My other unexpected event this month happened when I went to the dentist. I mentioned that it felt like my back teeth were trying to make one of my front teeth turn because there was so much pressure on it.
And guess who is now the proud owner of a retainer?
I never had a retainer before, so it's been a learning experience. I ended up buying tabs to clean it that I have to remember to use every day. On the plus side, it only takes three minutes per the instructions on the box.
For a week or so, I debated buying a box to soak the retainer in, but once I realized it didn't need to soak all day to clean it, I decided to just use a plastic cup.
So far (knock on wood) I'm doing pretty well with the retainer. I'm not pulling it out while I sleep and there's only been one night that it kept me from falling asleep for a while. I only need to wear it overnight, not during the day.
I'm both surprised and unsurprised to have a retainer. Surprised in the fact that I've never had one before, but I also knew that the pressure on that tooth from the back teeth was a problem and there probably was no other way to resolve it except a retainer. I'm good with it.
While I titled this post Unexpected Learning Curve, it really isn't a steep curve. I have the hang of getting it in and out now--it requires two hands. Cleaning it--three minutes of soaking in warm water with the cleaning tab. And I've remembered to put it in every night.
I feel like I'm doing pretty good here. And if it keeps my teeth where they belong, it's a win.
