I'm Spring Loaded!

Watch out, world!  I'm spring loaded!  Really!  The orthodontist put a spring in my braces.  Makes me look sproingy.  I feel like Tigger.   Tigger with aching teeth.

Today's dentist, or orthodontist, whatever, appointment started with an instant headache. As soon as I opened the door, and before I had a foot in the door the smell of the crowded lobby hit me like a plank to the head.  Apparently, everyone got cologne and perfume for Christmas and used it generously before going to the dentist today.  Holy Stink A Moley!  I checked in and took one of the very few empty chairs (the one closest to the door).  I began mouth-breathing and praying for a draft.  Geez, people!  While I was sitting there dying of second hand cologne poisoning I counted the people.  32.  Wow.  See if I ever make an appointment when kids are on a school break!

I sat there for a full 13 minutes before they called me back. Can  you believe I even survived that?  I'm so glad I took some Advil before I walked in.  Hopefully that took the edge off of the cologne poisoning headache. Whatever they do to me in the back room, it can't be as bad as sitting in the waiting area.  Egads.

First thing I said to the girl who came up to me with torture in her eyes was, "Unscented gloves please".  This sent them on a search that bought me a few minutes of peace.  And no way was I going to endure the horrible bubble gum scented gloves after sitting in the perfume cloud in the waiting room.  Luckily, the dental assistants weren't steeped in the stuff.

The gal took off my wires and my coffee stained rubber bands.  Oops.  I wonder if she noticed that Santa brought me a Phillips Sonicare Toothbrush and I've been using it for 3 whole days now.

Then the doc came over and looked at my teeth. He said they are moving into place nicely but they are just too crowded. Time to shave the lower row of teeth to make little bitty gaps for the lower teeth to have room to sit next to each other.  Shave?   Say what?  He took this little dremel tool with a little sander on it and ran it between my teeth.  Now that they are skinnier they should squeeze together and actually have room for all of them.  Hmm.  Hope that happens because it wasn't the most pleasant experience.  Although, it will sure be easier to floss for the next couple of weeks.  I told him I just started using the sonic toothbrush. He said that's good, that's what he uses.

It's the weirdest toothbrush because it vibrates at high speed!  You can't scrub with it, you just hold it next to your teeth while you pull your cheek away.  I have to pull my cheek away because it just is too much. It is supposed to be amazing, so we'll see how my next cleaning goes. Hopefully it will make a difference when it comes to scraping off the hard plaque and gunk.

After the doc was done with me, another guy came and put my new wires on.  According to him, I had baby wires.  These will be stronger and I should feel more pressure.  Oh goody.  Not only that, but he's adding a spring for that one tooth that is so far out of line that it can't be engaged in the wire yet.  Oh, ok.  So I imagined the spring going from the tooth to the wire, but that's not how it ended up.  This guy had trouble getting the new wires in and the new pearl colored rubber bands on.  He was all worried about my wincing and squinting.  You know, that's just how I am.  I make faces and tense up, it's just me.  Do your thing and get it done.  It does hurt when he applies a lot of pressure to each tooth, but if he'd hussle it up it would be done a lot faster and hurt a lot less. 

My next appointment is at the end of January.  Hopefully by then most everyone will have used up their Christmas Cologne.