Something to Smile About

I've had moderately crooked teeth all my life. They weren't really bad enough to require braces as a teen -- for which I was immensely grateful at the time. But they continued to shift as I got older, and while I could easily conceal the jumble of teeth that filled my lower jaw, my smile was beginning to be compromised.


I still couldn't justify orthodontia, though. Especially at "my age"...even though a number of my friends had taken that leap with marvelous results. My job is a pretty public one - speaking engagements and a lot of face time -- and I thought that braces just didn't fit into my self image.


Then I started having other dental problems as a result of the mechanics of my misshapen bite -- like fractured teeth, broken crowns, and (the final straw) gum trouble. After 7 years of noodge (that's tactful nagging) from my dentist, Dr West, and later on from his associate, Dr Chapman, I finally caved.

It helped more than just a little that Dr Chapman was himself embarking on a course of treatment with the same orthodontist - Kamasugi Orthodontics.

So in April 2008, I was in braces. I had porcelain upper brackets on my 'social 6' (the most prominent teeth) and metal on the rest, so they didn't look too weird. But a 58-year old in braces was still a tough persona to adjust to at first. As was the near continuous need to brush, swish and floss. I quickly bonded to my waterpik.


The braces didn't slow me down at all, though. This picture was taken in Shanghai, about 3 months after getting the uppers. The lowers were added about a month later.

I was diligent (okay -- if you are reading this you know me -- obsessive) about following the rules, keeping my appointments and staying educated about what my treatment involved. I was amply rewarded by my teeth cooperating in very short order.


By September 2010, the braces were removed and -- voila!



I took this last photo with my cellphone, and have a bad case of 'chair hair' from spending 4 hours between the dentist's and orthodontist's offices - but you get the idea.

I always have a heckuva lot to smile about -- now I have even more to smile with!!


A cautionary note: because I took so long to correct my bite problems, my teeth were ground down quite a bit, so I've had to have some cosmetic work on the front 2 to even them out after the braces were removed. Adult bracing is becoming more and more common these days, as the treatments have become less painful and less obvious. If you need them, take the leap -- you won't regret it.