My Smile Feels Better

~ Bitchy After 60

With what’s been going on in the world, there hasn’t been a whole lot to smile about these days, but that’s beside the point because my smile makes me smile. So I thought I would share how much better my smile feels right now and why. Smiles are unique and subjective. I never needed or wanted a Hollywood smile. Most people would probably think that my smile was pretty good, possibly even nice. You would never know by looking at me how crooked my lower teeth had become because you rarely see lower teeth when someone smiles. You would never know that my upper and lower front teeth bumped into each other every time I ate or tried to close my mouth. You couldn’t see how far off my bite was, so far off that my back molars couldn’t meet properly and comfortably any more. You would never realize how much tension resided constantly in my jaw, except maybe on the days that this tension caused headaches that showed on my face. 

I was only thinking about the front teeth that bumped into each other when I decided to go to the orthodontist to see if I could get them straightened because, as I kept telling my dentist, my teeth were no longer comfortable in my mouth. 

Over the years, a lot of time and money has been invested in my teeth. Not by choice mind you, out of necessity. Plenty of cavities, because I grew up in the sixties on fluoride-free well water and didn’t see a dentist until in my teens. The removal of wisdom teeth to keep my other teeth from going crooked. Root canals–some that had to be done more than once. Implants to replace two teeth that broke during what was supposed to be a minor dental surgery.  I have to admit that it was mostly worth it, except for a couple of very painful complications along the way, and no one will want to hear about those. The removal of my wisdom teeth kept my other teeth straight up until I was in my forties and had to get the implants. The implants were also great because I like to eat and I didn’t want a device that would interfere with any other teeth or my tongue. But implants don’t move. Teeth are constantly moving, constantly adjusting themselves. All of a sudden, my teeth couldn’t move the way they needed to. Twenty years later, I was off to the orthodontist. To me, it had become a quality of life issue. Like I said, I like to eat. My plan was/is to continue eating enjoyable meals well into my nineties. 

I had my first visit in July 2023. I got the quote (gulp) and then the payment plan, (very reasonable and affordable) and agreed to the treatment. The treatment was Invisalign, with my orthodontist using the software hands-on to create aligners that would make minor weekly adjustments to my teeth. Every week I scanned my mouth using software and an adapter on my phone to make sure things were ok for me to move on to the next set of aligners. With Invisalign you wear the aligners full time, except to eat and drink anything but water. After several months, I went back in for another thorough high-tech examination and scan in order to provide the information needed to produce the second box of aligners. I had three different boxes of aligners in total, with the last one only needing about a dozen sets. 

Things started to happen. My teeth were moving around and changing weekly, Some weeks they seemed better than others. It was a process, and I was noticing good things. By November 2024, I had completed the aligner stage, meaning no more weekly changes. I had moved into the retainer stage, where I wear retainers full time for six months to be followed by nighttime wear only. By that time, my front teeth were straight and my bite was so much more comfortable. But something even more impressive happened. I was going weeks without a headache. This was a big improvement over four or five headaches a week.

Headaches had always been a part of life for me.  Different types of headaches at different times. The migraines mostly disappeared after I had a total hysterectomy in my early forties; but, as the years passed, other headaches were more than happy to replace them.  I am completely aware of the relationship between dental health and one’s overall physical and mental health. From the effects of pregnancy and hormones on your teeth and gums to the benefits of good dental health with regards to the onset of Alzheimers and dementia. However, my quick decline in headaches was unexpected and a game changer. All I can say is that I have my orthodontist and his many, many assistants to thank. 

By the way, if you live in my area, my orthodontist is Dr. Dan Stuart, The Brace Space, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Thank you for reading

Photos: Jenn Stone

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33 thoughts on “My Smile Feels Better”

  1. Well done. Over here in the UK it is so hard getting a dentist now if you haven’t got one, unless you have plenty of money. I can’t imagine how it must feel if your bite is out of alignment. Glad the headaches have declined too.

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  3. Oh that’s excellent Jenn! What an a amazing bonus to be headache free! I’ve heard about invisiline, but didn’t know anything about the process. It’s very long, but I guess kids wore braces for years too. Maggie

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  4. My wife is a teeth person. Not that she’s shallow, but she notices good teeth in others.

    One time when our son went in for a dental examination, the orthodontist surprised us by saying he had an extra tooth that would eventually have to be removed. I hadn’t heard of such a thing. After some investigation, we found out that my sister-in-law also had an extra tooth.

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  11. My teeth noticeably move around in that, sometimes I have a loose tooth, and then a few days later I don’t. My dentist doesn’t believe me on that here though…

    My bite is all over the place too – I can make my front teeth meet but, when I do, my back teeth are way out – one jaw is a long way to the side of the other when I put my front teeth together.

    Not sure anyone does anything about it here though as you’re treated on the NHS so it isn’t part of their treatment plans – I think I’d have to go private here. Luckily, at the moment, apart from my jaw cracking if I chew anything forcefully, it doesn’t really bother me. I’m hoping it doesn’t in the future. I like to eat too – my joint favourite hobby!

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      1. probably a good job they did! I best it was really expensive. The thought of implants with screws on the end to go into your gums makes me squirm though… They’d probably have to put me to sleep – I make enough fuss if I have to have a tooth out!

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  12. I’m glad you’re having fewer headaches. I know from personal experience that orthodontia as an adult is expensive, but oh so worth it in the end. Teeth in the right place makes life easier— and who doesn’t want that?

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  13. Wow, that is a lot, and also brave of you to describe and explain what your smile hid, and what you needed to do to help your teeth and everything that entails to give you a better life. Good for you! Some of it sounds painful – when my teeth moved as a kid (our dentist used small rubberbands as braces just for my upper teeth) the discomfort kept me up at nights. But again, worth it. SMILE!

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  14. Wow, you’ve had to do a lot! My husband has had to have lots of dental work over the years including 4 implants, I think? But, like you, he’s happy he’s gone through the process of getting his dental health on track. You look great and it sounds like it’s been well worth it! 😃

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