Having my lower set of braces fitted

Ooh goodness what a day!

I went to have my braces fitted today. I felt really nervous - it was all I could think about. When I arrived, I brushed my teeth and then the orthodontist was really caring and chatted to me about what he was going to do. He showed me models of my teeth that had been sent from Germany - one to show my teeth as they are, and another showing my teeth as they will look! I was so excited to see that! If you have a conventional brace you don't get to see what they're going to look like so that's certainly worth spending the extra money on! Whenever it's painful, I can look at that and remind myself of how gorgeous my teeth will look next summer!

The box that the brace and moulds arrived in from Germany.

3D model showing my teeth now - before treatment.

3D model of how my teeth will look when they are finished!! WOW! You can't tell on here but the overbite is gone too!




My brace in its casing ready to be fitted!

My orthodontist fully prepared my lower set of teeth for the braces by polishing them; "sandblasting" them; painting on a green gel (which I think was to sanitise them) which was left on for 1 minute; and painting them with a coat of varnish. Inbetween each of these steps, he washed them with a little jet wash and his assistant sucked out any excess moisture with a suction tube.

This process took nearly an hour and I was on my back with my lips in a spacers to keep my mouth open and tongue pushed back with a piece of plastic to keep it in the back of my mouth. I had to try really hard to relax my tongue which was hard, especially when the saliva drips backwards and you want to swallow, but can't. I had to concentrate on breathing through my nose.

Both the orthodontist and his assistant kept telling me what was happening, which was helpful.

Then he put the cement into the tray that the brace was sitting in and applied it to my teeth with some pressure. He then shone a special blue light at each of them to set the adhesive. This took a few minutes and felt warm. He used a screen to protect his eyes, which enabled me to see what was happening in its reflection!

When the brackets were in place, he had to pick away the clear casing. This was tricky and some of the casing didn't come off - later I had to tell him where I could still feel it so it could be removed.

I was then so relived to have the lip spacers taken out and was able to sit up and wash my mouth out as come of the chemicals - particularly the abrasive powder ("sandblasting") tasted salty and unpleasant. At this point, I felt my brace for the first time with my tongue. It was sharp and rough in my mouth. A thought it might be sharp as it was not finished, but actually it is quite sharp and grazes your tongue a lot!

Finally, the orthodontist fitted my wire which was tricky and one twisted canine could not be attached -he has to wait for the teeth to start to move in order to attach it. The other canine is attached and I can certainly feel the difference now, as one starts to move!

I was then given lots of tips about how to clean and maintain it, how to cope with soreness and problems and, of course, tips on eating.

Finally...my orthodontist gave me a present...an iPod Shuffle!! I was thrilled as I haven't got one and was a great treat to have for having my brace on!

Fitting Tips:

• Use vaseline for the day before so that your lips will stretch without getting sore.
• Breathe through your nose. (If you have a blocked nose, re-schedule!)
• Try to relax and put your trust in your orthodontist.
• Think about something nice that you're looking forward to - like having a truly beautiful smile!