And then... (A long update)

So, I had a great rest of my birthday last night. I had an incredible dinner that could only have been made better by having my family there. Otherwise, it was perfect. I was surrounded by great friends, amazing food, my favorite cake (triple-layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, raspberry sauce, and fresh raspberries on top), and my beloved furry friends (Matza, Peanut, and Lacy). It was wonderful. I spent a great deal of the day on the phone talking or texting friends and family who called/texted to wish me a happy birthday (and oh my word, talking with my nephews was one of the best things of my day--they couldn't be sweeter if they tried), as well as reading multiple e-mails, FaceBook and MySpace comments, and cards in the mail. I couldn't have asked for anything better, as anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I don't really have any needs and I clearly fulfill many of my wants. So, the best gift for me this year was to simply have time visiting with friends and family, whom I love tremendously. It was just a nice day and a great kick-off to my 27th year.

Today was not nearly as fun as yesterday--nor would it be considered a great day even if yesterday was a normal day. It all started with my dental appointment that I had planned on only lasting an hour or so. Three hours later, I was out the door with a $5,000 potential dental bill (plus another $5000+ in related expenses---more on that in a moment), an appointment to go in again next week, and a whole heap of stuff on my mind. Good thing it's a bit slow at work (I wrapped a present at my desk to kill some time today), as I spent my afternoon trying to get everything figured out. Essentially, the problem is that I need braces. I know--you wouldn't think it to look at my teeth as they are perfectly straight and already look like I've had braces (though I haven't). But, as I have what's called a deep bite (as opposed to an overbite) and I grind my teeth to the point I've gone through two $500 custom mouthguards this year, I have no choice but to get braces to help stop the grinding and save my teeth from being destroyed. I had a consult with an orthodontist last year and she said I could get away without having to have braces for about two years as long as I wore my mouthguard every night without fail. Well, here I am a year later and it's not looking possible to wait that second year.

The dentist is having me come in next week to get impressions of my teeth in order to send them to Invisalign (the clear braces that are more like a mouthguard, but have to be worn all day and night). The people at Invisalign will look over my impressions and see if I even could get away with going that route (as opposed to the $6000 metal bracket braces). They will also send back pictures of what my teeth will look like throughout the progression of me wearing the braces. Here's the 411 of how this will work and the pros/cons:

Pros:
-It turns out my dental insurance actually covers $1500 of adult orthodontia, which is amazing since adults are not usually covered under most plans.
-I will have my teeth problem corrected and will ultimately save myself teeth problems and extra expense and pain in the long run.
-There are payment plans available for Invisalign, to where I could stretch it out to a five year period and with the insurance of $1500, I'd reduce my monthly payments to less than $100/month.
-It's less unsightly to do Invisalign than metal bracket braces.

Cons:
-It's $5000.
-Did I mention it's $5000?
-I could not be "normal" and have the problem of having too big of teeth for a small mouth. Instead, I have the exact opposite issue. (Yes, I have a big mouth--but my teeth are too small.) So, rather than having to worry about finding enough space for my corrected teeth to fit, the dentist says I'll actually have major gaps--to the point I'll look like a donkey in the front teeth section. My teeth will be kept together in the back and all of the spacing will be concentrated into the front teeth, which brings me to my next problem...
-I would need to get veneers for my front teeth, as I'm not going to look like a donkey and the veneers would cover the gaps.
-Veneers will run me about $5000 more than the cost of the braces.
-I won't have my same dental coverage as of next fall when I go to law school, so if I'm going to take advantage of saving 25-33% (depending upon if I go with Invisalign or metal), I have to do it soon. Plus, I don't want to have to go to a different dentist right after having them put on, so I want the bulk of my treatment done while I live here in Raleigh. This puts pressure on me and my decision.
-Oh, and it's $5000.

Neutral at this point:
-The dentist said my entire profile and looks will change, as my teeth will be brought further forward. This could improve my looks (heaven only knows how appreciative I'd be for that) or make me look worse (which would suck). So, this is a neutral point for me right now.

There are also some other problems going on that the dentist is concerned about, but I won't scare/bore you with those details until I know more. I've ordered my past panoramic x-rays from my dentist and the ortho for as many years as I could get a hold of in order to help my dentist do a comparison to what showed up today. Once that is done, I will be able to share more details and be more informed. (My feeling is that it's nothing and that I'm just fine, which the dentist said could very well be the case.)

So, there you have it...today was not nearly as fun as yesterday. BUT, the good news is that yet again, I have no cavities. GO ME! Well, it's about three hours past when I had hoped to get to bed, so me and my freshly cleaned pearly whites are going to hit the hay. May you each be experiencing great dental health and may your ortho bills be non-existent. :) Those are my thoughts at this late hour.

~me

PS--To those whom I have not yet spoken with, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for making yesterday such a tremendous day. Sure, today sucked, but I know it'll be just fine as I have the best people in the world in my life regardless of whether my day is good or bad and how big my dental bills are. :) So, thank you!!!