I've been looking into getting braces. I have a few crooked teeth in the front -- nothing major, but still I would like an 'improved' smile. I scheduled an appointment with an orthodontist for a consultation & x-rays (complimentary). I'm thinking it shouldn't be anything to complicated, after all, my teeth are in good condition and there's no serious crowding or anything. WRONG! I have what is called a crossbite on the left side of my mouth. The key word here is 'side'. Noone can see the side of my mouth. If they can, they're looking waaayyyy to hard.
The problem is, my upper jaw is not wide enough. Therefore, I will first have to have my upper jaw bone widened by an RPE (Rapid Palatal Expansion) device that will be placed in the roof of my mouth and will need to be widened twice a day by inserting a special made key into a key hole that once it is turned, will widen the device. There's more, due to my age (36 and proud of it), some type of tissue in the roof of my mouth is no longer soft (I believe they said it hardens around age 17). So, if the RPE device doesn't work I will have to have a surgically assisted RPE. Which means I have to go to an oral surgeon who will make an incision in the roof of my mouth to allow my jaw bone to expand. Why me! All I want is nice, straight teeth. If I don't have this done, I was told it could affect my bottom teeth if I go ahead and have the braces put on. I am praying that my insurance covers this surgery, if I have to have it. They don't cover orthdontics for adults but the office I went to has payment plans (yeah!). I'll know my next plan of action in about 2 weeks.
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4 comments:
Girl, more power to you. I have to get my 15 y/o outta braces and my 12 y/o into them before I can even think about getting me done. LOL
Hmmm...I hope you don't have to go the route of oral surgery...lol @ Yolie's comment!
Ouch! That all sounds painful. My daughter had that key thing. She was young, but it was still the most dreaded part of getting the braces. You must really want straight teeth! :)
You ought to get another opinion, at least a second consultation. Most offices will give a free consult, so no harm in seeing what someone else says. Good luck!
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