One Year Later: Braces Update

So, it has been one year since I've got metal put on my teeth. This was something I've been wanting to do for so long, and when the opportunity presented itself, I took it.  I remember I literally went in for a consultation, then the next day I went back to set up a payment plan, and then made an appointment for the very next day to get the braces.
It all happened so fast.  I didn't start nursing yet, and so I was working a lot. My friends literally saw me one day without braces, and the next day with a full set of braces.  They were shocked, yet knew what sort of pain I was going through, and were great with advice.
So, what's new?

Firstly, I want to say that when I first got them, I genuinely thought my teeth were okay. I only wanted them to fix my overjet bite. However, looking back at my old post, I CLEARLY SEE A DIFFERENCE.
Second, my teeth are officially straight. A couple months ago, we took another panorama x-ray of my teeth and saw that my roots were parallel to one another, which was perfect. They all kept commenting that whoever placed my braces on my first appointment, did an amazing job. So, all that's left to do is wear them elastics, all day - every day. This is supposed to help the main reason I decided on braces -- the overjet.

Third, the only time my braces did become a problem was when a brace would come off loose causing the wire at the end to also come undone. It was actually annoying. Over the course of the past year, I believe I had to go back to the dentist to get the brace reglued and the wire put back in place over 4 times. I was never eating anything chewing or sticky or hard enough to cause the brace to fall off.  So, I hated when they asked me questions about what I was eating or tried to remind me what I can and cannot eat... It felt as if it was my fault or something.

However, on my most recent visit (just the other day because I had to go in and fix a loose brace... again), someone new was looking at my teeth and realized that I've been biting off my braces this entire time. Remember in my first post I mentioned getting these blue things on my molars? Well, they were no longer helping, and she decided to put these cushion rubber things on my molars to cushion my bite and to ultimately prevent me from biting off my braces... Let's see if this actually works!

Lastly, I do have to say that I have finally embraced my braces. When I first got my braces, I remember being so self-conscious every time I opened my mouth. I remember wearing more and more makeup, and I even got lash extensions.  When I am with a customer one-on-one at the jewelry counter at work, I felt I needed to distract everyone from looking at my teeth.
However, things are different now. I don't think twice when I talk to others. I used to do this thing where I would use my upper lip to hide my top set of teeth while I spoke. I also don't care about laughing with my teeth (and braces) showing.

I do have to admit, the one thing I'm still having trouble with is smiling in pictures. I haven't quite mastered that yet. When it comes to selfies, I smile without showing my teeth, which is actually hard because growing up, my mom always told me to show my teeth in pictures. So, it's like learning all over again how to look good in a picture, if that makes any sense.

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