The Time is Now

17.08.08 (From previous blog)

It’s been some time since I wrote in my blog. I guess I’ve been kinda preoccupied with, well, living life actually.

But that’s a whole other blog, which will be stored in my thoughts rather than documented on the world wide web.

The purpose of this new entry is actually to document a big change in my life. On Tuesday, I am finally, after ten years of waiting, having braces fitted. Yes, you heard me right, brace, train tracks, whatever you wish to refer to it as.

To give you a background, I’ve wanted braces fitted ever since I can remember, the soul purpose of this is because I have a 7mm over bite which makes my teeth stick out in quite a goofy fashion. Ten years ago when consulting a dentist I was told not to proceed because it may change the shape of my face, thus, altering the change of my smile. Disappointed, it’s always been at the back of my mind. I say back, often front, every time I pose for a photo always trying my hardest not to get a ‘side profile’ shot and generally every time I look in the mirror as I brush my teeth ach day and night, checking to see if they were getting worse (which they have done).

Last year I saw a dentist for a routine check up and he mentioned to me that I may benefit from braces and it got my thoughts running all over again, could I actually do this?

After thinking it through, seriously for nearly a year I went back to the dentist two weeks ago and got referred to the orthodontist. We talked it through and discussed options. I was told that the actual overbite could be fixed within six months and to work on the whole mouth was estimated at 14 months. 14 months. 14 months of braces, at age 25, can I handle that?

I went away feeling more confused than ever, but agreed to come in the following week to have photos taken, xrays, moulds and such to determine the exact programme we would need to go through and the type of braces/ extractions I would require. In a nutshell, here are the details:

Time Line: 14 months. Significant difference in overbite within 12 weeks. After braces are removed teeth will be whitened and capped. Followed by 2-5 years of a fixed retainer placed behind my teeth (will not be noticeable) and removable retainer at night.

Teeth extraction: None required. Although, likely to have one wisdom tooth removed following braces as it hasn’t broken through the gums yet.

Type of braces: I will actually be having white brackets which are a little more natural looking than the old style silver ones. Initially I will also have a white wire placed through the braces but after a few months I will have to change to a silver wire as this is a little thicker and stronger. I will also need to wear elastic bands day and night (oh lord) in the later months. The more tolerant I am of them and the more I wear them the quicker the whole process will be over and done with. I was really concerned about having the silver wire but during my final consultation on Friday I met a girl (very similar age to me) who had literally just had them fitted. Bless her, she looked mortified and I was definitely feeling her ‘pain’. I gentely asked her if I could see her braces, she sheepishly showed me and I was overwhelmed with how bad they WEREN’T. And she had the silver wire. At least I will have time to get use to my new image before they shove the ultimate bling on my teeth.

Cost: GBP 1500. Yes, it is an awful lot of money, paid over installments. The reality is that this is something I REALLY want and the price, if I were to do this anywhere else in the world would be more (if we compare to the UK its half the prices).

So what is the objective of all this?: To feel more confident and happy with my smile. That really is it. To be able to smile and not feel critical of it. To be able to be caught on camera laughing and not to have to delete the photo because I can’t stand how my teeth look. But also there are some other elements. Such as my natural face shape. I have a swelling around my bottom lip because of my over bit, I have clicking jaw whih may have some reduction once the teeth are more aligned, to be able to bite off noodles with my front teeth! J I guess all these small things sound so silly but when it’s something that you are conscious of every day of your life, every time you look in the mirror, every time you speak to someone thinking, am I positioning my lips together properly.. Yeh you get the gist.

What will people think? I guess, yes, I admit it I am really nervous at the thought of how I will be perseaved once the braces are on bu I guess after a few weeks, once I am confident with them, people will notice this too and properly won’t be so compelled as to look at them. One f my main concerns was what will my boyfriend think. We have only been together a few months and discussing it I openly told him that I was concerned he wouldn’t find me attractive, he hugged me for a long time and reassured me that if that’s what I want then go for it, oh and that I was stupid to think that. I guess this will actually be a test on the relationship - if it goes tits up because of my teeth, well then he’s not the person I thought he was.

How is it going to effect my life for the next 14 months? Well, er, I guess I won’t be smiling in photos for a long time! Haha. I guess the main thing is going to be eating. As I eat out in mamak restaurants most nights a week and my meals usually consst of noodles its gonna be hard. Not only making sure that I don’t have food stuck in between the bits but also, finding somewhere convenient to brush them or floss or rinse. I have prepared myself this afternoon by buying myself a mini hygiene kit that I can carry about with me and can use in times of need - this includes amirror - hehe. Sigh, this is gonna be hard work.

Am I ready? I don’t think anyone can truly feel 100% certain of the unknown but you have to have passion to want something and I want this. Yes I’m dreading that for the next 14 months I’m going to look horrendous but all the more reason to keep working out to keep my body in tip top shape, good excuses to buy myself new lip glosses to keep my smile looking pretty and generally just make sre that each day I leave the house I feel confident about everything else on my person and I’m sure the more confident I get the easier it will become.

How can my friends support me? Well actually, in truth, the only people who know I’m getting my braces are my very close friends. This includes some of my family, my friends in Malaysia and a couple of friends from UK and HK. The majority of friends from “home” do not know, purely because I don’t wish to be seen as making a big drama out of it, eventually in time, I’m sure they will see pictures on Facebook and I’d much rather they find out gradually than have a big deal made out of it. But as a friend I guess just some reassurance and positive thinking to the end result will help enormously.

In conclusion: I know I’m going to look like a bit of a dork (as Huy keeps so kindly reminding me!) but if JT’s can bring sexy back then hell, I’m bringing dorky back!

Watch this space as I update you on how it all goes over the next 14 months and of course, the final result.