get a solid metal wire with a reverse arch and a couple of stops (just different bends they put into the wire).

I stopped at the rest room to look in the mirror and see the new work. All shiny new metal brackets gleamed back at me. My upper teeth just touch two of the lower brackets but I would really need to clench me teeth to put real pressure on them. Okay, it was off to work with me.

Stopped at a drive through for breakfast. Went to spit out my order loudly to the speaker and say "Sausage McMuffin with Egg value meal with a large orange juice" and got stuck on "shaushage". After "shtumbling" on it a little bit, I "shed" it well enough to "undershtand". Seemed that lower lip was having trouble navigating over the new brackets. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I picked up my breakfast and drove to the office.

So I am now in the midst of learning how to talk and waiting for the ache to subside. The braces seem like double cheese graters when I eat so the grated pieces stick under your lips or in the braces. I wouldn't smile right after eating for fear of someone seeing a head of lettuce or maybe a slice of bread hang off my braces. But I make sure (I can shay "sure" because it already hash the "sh" shound) I have my portable dental cleansing paste application directional bristle brush (tooth brush for the clueless) for those emergency cleanings.

11/19/02

Okay, it's been 4 long years since I've updated and the braces have been off at least 2 years but I fill in the gaps (pun intended).

After many visits and masochistic tightenings, and colored bands - black were my favorite with red coming in second (so much for having the white upper bracket on) - I finally got to the rubberband stage. I was now instructed on how to attach little rubber band to hooks on my braces without snapping myself in my uvula. Every time I ate I had to take them out and put new ones in when I was done. I actually became quite good at putting them in even with my fat fingers. And, yes, sometimes I'd "twang" them while they were in my mouth just because they were there.

After about 18 months since the start they finally took them out. ????Now was the time for the temporary retainers. Back to the mold room. After a gagging and choking session with different mold takings of different flavors and petroleum by-product tastes, I picked up my first retainers about a day or so later. The upper had a "flipper" tooth to fill the gap where I didn't have a tooth. I gag easily and these caused me to choke often. Plus I had to wear them 24/7 at first. Of course you can't eat with these in so removing them gracefully before you eat in public can be a challenge unless you go to a rest room to remove them. You are suppose to remove them with your fingers because flipping them out with your tongue makes them less tight. Yes, I flipped them out with my tongue sometimes. I did get use to them after a week or so.

Next was the trip to the dentist to have the bridgework done. This took a few trips. He ground down 3 teeth to little thin stubs. Next was the impressions again to make molds for the new bridges. Then he glued plastic temporary teeth in until the stainless steel and ceramic ones come in. You know, I should have stuck to soft food. I was back to the dentist every few days to have those plastic ones glues back in. Never swallowed one, but they come loose quick often. I refrained from a crazy glue solution and let the dentist do the work. Plus the dentist had to remove the flipper on the upper retainer so I had to go to the orthodontist to have it adjusted. Always trying to get this done before work in the morning when I could.

Finally, the bridgework came and after some final grinding adjustments, were permantly bonded on top of the stubs. Of course the retainer won't fit the new bridgework so back to the orthodontist. Another gag and choke session and new flavors of mold material to try. Just something about when they press the mold in the upper mouth and suddenly there is this cold oozing silly putty squeezing toward the back near your uvula that makes you gag. It was difficult try to retain that mornings breakfast and not displaying it on the front of my clothes and the assistants shoes. Again, a couple of days later, I picked up the new retainer. Just a note: They have assorted colors for the retainers as well. They can make them look like lady bugs too. Mine are purple. They didn't have black. I asked.

I've been wearing retainers when I sleep for two years now. Actually, only the upper ones - the lower retainer was crunched by a friends' dog when we stayed over at there place a year ago. Need to get it replaced. Hopefully my lower teeth haven't drifted too much. Haven't seen the dentist or orthodontist for a while. The dentist bill for the bridgework was $1200 and I've been unfortunate in that my income has dropped to almost nothing about the time I had the work done. Hope to pay him real soon, would like to have a regular check-up and cleaning.

My teeth do look great. No more gaps and uneveness. Even had the canines made just a little longer on the bridgework to have a touch of fangs (showing more of my "goth" nature in the past couple of years). I don't think I ever got use to sitting on a bench waiting for the orthodontist with mostly school kids sitting around me. But have seen Tom Cruise and other adult media stars wearing them the past couple of years so the idea of braces may seem a little more mainstream. I am very glad I did it. Now if I'd only smile more...

Mouth Jewelry - This site has lots of info and articles on braces along with pictures of hardware and people
M's Mouthwear - This site has pictures, links, a forum, and a list by age of others with braces. They also cause this page to get the most hits on my entire site. Thanks.
Braces are Beautiful - This site is full of pictures of people with braces.