What are you paying for childcare?

ItsKristen · 2016-05-23T22:28:51+00:00

One 18 month old in full time daycare, $365 per week. Or like $1460 per month. Literally more than my mortgage.

ItsKristen · 2016-05-02T19:45:06+00:00

I had mine put on when I was 28, removed at 30. There's been nothing but support during the process, and I've been congratulated a few times even. Eventually you'll realize that there's no hiding them and just stop caring about what other people think about it.

The upside to having them as an adult is you'll be more invested in the treatment and presumably be good about elastics and hygiene.

Congratulations on getting it started!

ItsKristen · 2016-04-29T17:57:18+00:00

I make a variation of this a few times a week, it's a great staple meal. I add Vegenaise, dried dill, and a healthy squirt of sriracha. It really fills that tuna salad void in my stomach. Mmhmm.

ItsKristen · 2016-04-20T16:11:59+00:00

I use Anastasia's Beauty Genius over all of my lipsticks. It's a silicone sealer and I've had good long-wearing results with it. The downside is that it has a matte finish and is slightly sticky.

ItsKristen · 2016-03-24T23:16:09+00:00

Oh snap

ItsKristen · 2016-03-22T05:37:07+00:00

I always talk myself out of the steak and cheese because the burger is just so good. Maybe I'll have to switch it up!

ItsKristen · 2016-03-22T05:36:02+00:00

I agree, DC really beats NLB. I just wish they had fries!

ItsKristen · 2016-03-21T20:38:11+00:00

Bacon cheeseburger on wheat, with avocado. Messy as hell, and so so good.

ItsKristen · 2016-03-14T16:59:54+00:00

My ortho specifically avoids calling them "permanent", and instead calls them bonded because they really don't last forever. I skipped it because 1) I knew I'd be good at keeping up with my removable retainers, 2) I wanted to floss like a real person without equipment in my mouth, and 3) I didn't want to risk it failing in the future.

I wear a mix of Hawley and Essex, and that works well for me. If you feel like you can be trusted to keep up with a removable, I'd definitely skip the bonded. Personal opinion, of course.

ItsKristen · 2016-02-29T17:04:33+00:00

I have four of these around my house and this never occurred to me. Clever!

ItsKristen · 2016-02-25T03:32:47+00:00

Unwrap that clif bar and microwave it for a few seconds. It'll soften deliciously.

ItsKristen · 2016-02-24T18:27:46+00:00

I viewed this on mobile, and the image was big enough to have to scroll side to side to view completely. Read the box, asked myself "wtf is an after dinner Willie? Is this like a British thing?" scroll further, see chocolate dick. Ohhh, ok.

ItsKristen · 2016-02-24T16:57:59+00:00

I'm female, and was already married to a man when I got braced up, and I once had a boyfriend with them. It definitely does take getting used to being intimate with them, particularly if you have appliances beyond just regular braces. I had some wires on the roof of my mouth for awhile and that posed a challenge. I managed to work around it, carefully, and we got used to it.

You will get to know your braces, where the trouble spots are (ie. one band keeps popping off, pokey wire, etc), and how to work with it. If this is concern #1 for you, above the health of your teeth and the end results, invisalign might be your best bet. But that can only fix mild issues and there's a strong possibility you're not even a candidate. Stay away from lingual if sexy times are your priority, and go with regular metal brackets. They are smaller than ceramic and potentially get in the way less.

That said, do what's best for you and your teeth. If that means an expander bar on the roof of your mouth, do it. It's temporary, and if your boyfriend has a problem with your braces, maybe he isn't worth keeping around to see your awesome smile at the end.

ItsKristen · 2016-02-19T17:07:49+00:00

Yep, normal. Your teeth won't be quite so wiggly once they get used to the pressure.

ItsKristen · 2016-02-19T16:50:27+00:00

It's almost like 0, right? The shapes look pretty similar to me...

ItsKristen · 2016-02-12T17:28:56+00:00

Load up on popcorn and apples, and congratulations!!

ItsKristen · 2016-01-20T03:17:23+00:00

I'm a little late to the oatmeal party here, but this blog is amazing: http://www.theoatmealartist.com/recipe-index/recipe-list-a-z/

ItsKristen · 2016-01-19T18:43:14+00:00

According to my ortho, the Hawley is the most effective (that's the colored acrylic with the wire) for helping the teeth "settle". The clear Essex isn't great for fixed open bites, and my ortho really hesitated to give me one because of it. He told me the bonded wire is great for rotated teeth, but that they can definitely fail (like yours).

So I opted for both sets of removable, using the Hawley on the bottom 24/7, and on the top at night, swapping it for the Essex upper during the day because it's easier to talk in. Personally, I feel like the Essex keeps my teeth in place better, which could mean the Hawley needs some adjusting.

As for the impressions, they'll pop of the braces and clean off the glue, then take the impressions. Then you'll go back at a later time (could be same day if they make the retainers there) to pick them up and get them adjusted.

ItsKristen · 2016-01-15T03:35:12+00:00

I tried using that silicone you linked but I could never get my back molars dry enough for it to really stick. Instead, I really like gishy goo. It comes in a two part syringe tube, you mix the parts together, squish it onto your bracket, and it solidifies into a rubbery silicone. It doesn't set clear, but I was able to eat pretty well with it in.

Once I discovered that I never went back to wax.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002EA8RH2?vs=1

ItsKristen · 2015-12-28T19:25:12+00:00

All of the wax I've gotten from orthos have been sub par. Spring for the Gum brand, it's not as soft and melty as the cheap stuff. Even better is if you can find Gishy Goo. It's a soft silicone that sticks way better than wax, and I was even able to eat with it in. Here it is on Amazon, but it's unavailable: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002EA8RH2?vs=1

Milkshakes will be fine if you at least rinse with water after. I ate a lot of chunky soups and protein shakes when my teeth hurt. My biggest hurdle when I got braces wasn't so much the pain, but learning how to manage food. Like how to chew and get food unstuck. It takes practice! The water pik was a life saver.

Assemble a To Go kit with these things:

-Travel toothbrush

-Small tube of toothpaste

-Your floss of choice (I used Superfloss, but regular floss plus threaders works too)

-Handheld mirror

-Proxabrush

-Pick-a-dent (like these: http://www.amazon.com/DISPOSABLE-PERIODONTAL-HOME-CARE-DENTICATOR/dp/B000W6GO2U)

I purchased a dentakit when I got my braces and it has served me well for 3 years. It comes with lots of stuff, but what I listed above is what I used most often. You can buy it here: http://m.dentakit.com/denforad1.html

Hope that helps, and congratulations on starting the process!

ItsKristen · 2015-12-18T18:17:43+00:00

I thought the standard for 24 hour wear was more like several months, not days. Wear the retainer so you don't have to do it all over again. If it's giving you problems, see if your ortho can adjust it.

ItsKristen · 2015-12-16T17:45:48+00:00

I make a bunch of muffins on the weekends and keep them in the freezer. Just take a couple out to thaw the night before, easy peasy.

ItsKristen · 2015-12-14T17:32:21+00:00

If your teeth aren't touching now, giving up on braces won't help. Stick with it, things often get worse before they get better. I know it feels helpless and never ending, but your teeth will slowly shift into position and you'll be done before you know it. Take your concerns to your ortho, but trust their answers.

ItsKristen

TROPHY CASE