To Bleach or Not to Bleach?

I am debating if I should bleach my teeth before I get braces. I have those custom trays with the
bleach and once I get the braces and jaw surgery my trays won't fit any longer. :) I know ... such a lame thing to be thinking
about, but the thought crossed my mind. Has anyone else bleached before getting their braces?

There Are Different Types of Braces?

I had no idea there are different types of braces out there. I mean, I know there are metal vs. ceramic, invisalign and whatnot, but I didn't know about the Damon 3 brackets, which are what I will be getting. The idea of no elastics around the brackets sounds nice. At least I won't have to worry about what color elastics I want. Since I am a terrible decision-maker, this could have been very time-consuming. Another plus to the Damon brackets is that I can have the wire removed before I go get my teeth cleaned and then replaced afterward!! Anyway, I thought I would post a little bit about the Damon 3 design since I find it pretty fascinating.


Conventional braces on the left are tied in with elastics, which cause friction and pressure, making treatment slower and less comfortable. Damon braces use a slide mechanism to hold the wire, which allows teeth to move more freely, quickly and comfortably.




Damon braces are designed to be discreet, comfortable and easy to keep clean. Without the elastic ties which attract and collect plaque, Damon braces make dental hygiene easy during treatment.

Okay from the Orthodontist!

I had my appointment with the orthodontist today to talk about my treatment plan. He gave me the okay to start the
braces, so I have an appointment set up for September 4th to get them put on. I wish I could have gotten them on
today!! He said that I most likely will have to be in braces 14 months prior to surgery. I am hoping it will be less though. So
nothing really exciting to report, so I'll be back on September 4th with my braces installation update!

Scary Pictures

I have to admit, I'm not exactly thrilled to be posting these pictures, but here they are in all their glory. Of course, not only are the pictures awful, but I just had to blink every time she clicked the camera. You can see in the pictures of my face how long my chin is (I swear it's gotten worse over the years!) My midline is off and my chin goes to the left. Hmmm...funny how I never noticed that before. You can see on the right lower side that I have three dental implants to replace two molars that I had to have removed because of the bone loss. I hope the orthodontist can work around the implants since they can't be moved. Five more days until I hear what the treatment plan is. I am waiting, impatiently...

X-rays & Molds at the Ortho

Today I went to the orthodontist and got the preliminary molds and X-rays done. I started getting nervous for some reason. I keep telling myself it will be fine. It's one thing to tell my son to go sit in the chair and get it over with and quite another for myself to be sitting there. So now I have two weeks of waiting until my next appointment when the ortho will tell me what the treatment plan is. I'm eager/anxious to hear what he says!