So I've finally come to the end of having orthodontic devices in my mouth.
I got my braces off just over two months ago.
:)
Unfortunately I haven't got great photos but the difference is nothing short of impressive regardless. I am very happy with the outcome and am very glad I ended up going through the very long process which all up was over four years worth of orthodontic work!
Palate expander, 5 teeth removed, Braces and now a retainer.
I wear my retainer all the time except for when I eat. It is a clear plastic retainer which i like because other people cant tell that it is in.
I will continue to wear it round the clock until christmas and then lessen the time to around 16 hours a day. It has fit into my routine well and I rarely forget to put it back in after eating.
Something I have also put into my daily routine now rather than every other day is tooth mousse, now with my retainer it is kind of like a tray for tooth mousse or even whitening gel (I havent got that far yet)
I have to be vigilant about my retainer also because I have some wisdom teeth making their way in, luckily i have space if needed but will need the retainer to hold everything in place as they make their way down. I've admitted to myself that I will be wearing my retainer for life at night at least, and I am ok with that so long as I never have crooked teeth or migraines again.
So thats it from me for now, If I get many requests for it ill attempt to take some more shots of my upper and lower jaw now. I really do have so much more space in my mouth and I can't remember what it was like to have such little space and so much crowding anymore.
My advice for people seeking out upper palate expansion is do your research first and then definitely consider it as an option. I am so glad that I did.

I really haven't posted in a long time.
Nothing new to share really.
I still have my braces on, and the last year or so my teeth have been beautifully straight with very few issues what so ever other than a small gap on my right side up the top which closes and opens, every now and then.
I have three weeks left with braces!
THREE WEEKS!
What a long process its been for me, years of orthodontic work, lots of money and my son who is two and half years old now has never seen me without braces!

I've had a massive decline in my migraines, from fortnightly debilitating migraines (at the least) to one every 6-12 months.
I know that is from the palate expansion, my poor face was squashed!

Being pregnant with my son saw me go from 52 kilograms to 82 kilograms at his birth. I am now around 70 kilos (my metabolism will never be the same again! ) and as a result of this and my orthodontic work, my face does look different, but in a healthier way.

I am still a preschool teacher, and that was something that pushed me to get my teeth done in the first place. Little people have no filter, they will say it how it is and after being asked many times about my teeth from my darling little friends I decided to fix them.
Now I have to explain when asked "whats those tings on your teef?"
I've even had a few of my little students ask me if I could buy some for them. I literally LOLed at those ones because unfortunately, even if I wanted to, I could never afford it!

I'll leave a pic of my upper
Promise to post again then. :)

teeth today here, they aren't exceptionally clean, I am due for a scale, clean and fluoride treatment but put it off until de-banding.

16 months later....

Just a little update. Not much to share, my teeth are straightening up beautifully. I have one gap on my right side which is still open and a powerchain across the front of my teeth to assist in closing it up, it's still taking its time. My son is almost 10 months now and i have been back to work for 6 of those months (he is enrolled at my service) so this explains my lack of updates other than the 'not much to say' factor.
No further cavities detected and i am doing a 'good job' at keeping my mouth clean so my dentist advises me at visits. Although i have just had a slight bout of gingivitis at the front evident through bleeding when brushing but easily fixed with the right size Pikster and mouth wash. A dental hygienist is great at tips and tricks...
Piksters are brilliant little lifesavers that i frequently use to remove bits of food stuck between bands, brush under the wire or to floss between teeth. But i was not using the right size, now i am.
http://piksters.com
i will also remind you about the trusty waterpik!! Get one!
And while i am at it, Colgate triple stripe is my favourite toothpaste..... i just use a soft bristle brush (not fussed on brands of brushes)

Any who, the whole point of my blog was to document the journey of my teeth which i am over the moon about! I have spent many hours wondering what i would look like with nice teeth, now i daydream about what i would look like with no braces, my teeth are great now. But mostly i want to share with others about the likelihood of Adult palate expansion being successful, i am proof of this. I had no surgery, just removal of teeth which did not negatively alter my facial structure.
If you're wondering if you should try it, I would seriously reccomend you do.
I will update again when i have something substantial to add.
:) <------- thats my new smile! ;)

Progress shot

Not too much to report other than how much better my teeth are looking. 

I can only complain about the wire poking me at the back of my mouth but that's a good thing because the wire is only long because my teeth have moved so much. 

I recently had a filling on my upper left lateral incisor, I had a cavity which had been hidden as my teeth were so crooked and hard to clean. Anyway it's fixed now.

It roughly 6 weeks between orthodontist visits where I have adjustments made and 6 months between dentist visits at which I have a check up, clean and flouride treatment each time. 

That's it for now. :) 

9 months later....

So I've had my braces on for around 9 months now. I've also had a baby in this time. A son, he is three weeks old tomorrow! 

Obviously I don't have a lot of time to write a long post as I usually do. I'm preoccupied with breast feeding someone who is quite impatient! 

Dealing with my braces and being pregnant was no big deal at all. The few things I noticed which I'm not sure if they happen to everyone becaus I only ever had my braces whilst I was pregnant. 

- bleeding gums, at some points it was a lot! 

- inability to take pain medication in the first trimester. 

- not being able to eat certain foods that I really, really wanted to eat! Like taffy, caramels, biting into an apple. 

General braceface stuff. 

One thing I have found that has nothing to do with pregnancy, but everything to do with ceramic braces is the staining. 

I miss eating curry! 

I sometimes still do if I am really close to my next appointment and I know that the little ligatures will be changed asap. They are quite yellow at the moment with no curry! 

I haven't had an apointment in close to six weeks due to having a baby and all. 

Here's a progress pic, as per the norm it's blurry as....

update when I get a chance. 

5 months on...

So I've had my braces for almost 5 months, it's gone really fast for me as I am focused on other things at the moment.... 

In a previous post I mentioned my inability to take pain medication, well this was due to the advice of my obstetrician, as I am pregnant! 

6 1/2 months along now actually! 

I had just found out about it before I had my braces put on. 

We (dear husband and I) are pretty over the moon about it! I wasn't planning on being pregnant before braces went on but definitely wanted to be soon after. 

:) 

No complications arise from it in the dental area, it just hinders the x-rays being done. Hygiene is a bigger deal though as pregnant women are prone to gingivitis. 

Pregnancy actually helps with the movement of teeth as a hormone is produed to help move hips and well, all bones in preparation of baby getting bigger and being delivered. My teeth look so different to me now! 

Anywhooo!

I have all teeth in the wire now, 3 power chains and just got rid of my springs at my last appointment. 

I'm sure I will post again soon! I will share all the ins and outs of being a wired pregnant woman then.... 

Here's a progress pic. As usual, not the best quality, but good enough. 

Picture Showing where Extracted teeth were.