Time machine.

I was looking through some old photos of myself.  I was not feeling particularly nostalgic.  I just wanted to see if my bite had changed since I was a kid.

This is fourth grade.  There is no gummy smile.  The "buck teeth" are not looking too bad yet.

This is fifth grade.  Those front teeth are sticking out more, jaw is clearly crooked, but no gum showing.

This is seventh grade, just before the braces went on.  I had worn several appliances that were supposed to widen my upper palate and help my jaws grow together in proper alignment.  I was not very cooperative (the one to keep my jaws growing together fit over both the top and bottom teeth in one piece, so I could not open my mouth to speak while wearing it and thus would have been forced to learn ventriloquism, except that I refused to wear it).  My jaw is clearly crooked.

Eighth grade.  Braces are on!  Things have straightened out fairly quickly.  Gummy smile begins to appear on right side of mouth only.  Jaw is still crooked.  I can't tell how much overjet I had.

Ninth grade.  Serious gum has appeared on right side only.  After some head gear, jaw seems less crooked, but still noticeably "off."  Braces came off a few months after this picture.  My orthodontist (unknown to me at the time), purposely gave me this crooked smile so that my teeth would have the appearance of a proper bite.




I will admit that I did not give 100% compliance to this first ortho's treatment.  I asked my OD if this affected my need for surgery now (as in, had I been good, could I have avoided this surgery).  He said that there was nothing that my first OD could have done.  I was a surgery case from the beginning, but back then, they thought they were doing the right thing by using those appliances.  My current OD said that if I had been compliant, those appliances could have caused even more joint damage.  So, "yay" for non-compliance???

**disclaimer: I believe in compliance now, 100%!!