New gums may not sound exciting to you, but it's part of my journey and I'm proud to have taken the first step in the process to address my teeth.
I'm on my way to a more confident smile.
When I was a toddler, my tricycle wheel broke and I fell over and landed on a glass Coca-Cola bottle. On my mouth. Specifically, my left front tooth and the tooth to the left of it. After years of braces (twice) and bonding redos, I decided to kick those two yellow bonded teeth to the curb! I want all my teeth to be a uniform color so I can smile with complete confidence.
After many conversations with my dentist, I decided to go down the veneer path. In order to do it right, I needed to first address my receding gums (6 teeth). So I did. On December 28th with a gum graft. And I couldn't be more happy.
The process was easy. I chose numbing shots over anesthesia. Being the daughter of a dentist, I grew up with excitement going to the dentist. I realize this isn't the case for most, so if you're considering a gum graft, you do what you need to do. I did not experience any pain. Discomfort, yes. Swelling...lots. And I would do it again for results like these.
While gums take 6-8 months to heal, the next step will involve whitening my teeth to my desired level. Then veneers. I'm not going to lie, veneers scare me a bit. Maybe it's just the thought of not having my (whole) real teeth. I like my teeth. They've gotten me through life thus far. However, I've seen excellent results from many cases which affirms my decision to move forward.
My dad would be proud. He'd be pleased with my adorable gums. He'd be so excited that I took the first step. He's cheering me on from above, I can feel it.
Is there something you want to do but have hesitated? Why? What's stopping you?
Bucket lists are personal, and while traveling is big on my list, leaning into full self expression is first. It has to be. Because all of these beautiful memories I'm creating with my family involves a big fat smile.
Let's go!