So this is embarrassing.....

But I guess you’re all going to see / hear about this anyway.

I have braces.

I got them on Tuesday (1/12/10) and have to keep them on for at least a couple of years.

Obviously, I wasn’t too happy after my dentist told me I should get them. But after weighing the pros & cons between getting / not getting them, I decided (foolishly) that it would be a “wise investment” to take advantage of my health insurance and get them while I’m still (relatively) young.

I have to admit that having them on now (as I type this) isn’t too uncomfortable. I can feel the pressure of my teeth being moved by the brackets, but it’s more of an annoyance than anything else.

Getting them put on was pretty painful, though.

The worst part about all this is that I’m not allowed to eat “certain foods” anymore…..and by that I mean any food I used to know & love.

Basically I can no longer eat hard/crunchy foods or sticky chewy food substances, which include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Crackers,
• corn chips,
• cheetos,
• apples,
• carrots,
• anything deep fried,
• nuts,
• seeds,
• steak,
• roast beef,
• most chocolates,
• cookies,
• beef jerky,
• caramel,
• bagels,
• most bun-type breads,
• croutons,
• ice cubes,

This experience has really opened my eyes to the discrimination that people with soft teeth face every day. I went to the market the day before to stock up on foods that I could eat and the only thing I could find was soup and canned tuna.

I now understand why the elderly love breakfast so much. The majority of breakfast foods (with the exception of toasted breads) are soft and easy to chew. But even eating that is difficult for me now. (hope that goes away)

Also – I’m not allowed carbonated beverages (like soda) or whitening toothpaste - which is nearly every brand of toothpaste these days. Only Colgate still has a kind of toothpaste without whitening in it.

So yeah – I have braces and I hate it.

Expect my blog to become a lot more whiny as I think of new things I can’t eat!

Something interesting I've noticed, though, about getting braces is that - everyone who *doesn't* tell you that they look good on you (those liars) eventually tells you the problems they have with their teeth & gums. I now know the full orthodontic history of my roommate, several friends and an entire branch of my family tree!

SIDENOTE - I only told my boss & 2 other co-workers that I was getting braces. And since my desk is pretty secluded / I’m pretty quiet at work, I wonder how long it’ll be before anyone else finds out I have braces. I’m betting two weeks. Anyone else want to guess? Winner will receive a copy of the “It’s a Wonderful Life” DVD 2-Disc box set. (for serious)