I'm Getting Invisalign!

DISCLAIMER: Invisalign isn't paying me for this. I don't know them, they don't know me, etc. Literally just taking this opportunity to tell you all about my dumb life. Also, if I know you IRL, please know that I am extremely embarrassed that you decided to read this.
ps. yes, this blog has existed for 2 years. And yes, I forgot it existed again.

My teeth have been fairly wonky since the 3rd grade. On picture day, in all my glory, I smiled a big, toothy smile in my blue Scooby Doo shirt and proudly showed off my new grown up teeth. I felt so cool, especially considering the fact that I didn't even have front teeth the year before. They were a little spaced apart, which I thought was even cooler because when you are a dumb 8 year old you think braces are gonna be the BEST EVER.

Check out this super cool kid!

In the coming years, issues with not losing my baby teeth on time and simple bad luck led to the teeth I have as I sit here writing this. Time and time again, dentists would tell me and my parents, "she's going to need braces." But they wanted me to wait until my teeth were all fully grown in, and honestly 14 year old me did not give a fuck!

By the time I was 17, months away from graduating high school, I began dreading the time when I would have to get braces. I was too old! I didn't want braces for prom, and then I didn't want them for graduation, and then I didn't want them when I started college, and so on.

One day, when I was 19 or 20, it dawned on me. I hate my smile!

I stopped smiling in photos as much. I covered my mouth when I laughed. I became a frequent frowner, which even now has become a weird extension of my personality. I would constantly think to myself, why didn't I just get this over with when I was 17?!

:(

I do have to admit I think I'd be a frequent frowner anyway, but at least not in photos...probably.

Years kept going by, and I couldn't get over how much I hated this one thing about myself. I'd always see celebrities saying "love yourself the way you are!" and "you're beautiful inside & out!" etc, but it seemed like everyone around me, at the very least, had decent teeth. Even now during my research process, as I read all the different Invisalign blogs, the writers seem to be people who before even starting treatment had better teeth than mine.

Not to mention the fact that for 4 years I had the same part-time job while going to school, and I just didn't have the money for braces. That is, until the end of 2015 when I started working at my first full-time job, which leads us to the now (ish).

After a few months of working at my current job, my 1996 Honda Civic finally saw its last day. Great. 2016 quickly became the year of firsts. First car payment, first car, health, & dental insurance payments, first time I can recall ever enjoying broccoli, and the first anniversary with my boyfriend (insert heart-eyes emoji here).

RIP

Fast forward to just a few days after my anniversary, around 2 weeks ago, when I suddenly realized I have no reason to avoid braces any longer. I mean, besides the fact that I might look like a super nerdy 22 year old, and kissing & eating and even talking might be weird for a while, my teeth are cavity free and I am just wasting time at this point. So, I took the referral my dentist gave me months ago, and called for a consultation. They fit me in just 1 week after calling, and I must say it was the longest week of my life.

It was finally happening soon...ish! Once I had made the call I realized I couldn't wait to get started. Imagine me one day having a normal smile! Imagine not hiding when I laugh or feeling embarrassed when I'm eating. That's all suddenly within reach! #omg!

I spent the entire day before my first appointment fretting over whether I was going to be a candidate for Invisalign. What if my teeth are just too crooked? What if there are too many weird spaces? What if regular braces will cost me thousands of dollars less?!

All such worries were FINALLY put to rest as I arrived at the office near my work.

The first thing I noticed was the fact that there were mostly young people in that office. Yes, I know 22 isn't actually old, but I'm talking 11 year-olds here. 11 year-olds whose parents were paying for this no less. Meanwhile, I wondered if I should be preparing to spend $10,000 like I had read was possible while tirelessly researching all day. I'm not freaking Bill Gates; I can barely afford my Dunkin Donuts addiction!

Finally it was my turn to go in and meet the doctor. He asked me what I was there for as if the answer wasn't painfully obvious as I opened my mouth. "I've known I've needed braces for years," I told him. "I'm hoping I can get Invisalign, even though my teeth are pretty messed up." I felt super obvious as I tried not to show my teeth while talking, as per usual. Plus I was trying to speak carefully and not use the specific words I normally would when describing my teeth. I think doctors frown upon that kind of thing. I wanted to say, "It sucks because they wouldn't be so bad if I'd lost my fuckin baby teeth sooner and didn't have the world's shittiest dentist for 10 years," but instead I said, "Unfortunately my baby teeth were around longer than necessary (polite laughter)".

 

Anyway, he wanted to dive right in, so he handed me a mirror, tilted the chair back, and started to point out all the flaws in my mouth. WOO! I did a lot of open-mouthed "uhuh"-ing and finally it was time for him to show me the different treatment options. He took out a few fake mouths wearing braces, and showed me the one with nothing on it. 

OH SHIT, there wasn't nothing on it; it had Invisalign, whaaaaaaaaaat! I took it from him, probably looking like a weirdo and said, "Yeah I want that."

Well, lucky me, Invisalign is a go! According to my orthodontist, my teeth are big, (thanks, I guess), meaning I will need very few attachments to get my teeth moving. And the cost was going to be the same whether I got wire braces or not. Then he told me the news I was hoping I wouldn't have to hear: I'm going to get 2 teeth pulled during this process. UGH.

I had been told so in the past, but I hoped it wouldn't be true. I guess there is the slightest chance that it won't go that way, but knowing me that chance is nearly nonexistent. Even so, I'm doing it. I've had a tooth pulled before and while it may have been quite literally the worst 24 hours of my life, I am still alive and barely even notice its absence. So I guess it's worth it! Kind of!

My boyfriend was surprised when I told him I was doing this; I guess I've been good at hiding my insecurities about my teeth. My family thinks it's endearing; I think I look like a goofy 12 year old.

 

(Note Sarah's vague happiness for me, pfffft)

Either way, I am beyond ready to start this process, no matter how difficult it will probably be, (mostly dat teeth pulling). Hopefully you're excited to take this journey with me. 

Signed, a very nervously optimistic Stacie

Recommended Listening:
Charlie Boy - The Lumineers