I know that the first part of this story will make my mom cringe. Why? Because that’s exactly what she did every time I told her about problems with my teeth throughout my adulthood. Don’t worry Mom! My problem teeth are about to get better thanks to Dr. Don Orthodontics.
It started when I was 11 years old and had 4 permanent teeth pulled. The dentist (yes, I believe it was a dentist in our small town who did the pulling, not an orthodontist), told my parents that my crowded teeth would all shift into place and I shouldn’t ever need braces. Or so the story goes. And so the story went throughout my childhood and teen years. Despite having slight crowding on top, a clicking jaw, and a large gap between my lower teeth, I don’t remember there being another word spoken about braces while I was growing up.
Until college. It was toward the end of my senior year, in fact, when I went to a new dentist. The hygienist clucked and shook her head when she noticed my missing teeth and large gap, and the dentist asked why I had never worn braces. I told him the story and he shook his head, “You should have had braces.” (Yes, my mom is starting to cringe.)
But soon to be out of college without any dental insurance, braces weren’t an option. Nor were they an option when they were brought up by yet another dentist when I was in my late 20s. The honest excuse at that time? Vanity. No interest in having a metal mouth, and while I think Invisalign® was on the scene at that point, it wasn’t really on my radar.
In my 30s, more dentists tsk-tsked me and shook their heads concernedly about my mouth (Did I tell my mom each time this happened? Of course! Sorry, Mom). By this time, oral surgery was suggested to correct the bone loss in the space where one of the missing teeth had been. I was deep into parenting two small children, and so my own oral surgery and orthodontia went on the back-burner.
Then my teeth started cracking. Remember that gap in my lower teeth? The clicking jaw? My lower teeth had shifted, and my nighttime tooth grinding caused so much pressure that those molars cracked. Painfully. Two crowns and a root canal later, I decided it was time to listen to my dentist(s) and visit an actual orthodontist. But I was worried... was it too late to fix my teeth?
Dr. Lindsay Don wasn’t the first orthodontist I consulted with, but she was the orthodontist I chose to fix my smile after all of these years. I was immediately comfortable with her willingness to discuss various treatment options, her straightforward approach (yes, I would have to have that bone graft surgery), and her optimism that 1) I wasn’t too old to have my teeth fixed, and 2) That Invisalign® would do the trick for me. Dr. Don didn’t even tsk-tsk me about not having had braces before. I had found my orthodontic home!
I am several weeks into my Invisalign® treatment and it’s going well. My teeth are moving and this "mature" smile is changing, slowly but surely. I have a long way to go, but it will be worth it for a healthy, beautiful, pain-free smile, AND for my mom to finally stop cringing when I visit a dentist or orthodontist!
Are you considering braces or Invisalign® for yourself or a family member? Schedule a FREE consultation with Dr. Don Orthodontics AND Mention Macaroni Kid for $500 off of comprehensive treatment!* Call 520-885-0344 to schedule your free consultation today! |
6027 E. Grant Road in the Old Farm Executive Park
520-885-0344
www.drdonbraces.com
*$500 discount on comprehensive Invisalign or braces for new patients only; not valid for limited treatment, phase I, or surgical cases. There is no cash value for this discount. Other restrictions may apply.
I am receiving complimentary orthodontic services from Dr. Don Orthodontics in exchange for describing my experiences and sharing my honest opinions.
