(The day before my 22nd birthday)
Eventually, I met Brian, my now husband. On New Years Eve, December 31 2005, my friend Sarah encouraged me to smile with my teeth for pictures. "You have to prepare for your wedding! You don't want to look unhappy in your wedding pictures!", she said. So, I obliged, and got over that huge mental block.
However, the teeth stayed bad, and I continued to only post "at a distance" and "good angle" photos of myself online for friends to see. I view my teeth as my worst physical flaw, and one that really gets to me. I never realized how lucky I was that my worst physical flaw is one that is so (relatively) easy to fix - with braces!
Right before having my wisdom teeth removed, my husband mentioned that if I wanted, I could have an orthodontist consult. I had been talking about it on and off for a year and had obsessively researched, but had never actually had a consult.
I knew there were four major categories of braces available in general:
-Metal ("regular") braces
-Ceramic braces (like Metal braces, slightly larger, but "tooth colored"
-Invisilign (and other brands), clear plastic trays that you switch out every couple of weeks or so
-Lingual braces, metal braces that go behind the teeth and thus are "invisible"
I knew that my main choice was Invisilign, but I also knew it might not be possible for me to get them. So, my second choice was lingual braces.
I had a consultation with Dr. Neal Kravitz, who I chose despite him being 45 minutes from my house, because he is a specialist in adult braces and cares about the aesthetics of adult orthodontics, having been an adult in braces himself while he was still a dental GP. My decision to go with him was solidified when I found out he's one of the top lingual braces providers in the country, VERY well respected among his peers, and teaches orthodontics method and research across the country.
His website: http://www.kravitzorthodontics.com/
I also liked his bedside manner and the fact that he is always reachable and answers every question with patience.
My consult was great. He went over every single aspect of my teeth after taking a number of pictures, and went over my options. It looked like this:
My 1st choice: Invisilign: Not an option due to my open bite and compicated extra/missing teeth situation.
My 2nd choice: Linguals: An option on the top; not on the bottom (fine with me as I don't smile with my bottom teeth). $8500 for the combo. 18-20 months treatment.
My 3rd choice: Ceramic: My best option, as it'd be easier for my ortho to fit a fake tooth "flapper" on the top until I can get a permanent fake there. $6500
My 4th choice: Metal: like ceramic, an option, but I didn't want these due to their high visibility.
I was pretty bummed not to be able to get Invisilign but really battled between the Linguals and the Ceramic. The price difference meant a lot to me and some linguals provide longer lasting lisping effects than "regular" front braces. But, at my age, and as I'm constantlyl meeting with clients and their parents regarding hiring me for their wedding photography, I was concerned with looking like a "12 year old" or people judging me.
In the long run, though, my doctor made it easy on me. He promised that if the ceramics bothered me a ton, I could always "upgrade" to the linguals and he'd eat the cost of the ceramics. This helped my decision a lot - because I know myself, and likely I'll be fine with the ceramics. The mental decision to get braces is the hardest part for me. Plus, the easier treatment and financial benefits won me over.
So, I'm paying $6500 on a payment plan over the next 20 months.
I'd imagine I'll start some time in the next few weeks, but first we're waiting to hear if my husband gets offered a new job - wish him good luck!
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