Breaking Free of the Braces!

This Sunday I'm grateful for Peter's beautiful new smile.  He had his braces removed last week after wearing them for only a year and a half.  It's amazing to me how quickly they make a difference and how fast they can be removed now.  Back in my day braces were for high school and you were lucky to get them off in time for senior pictures!

I was particularly eager for Peter to have the braces removed because of recent concerns about his speech.  Increased drooling, difficultly swallowing, poor articulation, and sleep/apnea patterns are primary indicators that let us know more jaw reconstruction is necessary.  We are hoping to hold off on surgery for another year or two, but it is always hanging over our heads as to when the time will come.  All those concerns made me anxious and hopeful that Peter's speech and increased drooling would improve once the braces came off.

Much to my relief, Peter's speech was better without the braces.  His freedom was short lived, however, once he was fitted for retainers.  Unfortunately, his speech with the retainers is even worse than it was with the braces.  If Peter didn't have the craniofacial hurdles to overcome, he would wear both retainers 24/7 for the next month.  Because his mouth is so small, we are only having him wear the top retainer at school.  It is very challenging for Peter to speak and breathe while wearing both retainers at the same time. He is able to manage it while sleeping though.  Eventually (after about 1-2 months), he should only need to wear them both at night and be appliance free during the day.

It was so fun to see Peter smiling from ear to "ear lobe" (wink, wink) as he left the orthodontist without his braces.  Our orthodontist has been fantastic in adjusting Peter's treatment to accommodate his craniofacial anomalies.  The entire experience, although far from over, has been much smoother than I expected.  The results?  Well I may be prejudiced, but I think he looks quite handsome!

P.S. Peter and I had a giggle fest while I was taking a picture of him for this post.  I said, "You are cracking me up with your posing and cheesy smile."  His reply, "Yeah, that's what I was going for." Another thing I'm grateful for.....  such an amazing son that makes me laugh so much!