A Toothy Affair

We all have our own best feature - and by feature I mean the physical aspect. Yeah sure we all have something we are insecure about but you have to admit there is still something that you are really proud of because you know it makes you look good. It's not vanity, it's a fact.

I am not too proud to admit I also have body issues. I can go on and on about wanting to gain a little weight but deep down (if I'm really honest with myself) I am thankful I have a fast metabolism. I have long since accepted that due to genetics, my eyesight has failed me at a very young age so unless I decide to wear contact lenses then I would have to resort to wearing my glasses (good thing they look chic :D). I would like to be taller but meh, nothing that a sexy pair of stilettos can't fix. Almost every day is a bad hair day but a deep conditioning treatment always does the trick I'm going to stop right now before I find every single flaw in my body. It's a good thing I do not have a low self esteem or else I would have pulled a Heidi Montag already (not that I can afford it) XD.

One thing that I am very proud of is my smile. Why? Because I have dimples.

photo taken by my new friend, Mae :)

I know that technically they're a genetic abnormality, but I don't care. I know they add a lot of pizzazz and a little bit more cheer in my smiles. :)

I wasn't too proud of my smiles before, though. You see, when I was young, I had ugly teeth. And by ugly I don't mean damaged teeth. My teeth were very misaligned and I had a terrible case of underbite. My top left lateral incisor also used to hide between my top left central incisor and top left canine, and when I spoke, my upper teeth seemed to disappear. It was a horrible time of my life I wouldn't want to go back to as I got teased a lot by my classmates.

Come first year high school, my Mom decided to get me braces. Yep, I was a metalmouth for about four years. I suffered the pain of having them adjusted and having my two impacted wisdom teeth surgically removed, it was okay as I knew my teeth would look so much better.

photo taken about five years ago

I got rid of my underbite, yay!

After my braces were removed, it was time for retainers. My upper retainers can be removed whenever I eat.

photo taken about four years ago

sorry for the extreme closeup, this was the only photo of me wearing retainers that I can find XD

When I no longer had to wear them, I felt free and pretty. Finally, I wouldn't have to hide my teeth again! I can now smile all I want! Take that, you classmates who used to tease me about my "disappearing" teeth before!

photo taken about three years ago

I love Princess Jasmine :D

My long bout with the orthodontist made me obsessed with my teeth. Surely I wouldn't want all those years (and pain) wasted for nothing, would I? Whenever I get those weird dreams where I lose all my teeth, I wake up with a start, gingerly feeling my tongue around my mouth to ensure I did not really lose a tooth.

Lately though, I noticed that a small gap has begun to appear between my bottom left canine and bottom left incisor as my mandible has developed (because of age). My teeth are also getting misaligned again!

photo taken by Mae last Sunday

can you notice the difference?

My orthodontist has already migrated abroad so I cannot see him for consultation. Another option of course is to see another orthodontist but I guess I would have to wait until I get enough money next month. I think I need to have braces again and the treatment does not come cheap in this country. In the meantime, wish my pearly whites good luck? I mean, I don't want to go back to hiding my teeth in photos again XD

photo taken by Mae :)