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I am lucky to have all of my teeth, and I have a fairly decent set of chompers in my mouth. When I say I have decent teeth, what I mean is that they have a nice shape (no vampire teeth…), aren’t rotten (no discoloration), and I have them all at this point. They also USED to be straight. The keyword is “used.”

When I was around 13 years old, I got braces for the first time. I had a slight overbite, a few misaligned teeth, and that was the main problem. So I had braces for about 3 years to correct everything. I hated every minute of it too. When I first got the braces, I couldn’t eat a solid meal for about 2 weeks. My teeth hurt so badly that I couldn’t even bite bread. It was terrible.

Finally that wore off, and the rest of the time wasn’t that bad (if you don’t include the countless canker sores and busted lips I endured thanks to my oral railroad tracks). I was so happy when I got my braces removed, and I absolutely loved my teeth. In fact, my wife still tells me that she loved my teeth when she first met me.

My Wisdom Teeth Began Growing-They Were Impacted!

My teeth looked great for about 2-3 years after I got my braces removed. I was very happy with them. Then something happened–my lower wisdom teeth began to grow. Not only that, but my wisdom teeth were impacted (which means growing sideways against my other teeth). When my dentist showed me the x-ray, I was shocked that teeth could grow sideways inside your jaw like that. But sure enough, they can.

Because my wisdom teeth were impacted, they were putting pressure on my jaw and causing my lower teeth to “overcrowd.” That is a fancy way of saying, my bottom teeth were starting to jumble together and the center ones got slightly crooked.

So at the insistence of my dentist, I had my impacted wisdom teeth removed in a very painful surgery. My cheeks swelled up like a hamster, and I couldn’t eat for a week. I also vomited after the surgery from swallowing blood (sorry for the visual). It was terrible. And I was so happy to find out that I would never get top wisdom teeth (I just had both bottom one’s removed).

I was hoping that after the surgery, my bottom teeth may stop overcrowding.  They did finally stop, but not before it left me with slightly crooked bottom teeth in the middle. It isn’t noticeable to most people, because the top teeth are the most visible when I talk or smile. But it does annoy me and feels funny when I floss and brush.

My Top Teeth Moved Too–Do Braces Even Work?

About 5 years after this, I noticed that my top teeth were very slowly moving into their overbite position again.  This is really what made me frustrated. At this point, I am questioned whether braces even work at all. I wore my retainer as directed (which was only for a year or two after my braces were removed). Yet after all of that, they still moved back. It seems they only work for about 10 years or so.

Not only that, but my wife’s teeth are slightly returning to their original position (she had braces too). So we are both like, “what is going on?” My nephew has also made a comment about his teeth slightly changing after getting his braces removed, and he still wears his retainer.

So it looks like my mom spent $3,000 (which she really couldn’t afford at the time) to fix my teeth, only to have them nearly returned to the same position on the top, and get even worse on the bottom.

So I am frustrated. I don’t want to get braces again, because I am almost 28 years old now. They are painful, uncomfortable, and make you look 15 years old. They are also terribly expensive. Yet at the same time, I am no longer happy with my teeth as I once was. When I eat hard foods, it irritates the gums just behind my top teeth (because they slightly slant forward).

I would like to do something like invisalign, but it is rather expensive and seems less effective than the metal gear (which apparently only works for a decade or two anyway).

So it looks like I will just have to live with my slight overbite and “overcrowded” lower teeth. I honestly can’t see myself ever getting braces again. Grrr!

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Posted under Health Tips

Dry skin can happen to the best of skin types. During cold winter months, or during seasons with low humidity, it can be all too easy for our skin to get dry, cracked, and flakey. However, there are steps you can take to protect your skin.

Your skin is your outermost organ. It protects the body by forming a layer to protect your bones, muscle, etc.  So keeping your skin healthy is just common sense.

So what can you do when your skin seems to get extra dry & even lotions don’t seem to help?

Simple Home Remedy for Dry Skin

When the typical lotions don’t seem to help your skin, you may be worried that there will be nothing you can do.  However, there is a simple home solution for dry skin that can make even the most dry skin come back to life with a slick, oily shine.

The solution….Olive Oil! Yes–you read correctly! That same oil that comes from olives that you may have cooked with can be applied to your skin for a healthy, youthful looking appearance.

How does Olive Oil Help Dry Skin?

Olive oil is derived from olives. Olives are natural healthy foods that grow on trees.  This is great because most lotions, oils, and lubricants are made from chemicals that could harm your skin. Olive oil is made of oil from olives.  Olive oil is well known for its health benefits.  Some studies suggest that consuming 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on a daily basis could reduce heart attacks & strokes.

The best type of olive oil to use as a skin moisturizer is Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  This can usually be found at your local supermarket.

What does olive oil do exactly?  Olive oil helps heal your dry skin by forming a protective layer of oil.  This helps your skin retain moisture, and keep a light shine that gives your skin a radiant glow. This prevents excessive dryness & may even help with eczema or other skin rash conditions.

Olive oil is also a well known beauty secret that has been used for hundreds of years by Romans, Egyptians, and others.  Even today, many people rub olive oil around their eyes and the rest of their face to prevent wrinkles & sun spots.  Most people seem to report that olive oil gives them a much more youthful appearance.

Olive oil is great for the skin because most it is generally non-allergic (although you may want to try it on a small portion of your skin just incase).

It does not have a very strong smell, and its very light (hardly noticeable) fragrance is actually pleasant. You can always apply a perfume or cologne spray and you would not even be able to tell that you are using olive oil.

Also, it does not usually tend to cause zits, acne, or breakouts like other lotions or oils.  And since olives are a natural food that is actually good for you, you could be helping your cells.

How to Apply To Olive Oil to Your Dry Skin

Applying olive oil to your dry skin is simple.  You can apply the oil at any time, however, after a shower is most common.

After a shower, pour a small amount of olive oil in your hand & run onto the area of dry skin. Olive oil is safe to use on any portion of your body-including your arms, face, neck, back, chest, legs, etc.

Start with a small portion & rub into your skin just as you would with lotion. You can apply to your whole body, or just a small area. If you accidentally apply too much, or if you want to reduce the “oily” texture, then you can wipe away any excess with a towel until you feel comfortable.

Olive oil will give your skin a nice moisturized texture. It does not make your skin shiny, but rather it tends to add a radiant glow.

Other Great Uses For Olive Oil:

• Apply to hair approximately 2 times per month as a moisturizer/conditioner. Then blow dry with a hairdryer.

• Soak fingernails in olive oil for 5-15 minutes to soften nails.

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Posted under General, Health Tips