Random High-Five Friday!

So I apologize that I’ve been absent from this blog for so long, but to be absolutely truthful, I haven’t had much to report. I’m chalking this up to the fact that I haven’t had a single person point out my braces over the last few months. I haven’t even caught anybody checking them out on the sly. Not that I mind that I haven’t had anything to report; I’m taking it as a good sign that nobody has seemed to notice my dental work!

However, yesterday I was standing in line at the grocery store and the lady behind the checkout counter kept darting glances at my braces. She seemed to be gearing up for a question.

“Hey - when did you get your braces?” she asked me finally.
“About nine months ago,” I said, feeling a bit self-conscious.
“Well, those are pretty great,” she said nodding towards me, still staring at my teeth, “I can barely see them.”

Well, a compliment is always a swell way to break the ice. We ended up chatting about her dentist’s recommendations for teeth-straightening treatments while she scanned my groceries through the checkout. I told her about my SimpliClear braces and why the clear wire they used was such a big deal.

“You know,” she said as she handed me my receipt, “you don’t look like you really need braces.”
“Well, I don’t look like I need them now,” I said, “they are pretty effective!”
She grinned: “Right on!” and gave me a high five.

It’s not every day that I get high-fived by anyone, let alone strangers in a grocery store. But it goes to show that people really do notice things like straight teeth and a nice smile. It also shows that some people can get pretty enthusiastic about dental work as well!

The Results are In! Month #3

Hello dear SimpliClear blog followers!

Sorry if I grossed you out with the lovely teeth pics, but I wanted to give everybody an idea of how the braces treatment is working out thus far. If you go through this kind of experience with teeth straightening, chances are you might get a bit discouraged now and then because you might not perceive the results on a day-to-day basis. I’m lucky however, in that I have been undergoing this process with an orthodontist who has been very focussed on keeping a complete record of the whole experience. I was just sent these recent pictures from the radiographics clinic and was able to see for the first time just how much has changed in the last three months!

I’ve had a few comments recently about how my teeth seem to be looking different. Usually, I just chalk that up to people being nice and offering some encouragement. However, lately, I’ve been noticing some changes myself. My orthodontist just recently adjusted my braces by adopting a stiffer wire and added linked elastic ties to the brackets. These tools are supposed to provide a more dramatic change in the coming weeks. Most importantly, the linked elastics are going to begin closing the gap between my front teeth. I’ve had them on for only a week and I can already see a change! Even these pictures don’t illustrate how much things have shifted in the last couple of days.

It’s kind of funny, but I’m still noticing people with braces when I’m out and about. Today I got on the bus and the driver had braces complete with pink elastic ties! The guy must have been in his late 30’s. I say All The Power to him - not for just wearing the braces but for rocking the pink elastics as well! I’m not sure if he noticed my braces, but it was nice to think that there are all sorts of people out there who are on their way to a better smile :)

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. These pictures sure gave me the encouragement to keep going and also gave me a shot of excitement about what I can look forward to at the end!

Take care y’all,
Liz

Results! and the Great Curry Catastrophe of 2011

Well, I walked into my bosses office the other day and he casually asked me how the braces were working out. I said that they seemed to be working just fine and that I thought any day now I’d start to see some results. He squinted at me in an analytical way and declared that my teeth were already looking better. I was totally thrilled. And, on closer inspection of my dental situation that evening, I determined he was absolutely right!

However, I had a terrible scare a couple of weeks ago when I went out for dinner and a movie with my dad and stupidly decided to get a curry chicken dish off the menu at the restaurant. Yeah, curry chicken is absolutely fabulous, but it probably isn’t the best thing to eat when you’ve got braces. I found this out in short order when we arrived at the movie theatre and I went to the washrooms to brush my teeth before the show. Holy crap - when I looked at my teeth in the mirror, it seemed as though I had just ingested pure sunflower essence a la neon lemon. I freaked out for a minute. My first thought was - “Can I even go to work tomorrow? I mean, if I’m working in a retail store and have day-glo yellow teeth, isn’t someone going to be turned off by that?”

After I calmed down, I figured that the absolutely insane fluorescent lighting in the washroom was partially to blame for the extreme coloration. Nevertheless, my viewing of “The Green Hornet” (which was pretty entertaining, btw, if only because Kato was so awesome and totally hot, but I digress...) was punctuated by moments of panic about the state of my braces.

Returning home, I took another look at my teeth and realized that the braces and wire themselves were not yellow, just the orthodontist’s elastics that held them in place. Since I was due to visit the orthodontist in two days, I could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the elastics would be replaced while they adjusted my braces. Whew! This was certainly good timing!

When I visited the orthodontist that week, I sheepishly admitted that I’d indulged in some curry a few days before. I was told that curry was definitely a no-no food for braces, along with any foods that contained yellow food coloring. Apparently yellow is the danger color for braces. This was very good to know.

Once the new elastics had been applied, I was allowed to give myself a glance in the mirror. I was pleased to see that my braces had returned to their lovely clear state! The curry coloring had certainly effected the elastic bands, but it had in no way effected the brackets or the wire. It was quite a relief when I realized that SimpliClear had not let me down!

