Guest guest Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Taken from my blog.... Well I had my cleaning yesterday and was given laughing gas.... man, that was really fun!! My teeth and gums are in great shape, although the buildup from years of poor dental care (read.. lack of insurance and parents who were avoiding my need of braces) failed to prepare me for how crooked my teeth were underneath. I'm hoping to speak with my orthodontist about a temporary flipper or veneer to wear before my braces go on. If that is not available to me, I'll just have to suck it up and take the hits . Now I have to get a CAT Scan of my teeth so that my periodontist can do a gum scraping & crown lengthening procedure on me. This is what they do so your smile doesn't appear to 'gummy' or to even out injury (like how when I was 7 or 10 I was kicked square in the mouth on my right side by an uncle mounting a horse). He did some gum tissue removal yesterday with the cleaning and I did well with it. My gums already look clean and beautiful and my crooked teeth are really shiny. For the first time in about 10 years I bit into a piece of cheese. For a long time I couldn't bite into anything because it put too much pressure on my teeth. The CAT Scan of course will not be covered by dental insurance or by health insurance so I have to pay for it out of pocket. Which is okay with me, it just means until I can come up with the $500-700 amount, everything is on hold. Thankfully, it will only be a few weeks. I will need a CAT Scan so that my periodontist, instead of slicing and dicing his way to proper length teeth for braces will have my results to look at so that he can make sure to trim the gum tissue accordingly as to not expose too much root or crown, etc. So here is the new time table... In about 4-5 weeks I go back to my periodontist so he can view the progress of my teeth & gums to make sure I don't have any infections or anything. Which I won't . If I haven't had my CAT Scan by that point I have it, once we get the results I will see the perio again and he will do the gum shaving. A few weeks after that, I will meet with my orthodontist for the first time through a looong exchange of emails and we will begin my orthodontic treatment. Of course.. this all depends on if she wants my wisdom teeth out before braces (which may or may not need to happen, as for right now they are not coming in) and whether or not she wants my jaw broken during treatment, before or after, or at all. So here is a lesson for you.... I am 26 and am getting braces. I am not sure how long I will need to have them for BUT I do know that every penny, every ounce of pain and every day spent on them is worth it. So you are never too old for braces!! Many people have said to me, 'Oh, you'll like it until...' or 'Just wait until they do this.. or this..'. Those people need to know something... for YEARS I was made fun of because of my teeth. School was a nightmare for me and was hell for me because I was made fun of every day. My parents couldn't afford proper dental care for me (even though they could afford it for themselves)... grrr. People avoided me or laughed at me because I looked different... So you are not allowed to make fun of me anymore, don't even try it, because I won't tolerate it. And don't even try it because I won't notice you... you'll be lost in my atmosphere, you won't even be vapor to me. For everyone else, thank you so much for your love and support and constant love. I appreciate it greatly and cannot simply repay the kindness of the true friendships I've received over the years of people who saw past the limits of my external shell and saw who I really was, the inner me, hidden under layers of avoidance, fear, rejection, anger and hope. Simply, thank you. There will be pictures at some point to show you, I'm sure. I'll update more as things continue... Have a great weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 ,I have to tell you that I have a great amount of respect for adults I see that wear braces. My husbands boss' wife had them and she was forty years old. It means you care and are willing to do what it takes. You go girl, for the short amount of time it takes it is well worth it. You will be beautiful during and after the process. Jackie :)Taken from my blog.... Well I had my cleaning yesterday and was given laughing gas.... man, that was really fun!! My teeth and gums are in great shape, although the buildup from years of poor dental care (read.. lack of insurance and parents who were avoiding my need of braces) failed to prepare me for how crooked my teeth were underneath. I'm hoping to speak with my orthodontist about a temporary flipper or veneer to wear before my braces go on. If that is not available to me, I'll just have to suck it up and take the hits . Now I have to get a CAT Scan of my teeth so that my periodontist can do a gum scraping & crown lengthening procedure on me. This is what they do so your smile doesn't appear to 'gummy' or to even out injury (like how when I was 7 or 10 I was kicked square in the mouth on my right side by an uncle mounting a horse). He did some gum tissue removal yesterday with the cleaning and I did well with it. My gums already look clean and beautiful and my crooked teeth are really shiny. For the first time in about 10 years I bit into a piece of cheese. For a long time I couldn't bite into anything because it put too much pressure on my teeth. The CAT Scan of course will not be covered by dental insurance or by health insurance so I have to pay for it out of pocket. Which is okay with me, it just means until I can come up with the $500-700 amount, everything is on hold. Thankfully, it will only be a few weeks. I will need a CAT Scan so that my periodontist, instead of slicing and dicing his way to proper length teeth for braces will have my results to look at so that he can make sure to