As I have shared this "process" I will be going through with my close friends and family over the past several months, I often hear the same comments:
"But your teeth are straight. Why?"
"I don't think there's anything wrong with your smile. I didn't even notice your bite."
"Why not just leave your bite as is. What's the worst that could happen?"
All great questions, and hopefully I can address all those comments in this blog.
To begin, let me share with you what brought me to this decision and explain the process I will be going through. My entire life, I have always had pretty good teeth...no cavities (knock on wood), strong enamel, etc. etc. etc. At least that's what my dentist tells me;) In fact, I often hear, "Oh, you must floss regularly." And I politely mutter, "uh huh". Knowing all too well I'm terrible at flossing, but who am I to burst their bubble, right? Side note: Why do dentists and hygienists always ask you questions while still inspecting your mouth or when they're cleaning your teeth, as if it's easy to answer? Anyway, back to my teeth... I have always taken care of my teeth and try to visit the dentist every 6 months (as should everyone).
Back in junior high I got braces for the first time. My braces were removed the summer before my freshmen year of high school, with a good bite and straight teeth. Well, guess what happens when you take braces off a kid at 14 but they don't stop growing until 16? They will continue to GROW. And unfortunately for me, it runs in my family to have the lower jaw overdevelop and grow more than the upper jaw, or is it that the upper jaw is underdeveloped compared to the lower jaw? Whatever. Either way, it's hereditary and has resulted in my jaws not aligning correctly and therefore my upper and lower teeth are directly on top of each other with no overlap, causing a slight underbite.
I've been bothered by my bite for years, but it never bothered me enough to do anything about it, until about a year ago. I even saw a couple orthodontists several years ago about the problem, but the consensus was that once done growing, the only real option to correct the bite is jaw surgery, which also involves BRACES. No thanks, would rather stick hot needles in my eyes, which was my thought at the time. Until about a year ago. As we all know (or should know anyway), your teeth will continue to shift and move for the rest of your life. So about a year ago, my teeth started actually touching in the front. Prior to that, the front teeth never actually made contact, just the back teeth. And it completely freaked me out. As I said, I've always had good teeth. So I did some research, and found that if not corrected, my underbite could result in wearing or chipping of the teeth, possible TMJ jaw problems, and even teeth caving in over time - which come to find out after getting molds taken I was already experiencing that with my back teeth...one side was caving in, and another side was flaring out to compensate for my incorrect bite.
So ultimately that's what led me to the difficult decision to go through with braces and jaw surgery to move my upper jaw forward (ouch!). Since I was stubborn and only wanted to have braces for the minimal amount of time, I have been wearing Invisalign since August. I decided to use Invisalign for as long as possible until I absolutely HAD to get the braces on. Why the braces at all? Well because, prior to surgery, the teeth have to be aligned correctly, and then after surgery, the jaw needs to be stabilized with bands to restrict movement. After all, the jaw is in fact broken (soft diet and NO volleyball for 6-8 weeks after surgery...wahhhh). And then of course final adjustments need to be made to the teeth after surgery to ensure that "perfect bite".
So now you all have the background and know what I will be going through. By starting this process when I did, I will be finished with the entire process by time I turn 30. And I'd much rather go through this process now, while I'm relatively young and able to heal quickly, rather than going through it 20 years from now when I could potentially have severe jaw problems, chipped teeth, and can't properly chew my food. Not to mention, our bodies heal better when we're younger. 30 is still young, right?!
I'm not only using this blog as a way to gain my own personal confidence in my decision, but to also hopefully make friends along the way with people going through the same experience, or perhaps even inspire others to go after that "perfect bite" they've always wanted. That's not to say there's something wrong with teeth and smiles that aren't the traditional definition of "perfection". In fact, some of the most famous models and actors don't have perfect teeth (think Kate Moss, Tom Cruise, etc). As with any big decision, people need to weigh all the potential risks and outcomes and make the best decision that's right for them. After much emotion, contemplation, research, and good friends by my side, I have decided this decision is one that's right for me.
So next time you see me, if I'm in braces, now you know why. I will continue to blog and share how the process is going (along with pre and post pictures of course). More info to come...so stay tuned!
