No More Braces!!!

Today was the day!  After 2 years 8 months and 1 day in braces...they came off!!  But it was kind of an ordeal.  Ethan has end of year testing for the next few weeks so it was hard to find an appointment time that would work around the testing schedule.  Then, he had a peg tooth that the dentist would need to use composite to build up and make look normal.  So we had to make sure the dentist had a time on the same day the orthodontist had a time...you get the picture.

So Ethan got to skip school today to go through all the fun stuff of getting his braces off.  We drove across town to their office and at 8:40 they began working on him.  They put in his permanent retainer on the bottom teeth then they took off his brackets.  It was so weird.

They had to take more xrays and pictures.



Brace-less...


They gave him a goodie bag full of all the things he wasn't supposed to eat while he had braces.  "There were things I wasn't supposed to eat?  Oops"


What a cute smile..


Then we had to waste time for about an hour before running to our side of town and going to the dentist.  This when it got bad...The dentist had told us over and over again that to build up the tooth was "no big deal."  He said he just had to get composite material and build it up.  They made it sound like it wasn't any big deal.

After waiting for almost 30  minutes the hygienist walked us back to the chair and immediately asked Ethan, "Would you like some laughing gas?"  We both looked at her and Ethan started to panic.  I told her that he wasn't supposed to have any shots because it was just a simple composite buildup on his tooth.  She said "Well, I guess we will let the dentist explain it to you."  I knew we were in trouble.

The dentist came in and said that he was going to give Ethan a shot.  Again, I said he shouldn't have to because it was a simple build up.  He said that it is a simple build up but that the plastic dividers they would put in between Ethan's teeth would probably but him if they didn't numb him.  I should have let Ethan decide whether he wanted the pain of the dividers or the numbness of the shot.  But I was in shock that it wasn't going to be as simple as we had been led to believe.

EXPECTATIONS, people.  The number one rule: Manage expectations!  I had failed miserably and Ethan was not happy.

After an hour of Ethan being drilled, poked, sculpted and everything, Ethan had a new tooth.  But he wasn't happy.  His face was really numb and he was starving but didn't feel like eating anything while numb.

We went home to wait for Courtney to get out of school before heading back to the orthodontist office across town.  Ethan couldn't have the mold done for his retainer because they needed his tooth to be built up before they could do the mold.  So we had to go back and have the mold done (which is AWFUL because it feels like you are choking).  We then waited for another hour for them to make the retainer.  It's nice though because he only has to wear it at night and it's invisible.  Times have changed.

I would have taken an after picture, but when we left the dentist's office, he was too peeved and wouldn't let me near him.  He has now been fed and his face is no longer numb, so he is a happy camper.

So he went from this...



to this..



to this...



I just noticed that he has the same shirt on.  haha!  They are given extra "points" towards prizes if they wear their shirt to each appointment.  He has gotten a ton of points so in a few months, after he is checked for the final time with his retainer, he is going to cash them out and see what he can get.