trim the gum tissue accordingly as to not expose too much root or crown, etc. So here is the new time table... In about 4-5 weeks I go back to my periodontist so he can view the progress of my teeth & gums to make sure I don't have any infections or anything. Which I won't . If I haven't had my CAT Scan by that point I have it, once we get the results I will see the perio again and he will do the gum shaving. A few weeks after that, I will meet with my orthodontist for the first time through a looong exchange of emails and we will begin my orthodontic treatment. Of course.. this all depends on if she wants my wisdom teeth out before braces (which may or may not need to happen, as for right now they are not coming in) and whether or not she wants my jaw broken during treatment, before or after, or at all. So here is a lesson for you.... I am 26 and am getting braces. I am not sure how long I will need to have them for BUT I do know that every penny, every ounce of pain and every day spent on them is worth it. So you are never too old for braces!! Many people have said to me, 'Oh, you'll like it until...' or 'Just wait until they do this.. or this..'. Those people need to know something... for YEARS I was made fun of because of my teeth. School was a nightmare for me and was hell for me because I was made fun of every day. My parents couldn't afford proper dental care for me (even though they could afford it for themselves)... grrr. People avoided me or laughed at me because I looked different... So you are not allowed to make fun of me anymore, don't even try it, because I won't tolerate it. And don't even try it because I won't notice you... you'll be lost in my atmosphere, you won't even be vapor to me. For everyone else, thank you so much for your love and support and constant love. I appreciate it greatly and cannot simply repay the kindness of the true friendships I've received over the years of people who saw past the limits of my external shell and saw who I really was, the inner me, hidden under layers of avoidance, fear, rejection, anger and hope. Simply, thank you. There will be pictures at some point to show you, I'm sure. I'll update more as things continue... Have a great weekend! www.jordanreimer.comSupport My Music....Jordan Reimer Music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 woohoo thanks jackie!! i am thinking of putting before and after pics of every couple of adjustments on my website... wouldn't that be fun??? so many people need braces yet can't afford them. i lucked out as my husband's company has a branch in the same state the orthodontist's office is in. it's at wake forest university's dental school. so.... i'm really really happy that i can have visits and everything else done all at once. can you believe... i hadn't seen a dentist in over 10 years and i had NO cavities?? i wonder what was up with my calcium levels? lol.. thanks for the encouragement! andrea Re: dental update... , I have to tell you that I have a great amount of respect for adults I see that wear braces. My husbands boss' wife had them and she was forty years old. It means you care and are willing to do what it takes. You go girl, for the short amount of time it takes it is well worth it. You will be beautiful during and after the process. Jackie Taken from my blog.... Well I had my cleaning yesterday and was given laughing gas.... man, that was really fun!! My teeth and gums are in great shape, although the buildup from years of poor dental care (read.. lack of insurance and parents who were avoiding my need of braces) failed to prepare me for how crooked my teeth were underneath. I'm hoping to speak with my orthodontist about a temporary flipper or veneer to wear before my braces go on. If that is not available to me, I'll just have to suck it up and take the hits . Now I have to get a CAT Scan of my teeth so that my periodontist can do a gum scraping & crown lengthening procedure on me. This is what they do so your smile doesn't appear to 'gummy' or to even out injury (like how when I was 7 or 10 I was kicked square in the mouth on my right side by an uncle mounting a horse). He did some gum tissue removal yesterday with the cleaning and I did well with it. My gums already look clean and beautiful and my crooked teeth are really shiny. For the first time in about 10 years I bit into a piece of cheese. For a long time I couldn't bite into anything because it put too much pressure on my teeth. The CAT Scan of course will not be covered by dental insurance or by health insurance so I have to pay for it out of pocket. Which is okay with me, it just means until I can come up with the $500-700 amount, everything is on hold. Thankfully, it will only be a few weeks. I will need a CAT Scan so that my periodontist, instead of slicing and dicing his way to proper length teeth for braces will have my results to look at so that he can make sure to trim the gum tissue accordingly as to not expose too much root or crown, etc. So here is the new time table... In about 4-5 weeks I go back to my periodontist so he can view the progress of my teeth & gums to make sure I don't have any infections or anything. Which I won't . If I haven't had my CAT Scan by that point I have it, once we get the results I will see the perio again and he will do the gum shaving. A few weeks after that, I will meet with my orthodontist for the first time through a looong exchange of emails and we will begin my orthodontic treatment. Of course.. this all depends on if she wants my wisdom teeth out before braces (which may or may not need to happen, as for right now they are not coming in) and whether or not she wants my jaw broken during treatment, before or after, or at all. So here is a lesson for you.... I am 26 and am getting braces. I am not sure how long I will need to have them for BUT I do know that every penny, every ounce of pain and every day spent on them is worth it. So you are never too old for braces!! Many people have said to me, 'Oh, you'll like it until...' or 'Just wait until they do this.. or this..'