First Step: Getting Dental Impression

Impression:
a mold or imprint of the teeth and gums, which is subsequently filled with dental plaster or acrylic so that an accurate replica of the teeth and gums is produced. The purpose is o record the contours of the teeth and gums. It is typically dispensed into a tray as a vicsous gel, and inserted into the patient's mouth for a few moments. It flows around and between the teeth, and then sets into a rubbery consistency. The impression can then be poured with a slurry of laboratory grade dental plaster, which hardens into the shape of the teeth.

I just got back from the ortho. Now I can type this entry in the appropriate term. Yesterday I called it a teeth model.. while the assistant told me today, "I'm going to do an impression of you." which I laughed at because I thought she was kidding. But turns out, that's what it's called: Dental Impression.

It's made of alginate, which I heard is the same materials used for making casts for legs and hands. It's sticky but smells good. The tray was very wide for my mouth. It was a little difficult for it to pass through my mouth, but once it's inside, it fitted okay. It took about 1 minute or so for the material to set and harden. She had to repeat four times. I think each time focused on one particular side of the mouth. Bottom right, bottom left, top left, top right = 4 times. After each set, I was told to rinse my mouth and clean up before the next set. It didn't hurt at all, and it felt nice because it was kind of cold, but I did notice a little discomfort when the tray was being pushed hard and the hardened material press the gum pretty hard.

After all the impression were finished, the last procedure is to get my bite. I was asked to bite on a thick wax paper for a few minutes. I had to bite really hard.

What's next?
I'm scheduled to get complete x-ray at a radiology near my house on July 7th.
Then I'll have to go back to the orthodontist with options, and to discuss more about the payments.

Appointment schedule to get the model of my mouth

Tomorrow I'll be going to my orthodontist again. I'm gonna get the model of the inside of my mouth. The appointment would be at 12:30pm. I have no idea what is going to happen and how long it's going to take. I asked my sister what she went through before she got her braces years ago. She said, the process of getting the model mouth would take around 2 minutes each (2 minutes for lower teeth and 2 minutes for the top).

I'll post again tomorrow!
For now I'll leave you with one of several photos I took of my hideous crooked teeth. In the other pics, you can see clearer of how bad my teeth are, but in the other photos you can also see the staining and my saliva, it's gross. So I'll just show one.

Dental Implant Cost

Cost for SINGLE Dental Implant

Procedure	Cost
Surgical placement of implant	$1,565
Abutment for implant	$605 (mean)
Prefabricated	$549
Custom	$660
Crown, porcelain fused to metal (PFM), high-noble metal	$1,119
Total	$3,289

*Costs based per single dental implant.
*All fee data courtesy of the American Dental Association.

Source: dentalimplantscost.org/

Types of Braces

Traditional Metal Braces

Traditional metal braces are the most common type of braces and are more comfortable today than ever before. Made of high-grade stainless steel, metal braces straighten your teeth using metal brackets and archwires. With metal braces, you have the option of adding colored elastics (rubber bands) for a more unique and colorful smile.

Ceramic Braces

Ceramic braces are made of clear materials and are therefore less visible on your teeth than metal braces. For this reason, ceramic braces are used mainly on older teenagers and adult patients who have cosmetic concerns. While they are visually less prominent, they do require more attention to oral hygiene as ceramic braces are larger and are more brittle than their metal counterparts. For these reasons, ceramic braces tend to be used more on upper front teeth than on lower teeth.

Invisalign®

Invisalign uses a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners to straighten your teeth. No one can tell you are wearing Invisalign because it's clear! Not only do aligners appear invisible, they are also removable so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment. Plus, brushing and flossing are less of a hassle. The aligners are comfortable and have no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. Watch the video about Invisalign in our office! Learn more about Invisalign on our website by visiting www.invisalign.com.

Lingual Braces

Unlike clear orthodontic appliances, lingual braces are completely invisible because they are attached to the back of the teeth.Each bracket is 100% customized for the best results. There is minimal discomfort and speech interference. No one will know that you are wearing braces! Read more about lingual braces on www.hiddenbraces.com.

Source: theorthobee.com

Unfortunately my ortho doesn't offer the lingual braces.

Preface

I'm getting braces!

I've been putting this off for such a long, long time. My parents don't really have the best set of teeth. So did my sisters. Because we were raised by my mother alone, it was pretty hard for her to afford all of us to get the braces. I came from a country where you can't really make payments for braces. You have to pay in full then everytime you come in for tightening, you have to pay a different fee. Back in my country, the cost of braces isn't as expensive as it is in USA.

For some reasons my mom felt that my sisters' teeth were worse than mine, so they got their braces first. It cost about $1,000ish per person, and they had to pay $10ish per visit. Unfortunately, my sisters' orthodontist wasn't really that great. She was good, but she treated patients differently. If you came in bringing snacks and foods (or whatever else) for her, she'd be very friendly and nice. It's silly, but some people love to get bribed.

Anywho, after years and years of putting it off.. I finally decided it's really time for me to get braces. I have now earned money myself.. and although I don't really have that much, but I have enough. So after a year of my complete dental visit to my dentist, I finally said that I wanted to get braces and he immediately referred me to an orthodontist in the same dental building where he works. I got the referral paper from my dentist's assistant, and I immediately walked to the orthodontist to make an appointment.

And I came in this morning for initial exam. I had to make silly faces and was tested in every angle possible. I had to bite a stick so my orthodontist could see if there was anything wrong with my bite. After all the basic exam, he explained to me that I have an asymmetric bite. He showed me using a teeth model that he had how my bite was. He explained to me that he would have to apply a rubber-band when I get my braces later on to fix my bite, and he also said he would probably need to extract the one and only wisdom tooth I have left at the left bottom of my mouth. He didn't explain why, but he also said he would put an implant there. An implant would cost another $4,000; plus I don't really want to get an implant. My mom already warned me not to ever get an implant. So I'd probably need to talk to him if there's a way around that.

This has been the way I smile for so long. I don't remember anymore how to smile with my teeth showing. Even in the exam when the ortho told me to smile as wide as I can and such, I didn't know how I could smile the way he needed me to. :(

After the exam, I was given the cost estimation which would be around $6800-$8400 for ceramic braces that I had my eyes on (subtract $400 for traditional metal braces). Invisalign would cost a little more than that. The down payment would be around $2400-$3800, after that I will have to pay monthly installment in $300.

This cost is far more expensive than what I predicted. I'm still considering on whether I should get it or not. My friends and family are telling me that it's a lot of money and if it's not bothering me, maybe I can push it back for another year or so. But that little voice in my head knows that if I postpone it again, it will never happen.