‘Metal mouth’ no more

Sixteen months later, and they’re finally off.

After enduring being called “metal mouth,” “train tracks,” “brace face,” and “magnet mouth,” it’s finally over.

I got my braces on June 1, 2015. My mouth was sore for two weeks. Little did I know, it would be one of the many times my teeth would hurt to the point of tears.

Everyone who has had braces understands how weird your mouth feels when you first get them. Everyone said it would feel different, but I definitely didn’t expect that feeling of metal poking the inside my mouth.

I was very anxious about how people would think of my new look when we returned to school for our final year in middle school. Most of my friends had gotten their braces off or were getting them off in a matter of months. So I felt left out considering I had just gotten my braces on and started my journey to straight teeth.

Over the next several months, I started to notice my teeth getting straight. I was happy because I thought I would get them off without even having them on for a year, but I was wrong

This past March, I had to get my gums shaved down. It was very painful, but rewarding.

After they were shaved down, people could see that I didn’t have little nubs for teeth. When I hit the one-year mark of wearing braces, I asked my orthodontist how much longer I would have. I was told probably six months.

Luckily, that time frame was wrong. I only had to wait four more months. I got my braces off this past Monday. I was ecstatic.

My teeth felt slimy and gross, but I eventually got used to it. Not a lot of people knew I was getting them off, so everybody was shocked when I returned to school that day.

It was a pretty amazing day. I was lucky I didn’t have my braces on for a long time. One of the things I’ve been happiest about is not having to worry about food getting stuck in my mouth.

Now I have to keep up with a retainer, but it’s worth it. Since I have gotten my braces off I feel more confident in my smile.

If you see me smiling around school, you’ll know why.

Hannah Lovett is a freshman on the Gazebo staff.