. Those people need to know something... for YEARS I was made fun of because of my teeth. School was a nightmare for me and was hell for me because I was made fun of every day. My parents couldn't afford proper dental care for me (even though they could afford it for themselves)... grrr. People avoided me or laughed at me because I looked different... So you are not allowed to make fun of me anymore, don't even try it, because I won't tolerate it. And don't even try it because I won't notice you... you'll be lost in my atmosphere, you won't even be vapor to me. For everyone else, thank you so much for your love and support and constant love. I appreciate it greatly and cannot simply repay the kindness of the true friendships I've received over the years of people who saw past the limits of my external shell and saw who I really was, the inner me, hidden under layers of avoidance, fear, rejection, anger and hope. Simply, thank you. There will be pictures at some point to show you, I'm sure. I'll update more as things continue... Have a great weekend! www.jordanreimer.com Support My Music....Jordan Reimer Music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Yes, do the pic series, that would be fun to see the transformation. You are lucky about the situation too, my daughters braces were not covered by insurance and cost us $5,000.No cavities?! Fantastic! My mouth is loaded. I was raised in a time where the parents didn't take you unless you needed them pulled or a huge filling which only makes way for more work later in years.My friend was raised in Louisiana and she is 38 years old and has never had a cavity. I was raised in Chicago, IL where the fluoridate the water and don't think I have a tooth in my mouth without work done to it. I can't wait to see your journey in pics :)Jackiewoohoo thanks jackie!! i am thinking of putting before and after pics of every couple of adjustments on my website... wouldn't that be fun??? so many people need braces yet can't afford them. i lucked out as my husband's company has a branch in the same state the orthodontist's office is in. it's at wake forest university's dental school. so.... i'm really really happy that i can have visits and everything else done all at once. can you believe... i hadn't seen a dentist in over 10 years and i had NO cavities?? i wonder what was up with my calcium levels? lol.. thanks for the encouragement!andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Wow, that is a lot of work Glad everything is working out for you though. I agree, gas is nice! I'm a dental hygienist and I've never heard of them doing a CAT scan for teeth. That is really neat - I'll have ot read up on that! I work for a general dentist though, not a specialist. I'd love to see the before and after pics if you don't mind sharing! W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 The CAT Scan is basically so that when he does the crown lengthening (gum shaving) he can get a better idea of just how much gum he needs to remove and from what areas. My regular dentist is Dr. Kohut and my orthodontist will be Dr. Shoaf. I am really excited to have proper dental health and I can't wait for it all to start!! Here is Dr. Peavy my Periodontist's website if you're interested http://thehappygumshop.com/. Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is where the University Denal Associates is located. Here is there link also: http://www1.wfubmc.edu/dentistry. Enjoy surfing!! p.s. if your patients are going to have orthodontic work done, check out this site where they can get custom made retainers... http://www.myretainer.com/CustomDesigns.html... they're too cute!! Re: dental update... Wow, that is a lot of work Glad everything is working out for you though. I agree, gas is nice! I'm a dental hygienist and I've never heard of them doing a CAT scan for teeth. That is really neat - I'll have ot read up on that! I work for a general dentist though, not a specialist. I'd love to see the before and after pics if you don't mind sharing! W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Thanks for the links! I lived in Cary for 7 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 LOL, small world. I was born in Raleigh, but we lived in Cary at the time. ) We moved when I was 2 years old though and I don't remember anything of it. I have friends who live there now. Woods wrote: Thanks for the links! I lived in Cary for 7 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 I have family all over the NC area... particularly Hickory, Clairmont, and every other city LOL. I swear I'm related to the whole state . Re: dental update... LOL, small world. I was born in Raleigh, but we lived in Cary at the time. ) We moved when I was 2 years old though and I don't remember anything of it. I have friends who live there now. Woods <chelle (AT) deltacomm (DOT) com> wrote: Thanks for the links! I lived in Cary for 7 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 , I'm so glad you're getting this done, for not only your sake, but it's also good for the people that you convey yourself to, i.e., people who are depressed, need that radiant smile, etc......I never had beautiful teeth, but they were straight, basically, except for the bottom ones. A family trait, we always had front teeth that easily decayed, no matter what kind of brushing, flossing, etc...I have flossed my teeth once a day forever, brushed twice to three times a day forever, yet my teeth are starting accellerate in that department. I am sad at this point because a veneer that I had put on one of the top center teeth has literally fallen off, and I don't have the money to have the whole tooth replaced. You see, what was sitting behind that veneer amazed me, I'm