Anyway, I am happy to say that my trials with braces are indeed paying off. My lower teeth have moved significantly and are almost completely in line again! The big difference is going to come later, when the gap between my two front teeth closes up forever. A little difference is a big encouragement to keep going and to see this treatment through to the end!

And I have resolved to go out for Indian Food the moment these braces are off.

Peace out,
Liz

Eating well with braces 101

I LOVE soup so I thought I’d share a recipe with you. When you first get your braces put on or after the orthodontist makes that dreaded adjustment, your teeth are going to feel a bit sore for a day or two. Because of this, I have been compiling a database of scrumptious soup recipes to get me through the “ow” days. This has been a bit of a challenge, because I’ve recently gone on a super-healthy veggie-rich diet for the new year, so I’ve had to adjust and modify some of the recipes I’ve found to conform to a low-fat, veggie-friendly alternative.
However, there was no need to adjust this recipe - it’s got everything - lots of healthy veggies, low fat, smooth-textured (braces-friendly) and incredibly delicious!!! Get out your soup pot and prepare for yummyness!

Yam-Carrot-Ginger Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of butter or 2 tbsp. of olive oil
2 yams - cubed
1 large onion - chopped
1 apple - peeled, cored and cubed
3 carrots - sliced
1/2 cup red lentils
1 tsp. fresh ginger - minced or grated
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
4 cups vegetable stock
plain yogurt

Directions:
In a large stock pot, melt the butter or heat the oil. Add the yams, onion, apple and carrots. Fry on medium-high heat until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. (Hint: I like to cook my veggies a bit longer on medium heat to caramelize them - it really adds a lot of flavor. Cook your veggies for 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, to get the best results.)

Add the lentils, ginger, spices, salt and vegetable stock. If the vegetables are not completely covered, add a bit (a cup or so) more water. Heat on high until the mixture begins to boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and blend it until smooth. I like to use my trusty hand-held blender but you can also blend the soup in batches using a traditional blender.

If the soup is too thick for your liking, add some more water, stir and return it to heat for another 10 minutes. When you serve it, add a scoop or two of plain yogurt, if you want, which will give you some added flavor. I like this soup nice and thick, with a couple of pieces of soft bread and low-fat margarine for dipping!

Bon Appetit!

SimpliClear Spokeslady

I work part-time in a retail store because I am a student and all. This makes the fact that I have clear braces all the more important because I am constantly talking to and smiling at people all day. So far, I’ve had a few people do a quick analytical double-take when I give them a big grin and tell them to have a nice day. It seems as though they think they see something, but aren’t quite sure if they’re looking at braces on my teeth or what and they are too polite to stare. I’m content to let ‘em wonder.

I told my co-workers about my braces right off the bat when I arrived at work today because I wanted to complain to them about the fact that I am not allowed to eat any candy right now. When I reflect back on what I was eating for lunch in high school in grade 9, I cringe to think about how my braces must have looked. For lunch I would typically indulge in an instant noodle cup, a piece of chocolate cake from the cafeteria and a diet pepsi from the north hall vending machine. So nutritious! And I’m pretty sure I wasn’t carrying a toothbrush with me on any given day. I wonder what I must have looked like with cake stuck in my braces during my afternoon classes. Yikes.

That’s the biggest difference I’ve found, now that I’m an adult orthodontic patient. You go a little further when you’re taking care of your braces and of course, your appearance in general. I’ve been toting around a little travel toothbrush which I use to scrub my teeth after every snack and meal. It’s a bit more of a hassle, but I’d rather endure a few minutes of brushing than obsess about whether I had something stuck in my teeth. Gracious! It’s just good common sense!

Anyway, my co-workers were eager to check out the braces when they found out I was wearing them. They had heard about BioMers and SimpliClear before, because I had told them about what my friend George was developing and had also let them know that I was interested in trying out the product for myself. I asked them for their honest opinion. The consensus was, now that they had seen the real thing for themselves, that they were kind of surprised that the braces were as clear as they were. They were actually kind of amazed at how unnoticeable they were - I don’t think they had been expecting that the “virtually invisible” claim SimpliClear was making would actually be true.

Anyway, I’m getting used to having these things on my teeth and, to be honest, apart from the food restrictions, they haven’t really been much of a bother. The orthodontist’s office called me today for a follow-up to see how I was doing. I told them I had no complaints. Braces are braces and it is a bit of a challenge getting used to having these things in your mouth. But so far, the fact that they are mystifying people who are seeing them at a glance proves that, at least, I don’t have to worry about any cosmetic effects.

On a side note, I was on my way home on the bus tonight and there was a young fellow standing about two meters from me who had a complete set of metal braces. I could see them clear as day from where I was standing. I wanted to go up to him and let him know that we were kind of buddies - braces buddies, if you will, but I decided against it. After all, he had those metal braces firmly affixed in his mouth already - and I didn’t think it would be wise to let him know that he could have had a more pleasing alternative!

