- April 22 I'm getting my four wisdom teeth taken out. I must do this before I get my braces, but I also found out that there are four other teeth that I need to get out, as well. Two from the top front, right next to my canine, and then the same ones on the bottom, too. The ortho said that I need these out because of my crowding and the very little space for my teeth to move when I get braces. Each tooth is a minimum of $260.00 to take out, so you do that math. The amount of room in my mouth isn't the only issue though. Because of my excessive overbite, my teeth do not line up correctly, meaning that the top teeth are not laying according to the correct bottom teeth.
- So, after I get eight(8) teeth taken out of my mouth, I can finally get braces. They will cost me $7,880.00; $6,380.00 out of pocket. And on the day I get them, I have to have a very large deposit. Luckly, I get the ceramic kind, so you won't be able to see them AS much. OHHHHH, but here's the catch... a few of my front teeth, both top and bottom's roots are very tiny so when the braces move my teeth to properly align them, there's a very, very, very likely chance that the roots will not be strong enough to hold in place, which means by the time I get older I could lose some of my teeth. -_- Really? Awesome.
- That brings me to my next operation: Accelerated orthodontics (AOO). AOO doesn’t just cut into the bone, but decorticates it – that is, some of the bone’s external surface is removed. The bone then goes through a phase known as osteopenia, where its mineral content is temporarily decreased. The tissues of the Alveolar bone release rich deposits of calcium, and new bone begins to mineralize in about 20 to 55 days. While your Aveolar bone is in this transient state, braces can move your teeth very quickly, because the bone is softer and there is less resistance to the force of the braces. Research has shown that after the Aveolar bone heals and the teeth are in their new desired positions, additional Aveolar bone has formed. (I got this information from the site: http://www.archwired.com/AOO1.html). What stinks about this is that it is about double the amount of regular braces, but I go from wearing them for 26 months to only 14 months. I like that a lot.
- AND FINALLY... What I didn't think would ever really have to happen, does. Orthognathic Surgery, AKA: I'm getting my jaws broken. Because of my disgusting overbite, I have TMJ, now overjet, and enamel wear and a pretty nasty looking profile because of my bottom jaw. I would need to have my top jaw cut in the middle, right underneath my nose, and widened from left to right so that my teeth can properly align and fit. I would also need my bottom jaw cut on each side and pulled forward so that I would no longer have my overbite. I haven't had my consultation for this yet, so I don't know the exact price for this surgery, but I'm guessing (from my hours of research) it's anywhere from $20,000-$40,000. It's a lot of money and I have NO IDEA how I'm going to pay for all of this, but with my constant headaches, locking jaws, and self-consciousness, I believe that it'll all be worth it in the end.
I can't lie, I thought that the braces would just fix everything, so when I was at the orthodontist today and they gave me my laundry list of dental issues, I cried. And I felt so stupid about it, but they understood. I'm a young 20-something year old paying for this all on my own and it's a very big deal to me. Tyler went with me and I know he didn't expect me to cry there, but he was such a good sport and was very good support. When my appt was over and we were in the car, I just started sobbing and he just looked at me and smiled and said that it's all do-able, and that we'll figure something out. :) I love him.
So, when I'm done with it all, whenever that'll be, I'll have so much money in my mouth that it will be like a mercedes in there.
...I've always wanted a pretty red mercedes :P
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