surprised I didn't lose it a long time ago, it's been on there for 18 yrs now, and was put on at a time when I had excellent insurance and all that. I have good nutrition for yrs now, but maybe all this happened while I was desperately hypo, I just don't know. I've always had plenty of calcium and all that stuff, yet my teeth look terrible. I was given tetracycline as a very little girl, at a time that people just didn't know what that did to the permanent teeth. I always had a big smile, but I don't smile the same way now, as I just hate my smile, and this is the way that I always conveyed myself to people, plus through the eye contact. I've visited two dentists in the last yr, and they both have told me that it will cost more than $1500 to fix what's going on in there, and that's the cheap way, lol, plus WITH my little AmeriPlan thing. It's ridiculous what all this costs, and I just don't have it. Because I work, I don't get the priveledge of any kind of discount or "freebies", to boot, got to pay it ALL. It's making me very sad, and I just don't see how that's going to get fixed any time soon. This is a nightmare for me, as I always had my smile. Just in the last couple of yrs, the tooth decay has accellerated, despite good hygiene and nutrition. I just don't understand this, when I see people with beautiful teeth who give them minimal care, don't give a flip about their teeth, yet they have beautiful teeth. Just doesn't make sense to me, with the kind of care I've given my teeth. When we can't smile properly, I think it has an effect on both us AND other people. Re: dental update... woohoo thanks jackie!! i am thinking of putting before and after pics of every couple of adjustments on my website... wouldn't that be fun??? so many people need braces yet can't afford them. i lucked out as my husband's company has a branch in the same state the orthodontist's office is in. it's at wake forest university's dental school. so.... i'm really really happy that i can have visits and everything else done all at once. can you believe... i hadn't seen a dentist in over 10 years and i had NO cavities?? i wonder what was up with my calcium levels? lol.. thanks for the encouragement! andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 If I could have that kind of work done (money), I wouldn't care, physically, what I had to go through. It's so darn expensive, and where does all the money come from, I just don't get it. Re: dental update... > Wow, that is a lot of work Glad everything is working out for you > though. I agree, gas is nice! I'm a dental hygienist and I've never > heard of them doing a CAT scan for teeth. That is really neat - I'll > have ot read up on that! I work for a general dentist though, not a > specialist. I'd love to see the before and after pics if you don't > mind sharing! > > W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 I am so excited for you and can't wait to see the results, . Re: dental update... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 amen... the pain is well worth it. Re: dental update...> Wow, that is a lot of work Glad everything is working out for you> though. I agree, gas is nice! I'm a dental hygienist and I've never> heard of them doing a CAT scan for teeth. That is really neat - I'll> have ot read up on that! I work for a general dentist though, not a> specialist. I'd love to see the before and after pics if you don't> mind sharing!>> W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 I know what you mean.... I'm so irritated by peope who don't care if they miss a day of brushing or who haven't flossed a day or just go... wow, I'm so unfortunate because I have 1 crooked tooth... I just want to hit them over the head with one of those giant novelty toothbrushes that are the size of a step ladder LOL. For years I couldn't laugh or smile and if I did, I some how had to cover it because it made everyone uncomfortable. Then it made me uncomfortable. I realized a few years ago it made them uncomfortable because the way I looked on the outside was the way they felt on the inside and because of that they hated me. Now... the only two things that have ever stood in my way of living my life the way I want to is my crooked teeth and not having a degree. Those things are finally happening and so I'm noticing just how relaxed and more carefree I am. I hope that when I become a doctor I can work with some of the clinics in the area to help pay for dental care for people that need it. Children, they can get all of the help that they need... adults, unless they are 'in the system' can't get any help. They are the ones that need it. I tried getting help from the free clinic, private dental offices, any one who would help me... You will find a way to get your work done. It will happen for you. Never let yourself settle and it will happen. And if anyone says anything to you about it, send them my way.... I won't rough them up too bad... well, at least not at first LOL. Re: dental update... woohoo thanks jackie!! i am thinking of putting before and after pics of every couple of adjustments on my website... wouldn't that be fun??? so many people need braces yet can't afford them. i lucked out as my husband's company has a branch in the same state the orthodontist's office is in. it's at wake forest university's dental school. so.... i'm really really happy that i can have visits and everything else done all at once. can you believe... i hadn't seen a dentist in over 10 years and i had NO cavities?? i wonder what was up with my calcium levels? lol.. thanks for the encouragement! andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Thank you sooooo much!! You guys have been so supportive of me. You just really have.... THANK YOU ALL!!!! *hugs to each of you* Re: dental update... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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