The end of the line....

What a week, what a week! Since the Great Unveiling i've been flashing my fantastic new smile at every opportunity, enjoying the sensation of normal teeth on food and staring at my reflection in astonishment every moment I can - it's only just sinking in that they're finally off!

So what's it's like I hear you ask? Well, as many other bloggers have already noted, the slimy plasticky feeling of real teeth takes some getting used to after so long in metal, and i've developed quite a habit of running my lips over them just to experience the weird sensation again and again (which gets a few odd stares when I absentmindedly start doing it on the tube. Better stop doing that pronto!) Eating, as expected, is a joy now that food no longer gets stuck in awkward places, and cleaning is now a matter of moments with no fiddly floss threading to detain me.

I have a fixed retainer on the botton 6 fronts which is no more than a thin sliver of metal. The upper arch still has some gaps which will close slowly over the next few months with my nightly retainer, before another fixed wire is attached there too. The retainer itself is nothing more than a thin plastic mould of my teeth - I had been expecting some sort of weird metal contraption (have obviously watched too many 1980s movies!). The retainer itself is pretty comfortable, and despite only having to wear it at night I often slip it in after cleaning in the morning and carry on with it until lunch - I'm not risking any tooth movement after all i've been through :)

So the long journey is finally over, and sitting here reflecting on all that's happened it's hard not to think back to those long months agonising over the decision of whether I should go through with it or not, not knowing how i'd cope with a brace, worrying about all that could go wrong with the surgery. It really was a momentous decision and it's great to have finally discovered that the choice I made was the right one, words cannot describe how delighted and happy I am with the outcome :)

I must say, this blogging lark has been a lifesaver many times over during over the many months as a place to vent, moan, laugh and connect with many fabulous people going through the same thing when no-one in my circle of family and friends really understood what I was going through. To all of you otho-adventurers who have been such support - THANK YOU!

So on that note, it's high time I cleared the stage! Will be leaving this blog in situ in the hope it might help others who are thinking of embarking on the same journey know what may be in store for them. But as I stood on the banks of the Thames last night toasting in the new year I felt the fireworks were my own personal celebration for a good job well done. Cheers!