I got braces today.

I’ve wanted and needed them for as long as I can remember and now that I have them it’s a bit surreal. It’s a dream come true.
One of the first things people notice about me is the large gap between my two front teeth. My friends tell me they like my gap. “It gives my face character,” they say. “You don’t need to change a thing.”

I don’t share this opinion.

So, I called several orthodontists and eventually decided to book an appointment with Dr. Jason Gallant at Viva Orthodontics in New Westminster. They had fantastic reviews and the staff was very helpful and courteous.

Dr. Gallant and his team examined my mouth and determined that it’s pretty screwed up. My teeth and jaw do not align properly which causes heavy attrition and excessive grinding at night.

Without braces and jaw surgery my teeth will continue to break away into a gummy bloody mess.

Mesocephalic facial type

• Mandibular retrognathia
• Class II malocclusion
• Increased overjet
• Incisal attrition
• Maxillary midline diastema

In addition to the braces I am also getting jaw surgery in 12 months. They’ll chop my lower jaw in half and then move it forward a bit and then fix into place with screws. The procedure is called a mandibular advancement.

Treatment will take approximately 24 months.

It’s been a good day.