Brace Face: Braces are On! 1 Month In!

So my braces have been on for a month now, I can't believe how fast it has gone!

Getting them on wasn't too bad, the worst thing I find is the mouth piece that stretches your mouth open. It really starts to pull while they're fitting the brace, so if you're getting one make sure you take plenty of lip balm for before and after. The brace itself didn't hurt at all while they fitted it, but did for a few days after which is to be expected.

My teeth have changed so much already, I'll put pictures below of before (see last blog post), when I first got the braces on, and what they look like now! I went back to the Orthodontist today to get the brackets and wires altered again, my mouth is aching a bit but it will be all worth it in the end.

Before

The day my braces got put on.

One month in!

 

 

A

 

xx

Brace Face: Getting Adult Braces in the UK

So the time has come when I've decided enough is enough, I need to sort out my teeth before it's too late. Since losing my retainer about 8 years ago, I've known this was coming. Thinking back, it would have been so much easier to go back and face my scary orthodontist and the £50 replacement fee, but I just couldn't do it. Now I'm stuck with teeth that I know need to be put back (again) to where they should be, and a long year ahead!

I've been researching about getting braces as an adult for a while now, and truth be told there's really not much out there. There's a few articles and blogs from Americans, but really nothing in the UK. Even the dentists themselves aren't forthcoming with information unless you enquire and fork out for the consultation fees.

It was quite handy to discover that my usual dentist was broadening its services to include orthodontic treatment (as well as plastic surgery, random?!). I enquired and managed to get a consultation deal. It was £80 for two consultations; one to take measurements and moulds, then the second to explain the treatments available and the costs.

When I was younger I went through this all pretty much the same, the strange minty flavoured mould brought it all flooding back. Apart from this time its different, I don't have to have extra teeth removed and no removable wire retainer first. They're going straight in with the fixed, silver 'train track' brace. I did get given options to have the white version which blends in better, or invisalign but they were significantly more expensive. As a student, I couldn't even consider the other options. I only need a brace on my top row of teeth, as back in the day I had a fixed bar put on to hold my bottom ones in place. God knows why they couldn't do that for both rows!

The cost for the train tracks is £500 up front, then £100 per monthly consultation after that until the balance of £2,000 is reached. I think it's pretty reasonable as the package includes everything I could need, and constant assessment. The orthodontist has estimated roughly 12-18 months for the treatment, meaning I'm going to be stuck with a brace for my 21st and graduation! It's not ideal but I'd rather have a brace now and perfect teeth later, than imperfect teeth that are just going to get worse.

Fixed white/clear braces.

 Invisalign

 'Train Track' Braces

I wouldn't say my teeth are terrible, I know people with a lot worse (my boyfriend being one) but I'm definitely not as confident with myself while they look like this. Teeth are one of the first things I notice on another person, I even have nightmares about them falling out! Below is a 'before' picture so that I can document the change, for myself and for this blog. I want to create this Brace Face series so it can help other people in a similar position, and maybe we can help each other out?

 

 

Link to the NHS website, about braces - http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/braces.aspx

 

 

 

A

 

 

xx

Autumn-Winter 2014 Part 1 - New Look Sale!

So, I woke up this morning to an email from New Look announcing their latest sale had started! So obviously I had to check it out before I surfaced from bed. This isn't the best sale I've seen in a while for my personal style, but there's some brilliant bargains.

Winter (Eg. Christmas dare I say it?) parties are coming up and there's a couple of weddings happening also, so I'm in the market for some seasonally appropriate dresses. So my top five picks from the New Look sale consist of 4 dresses and a jumpsuit!

This dress reminds me of pieces I've seen in Topshop recently, especially with the black and white collar. It really meets the 'sporty' trend while still looking dressy enough to wear out. At £12 it's a complete bargain! I'd wear this with black heeled boots and a biker jacket.

 A jumpsuit hasn't been in my wardrobe since I was about 8! There usually just not my thing, and can make me look a lot shorter and frumpy. However, I think this one would be different, due to the high waistline. The red berry colour is gorgeous and perfect for winter, I'd style it with black heels and a black clutch. Even better - it costs just £9!

Sparkly and sophisticated, need I say more? I'm a sucker for anything with a bit of glitter, and this would be so easy to wear. I'm eyeing this up for one of the weddings! £8 is nothing to pay for a dress like this.

I love the mix of the winter florals and 'sporty' sleeves and collar on this dress. I think it's a bit different to what I usually wear, but for £9 it doesn't matter if I only wear it this year. I'd probably dress this down with black tights & boots for a cinema date.

Finally this piece is one I think could be really versatile, and be worn for almost any occasion. I love the print on it and the slight hint of colour. This dress will flatter most figures with the dark pattern at the waist, a bargain at just £10.

A

xx