Brace Free is the Way to Be

That's right: they're gonnneee!!

Yep, today was the big day and the braces came off. Holding my mouth as wide open as it could go for extended periods of time while they snapped off the brackets and ground away the glue left me in a bit (okay, a lot) of pain. My jaw is still a little achy. But, like they say—no pain no gain...and in this case, I gained my brace-free smile once again. Yay!

They glued a few of my teeth together until I get my retainers on Thursday, which is a little weird, but a lot awesome since I won't be worrying about things wiggling out of place between now and then. I see the dentist tomorrow to get the pearly whites even pearlier, and I see the surgeon on Monday for a post de-bracing check-up.

While it seems like the jaw surgery saga is nearly over and the final appointments have been made, that's not entirely the case. I will have to have the hole in my pallet closed in a few months, which will require a small surgery. But that should be the fat lady's final note in this operation opera.

After I get married AND move AND start my new job, I promise to post one last video so you can be blinded via webcam by my shnazzy new smile :) Until then, keep emailing me your questions or asking them in the comments. The whole reason behind this blog was to help people through their own orthognathic journeys, and just because mine's coming to an end doesn't mean I'm done helping!

The Final Countdown

I have a lot of countdowns going on in my life right now, a lot of things to look forward to. I start my job in 40 days! I get married in 30 days! AND....I get the braces off in 20 days! That's right, I've booked my final appointments with my orthodontist, and they are as follows:

Final adjustment, July 24th
Debracing, July 30th
Retainer pick-up, August 1st

As you can see, I've still got the rubber bands going, and they've been cranking my teeth every two weeks trying to get the bite as best it can be before the wedding. It's looking good so far; I might not have to get them back on post marriage & moving. I see the surgeon tomorrow, and we'll see how he weighs in on the matter. So keep your fingers crossed for me and my final days in braces!