Free at last! Free at last!

So, last Thursday was quite a busy day for me.

I had decided that since my teeth had been pretty sensitive since surgery I would have my teeth numbed before brace removal. You don't get extra points for going through that procedure in pain, right? My first stop of the day was at my dentist's office to get everything numbed up. And, boy howdy, was I numb when I left their office! The anesthesia was so complete that I was numb ear to ear and up to my eyes! I couldn't swallow and my talking was very similar to post-MMA. Not a pretty site - but I couldn't feel a thing so I wasn't worried about the braces removal.

When I arrived at the orthodontist's office the receptionist asked me why I was there. What! She totally blindsided me - I guess my mind was a little numb too. She looked very serious and had me going there for a few seconds. I was thinking to myself, "Do I have the right day?" and "Did I go through my mouth numbing for nothing?!" Then she smiled to let me know that she was just kidding with me. Evil. Pure evil.

The tech that removes braces is very quick and efficient. I couldn't believe how fast that part of the procedure went. All of the molar bands and the brackets were on the tray and off my teeth in under 5 minutes. What seemed to take a while was the picking and grinding off of the cement. That alone was worth the numbing. Then Dr. H. came over and polished and shaped my teeth. They looked so huge to me! Do you remember the movie "Something About Mary"? If you do you will remember Matt Dillion's character with the huge teeth. That is how I felt that I looked. Pretty weird. The next activity in the chain of delights was making impressions for my retainers. It took a few tries to get a good impression of my upper and lower teeth. Fortunately, being numb kept this from being the gagging experience that it usually is.

Dr H. did tell me that he had been thinking about the day we would be removing my braces and was concerned how smoothly it would go, considering my tooth sensitivity. He told me that he though the numbing was a good move on my part and was glad that the experience wasn't so unpleasant for me.

On Thursday, their debracing day, Dr. H's office celebrates with the kids that are completing their braces treatment. When all of the debracing is done each client poses with Dr. H for a picture and then gets to get their snack on. They have a popcorn machine and a table set with sodas, chocolate, gummy bears, skittles, nuts, and other associated stuff that you aren't supposed to eat with braces. I opted for the m&m's and mixed nuts. I have really missed eating nuts for the last couple of years. I had to take my stuff with me because there was no way that I could have chewed and swallowed without making a serious mess.

And, by the way, because of the numbing we are postponing the picture with Dr. H until my retainer day. My smile was pretty crooked until the anesthesia wore off - which was probably 7 or 8 hours later. My cheeks and lips were still feeling a bit rubbery when I went to bed. Powerful stuff they used.

My kids were really psyched to see me without my braces, my daughter kept asking me to smile for her. Kissing my hubby is now much nicer and takes no strategic planning to keep from injuring either of us. Very nice.

More when I get my retainers.

Peace.