Two years ago, while everyone was trying to figure out how to work fully remotely, I embarked on a lifelong-awaited voyage. Most of my life I have lived with crooked teeth. When I was 19, I went to an orthodontist consultation in Washington where they said I would need a couple teeth pulled to get my teeth where they need to be. Needless to say, I was not thrilled with this prospect, and this led me to not pursuing orthodontic treatment for several years.
Braces, to me, had seemed to be primarily a cosmetic fix because people merely wanted straight teeth. A few years ago, my dentist here in Montana explained how my teeth were getting worn down unevenly because they were not straight. This would soon start causing my mouth to have structural issues because the teeth were not positioned to work as they should. Being an engineer, I could understand the need for braces in these terms, and I began talking with an orthodontist within the next week. Invisalign was my method of choice.
The movement of teeth is a strange feeling. Never before have I felt like my nasal septum was going to split in two. Once the major movement passed, the orthodontist was able to make minor adjustments. Then finally—last week I got my aligner attachments removed! Today I await the call telling me to come pick up my retainers.
Before, I had crooked teeth, with aligned edges. Now I have straight teeth with crooked edges. Trying to bite through pepperoni on a delicious pizza is a feat in itself. I hear that we’ll be able to remedy this with some build-ups and delicate smoothing, then someday I will once again have my cutting edge.
So, what did you do during Covid?