So here’s to all my future braces buddies. I hope you guys have a chance to learn about these clear braces before you start down the path to dental perfection!

Over and out, Liz

My braces

Here's a zoomed-in pic of what my braces look like for curious readers. Tell me what you think.
Liz

The First Day

This is me in grade 9, baby. I had braces then but I was a bit self-conscious, so I took my high school picture with my mouth closed. Not the best look for me, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Most of us go through that particularly annoying teenage milestone of having a set of braces slapped on our teeth when we are in grade 8 or 9. I’m sure many of you will recall that brilliant day when the brackets were finally removed and the amazing free feeling of having smooth teeth once again. Of course, there was the added bonus of being able to sink your teeth into a juicy raw apple or to again experience the pleasure of chowing down on a piece of toffee. I, like many of you, made the conscious decision of “Never Again”. My days with braces were over and I would continue life forever with a perfect smile.

Fast forward, oh, 20 years perhaps, and time and nature had taken their toll. A bad bout of teeth grinding in my mid-20’s had caused many of my teeth to become worn and my severe overbite, that had been initially corrected by my first set of braces had slowly returned, pushing at my front teeth and creating a lovely gap-tooth look. I wasn’t particularly self-conscious about my smile but in the age of laser teeth whitening and adult teeth straightening methods, I began to notice that my tooth situation was starting to look a little, well, bleh. My resolve to “Never Again” endure braces began to erode.

Luckily for me, I happened to be excellent friends with George, who, with his business colleagues at BioMers, had been developing a clear wire for the traditional braces system. This may not seem like a big deal, but when my particular dental situation was considered, this kind of development made all the difference. There are many great methods out there for adults who want to improve their smile, but I needed braces to correct my problems. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to wear clear brackets and a metal wire. Then George offered to have me undergo treatment with the BioMers SimpliClear system. This meant that I would be wearing clear brackets AND a clear wire to correct my teeth. The result would be a traditional braces system that was completely transparent. I figured it might be an interesting experience.

For those of you who don’t know, I live in Vancouver, Canada and apparently, I am the only person in this city to have the SimpliClear treatment so far. George had an orthodontist who was wanting to try his product out and all I would have to do was sit in the dentist chair and let them do their thing. It sure was interesting getting the brackets and wires put on and it brought back a lot of memories about my first experience with braces!

What did they do? Well, first they applied a solution to my teeth that would create a bit of abrasion, which would allow the brackets to stick. Then, they popped this tight-fitting clear tray over my teeth that had the brackets attached. After a bit of waiting and flashing a light to cure the adhesive, they removed the clear tray and the brackets were on my teeth. Oh man, memories came flooding back when I ran my tongue over the brackets - I felt like my teeth had grown by three sizes!

Next, they applied the clear wire, fixing it to the brackets with translucent elastic bands. When that procedure was over, the dental technicians in the office were all interested to come over an take a look. I’ve never felt like such a scientific specimen before - everybody was leaning over me and looking analytically at my teeth. The first few comments were along the lines of “Wow, I can hardly see them” and “hmm - interesting”. I was totally stoked to take a look at the braces for myself!

When I finally got a chance to see myself in a mirror, I couldn’t believe how my new braces looked. Or rather, how they didn’t look - because if I stood about a foot and a half away from the mirror, I couldn’t even tell that I was wearing them. I had to step in a pace just to see them. My journey to dental perfection had begun - again. But this time, I was going to have the added bonus of wearing braces that people weren’t likely to notice. I was eager to see the reactions of my friends and co-workers when they found out I was wearing braces. I immediately wanted to test them out - how long would it take before people noticed my clear braces? It was going to be an interesting experiment.

So here we go again. And I am resolved to keep a record of this experience. If anyone wants to try out something new to help straighten their teeth, hopefully this blog will give them some inspiration! I’ll update as often as I can about my experiences with these braces. Talk to you all soon!

Additional:
Some questions you might initially have:

1. This sounds like an advertisement. How much are you getting paid for this?

Nothing. Nada. The orthodontist involved is not affiliated with BioMers or SimpliClear in any way. I'm just interested to document how this clear wire actually works.

2. Why are you blogging about this if you’re not getting paid?

I am a graphic designer by trade and I love the idea of a new product and how it can be marketed. This blog was my own idea, which I passed by my friend George before starting it. I’m not here to tell you that SimpliClear is a miracle product, but rather to give you a weekly account of my experience with it. If all goes well, and the product does what it says it will do, you will hear good things from me.

3. Are the braces comfortable?

Braces are always uncomfortable, especially in the first few days after getting them. However, I’m finding that the most uncomfortable part is the metal spacers that the orthodontist applied behind my two front teeth in order to correct my overbite and not the braces themselves. Because of this, I can’t chew or close my mouth properly. I am hoping that I’ll soon get used to this, because right now I’m pretty sure all I going to want to eat is soup for the next year.

Well, that’s it - hope to talk to you all very soon with some updates!
Cheers, Liz