My Braces are OUT! The Retainer is IN!

Tl;dr Thank you for helping me!

After 3 years of wearing braces, I’ve finally gotten them removed! My goal was to fix these two side teeth on the bottom that were crowded inward. They used to be pointing at my upper teeth on the opposite side of my mouth, but now they’re pointing straight up!

I just recently got them removed, because I was happy with where they were. I now have a removable retainer that I wear for at least 22 hours every day. Eventually, I’ll only need to wear it at night, and then maybe once a week.

I have other dental issues that I will need to get fixed. The super far back teeth didn’t get braces put on them; in hindsight, I’m not sure why. A different orthodontist put them on, and I’m not in contact with them anymore. I do want to fix those back teeth. I might sign up for a treatment plan in the future - maybe get Invisalign or something. I also have a root canal treatment planned for this Friday, because an infection formed around the root of a tooth. And lastly, I developed many cavities while wearing braces, which I am trying to get filled now. Some teeth have cavities so bad that the doctor said it might be better to do crowns because they might be better for the rest of the tooth than just filling the multiple large cavities.

I am a little stressed that I have more dental work to be done, but also very relieved that I am seeing results.

I wanted to share this update with you all, because I’m excited, but especially because it’s from your support that I can afford something like this. All of you, working together! I’m going to continue making stuff I enjoy, without worrying about my teeth as much anymore, and I have you all to thank! ^^

Here’s a little PSA:

I never once considered that the way I clean my teeth was wrong, but apparently I haven’t been doing it right. My routine was: 1) Brush, 2) Floss, 3) Mouthwash finish.

But as I have been reading about this, it seems rinsing out your mouth with water or mouthwash after brushing actually flushes out the fluoride from the toothpaste that’s put in there to help protect the teeth in the first place. Apparently, you’re meant to just spit out excess toothpaste, and then just leave it at that. Mouthwash seems to be for just rinsing out your mouth in the middle of the day after lunch or a snack or something.

Also, everywhere I read recommends flossing BEFORE brushing, for kind of the same reason. It gets rid of food junk between your teeth first, which allows the fluoride to get in there and help protect the teeth.

It seems mouthwash might have a little fluoride in it sometimes too, but the toothpaste has a high concentration in it that helps protect the teeth way way more.