It's coming to an end

Well, after my little bit of bonding on Wednesday, that's it. I'm finally done. I've had my braces off for almost two weeks and I couldn't be happier with the results. For all you fellow bloggers, thank you for always answering my questions and being so supportive. For those of you that have just stumbled upon this blog, I hope you find answers to any questions as well as a positive outlook on this surgery. It has truly changed my life. I no longer have to worry about not showing too much gum in pictures or having my face look twice as long as everyone else. I can smile and feel so much more confident than before. My sister even jokes that we finally look related. The best advice I can give is to find an orthodonist and surgeon that you trust and that communicate well not only with you, but with each other. If you don't feel good about the first surgeon you see, go see another one! I knew after meeting Dr. Q (who was actually and great referral from Dr. Kunik) that he was the right surgeon. I couldn't have asked for a better team. Dr. Kunik and his staff were always so caring and they never had me leave after an adjustment wishing that my braces were tighter. They were able to move my bottom teeth enough that I got out of lower jaw surgery and my teeth were in place for surgery after only nine months. Dr. Q is the best at what he does. We went over the surgery over and over until all my questions were answered. He explained everything to my boyfriend and mom so they felt at ease (or close to it). Every surgery is different, every recovery is different. Mine was easy and not all are, but the results are life changing and worth every penny. If you are worried about the surgery, the recovery, the diet...keep in mind that this is only a flash time of your life and when it's over, you'll be so glad you did it. Plus, smoothies are pretty good and post-surgery weight loss isn't too bad either. So, I hope to stay in touch with all the bloggers. If any of you newbies have questions, please feel free to email or message me on Facebook. Good luck to all of you!

I'm free!

So, I got my braces off on Tuesday morning. It feels great!! I got to throw out all my bands, wax, food picks, super floss, and floss threaders. I have a feeling I'll be finding the bands in random places for awhile. I always seem to have at least a couple floating around somewhere. They are so sweet at Dr. Kunik's office. I was surprised with a cake, flowers, coffee/coffee thermos, and another cool t-shirt. It was like I won the orthodontic lottery or something! From there I went on to Dr. McCarty's office for my gum recontouring. I wasn't expecting to have so many shots in my gums! It took about an hour and made a huge difference. I'll take a close up this weekend when they aren't so red. I still have to go back on the 17th to get a little bonding on one of my front teeth. I also got to see my x-ray today with all my hardware. Here are before and after shots:


BEFORE:















AFTER:














I couldn't believe how much that tooth on the top right of the x-ray came down and how deep the anchor for that implant is!! I'll post more pics after my night out on the town with some friends this weekend.