Braces: Parte the Second

My consultation for braces went very well. I love this orthodontist (Dr. Sage).

She felt around in my mouth for a bit and had me move my jaw. She introduced me to a bunch of new terms. I was pretty nervous at first because I wasn't sure what we'd need to do, but it only took her a few minutes to let me know the game plan.

I can't use Invisalign because my teeth are too crowded; however, I do not have to have my jaw broken (my main concern). So that's cool. Also, since I'm an adult, we won't be using headgear or an expander. Once you're an adult, your bones are fused, so those appliances simply do not work. I do have to have 2-4 molars extracted; she'll know for sure once she does x-rays.

I'll have to wear regular braces for at least two years. She told me adults can sometimes take a bit longer because our teeth are stubborn, unlike a child or teenager who's in the process of growing. She can give me ceramic brackets on my front, top teeth, but then the rest are metal. It's only $300 extra, so I'm going for that.

I am not this cute, but you get the idea.

The total cost is $5600. I think my insurance might cover $1000 of it, but we're both calling to check since their terms were a bit ambiguous. She recommended we both call so that if we get two different answers we can ask for more clarification. Smart lady. :)

My next appointment is May 23rd. At that appointment, she'll take panoramic x-rays and do some other things I can't remember. I think she needs to take molds, but I can't remember if that's before or after I have my extractions. Once that's all said and done and my extractions are complete, she can put on the spacers and then set me up with the actual braces.

I'm excited and nervous at the same time. My job involves a lot of phone work, but she said I shouldn't have a lisp since I won't have an expander or headgear. She did mention I might have some raw cheeks and lips for a couple of weeks until my mouth gets used to the braces, but she's going to give me some dental wax to cover any bad areas until I develop thicker skin in those areas. I may take a couple days off work to give myself time to get used to them instead of jumping into taking forty calls per day and shredding my mouth to bits.

Brent offered to help me pay for them, which was really sweet, but I don't want to take money out of his savings account. I have a flexible spending plan at work, so I'll just stick it to the feds and use that instead. ;)