35 days post expansion - 12 days till braces!

0, 21, 35 days post-expansion

In the past week, my teeth have continued to line up and the gap has closed another 3/4 mm. I'm now just under 8mm. Each week gets easier and I have a lot more energy. I've gotten back into my exercise routine and I've found that I can eat more crunchy foods - like raw peppers and pita bread. I also realized that with my new soft diet, I'm almost a vegetarian. I say "almost" because I'm not committed to it 100%, but there's no way I want to chomp on a steak right now. I continue to improvise and enjoy my new blender. Last night I made mango ice cream; chocolate mousse has become one of my regular favorites.

Braces are coming up soon and I don't feel nervous about it. I feel I'm already used to orthodonture with the expander and I'm eager to get to my next milestone. To prep, I purchased an Adult Braces Survival Kit from Dentakit.com along with an ortho toothbrush, more orthosil wax, and a lip protector. Hoping the new goodies ease me into braces! The expander also comes out in 12 days - I know the TPA (trans palatal arch) won't be as bulky, but I'm not sure if my speech will be less impaired. My worse sounds right now are "ch", "sh" and "ee".