Wednesday 13 November 2019

Snow, Canadian Milk, and Teeth

How do you like that title?

We have snow. We have a whole lot of snow. Here is my porch. Yes, that's a little bistro table. No, it has not been put away. It is November the 13. There should have been time to put that little bistro table away before this all happened.


This is so very wrong.


As I am writing this post at 10:02 p.m., there is still snow falling outside. Maybe it won't stay.


O.K., so that was the "Snow" part of my title.
Sometimes when I'm drinking my one cup of heavenly coffee per day in the morning, I sit at the computer and read the semi-news feed drivel that comes up on my computer. Sometimes there are "articles" that describe "Twenty things about Canadians that Americans Don't Understand", or some such thing. Often times, one of those things is our milk. We buy our milk in bags. In those bags are three smaller bags. The bags get put into milk pitchers, specially made to hold the bags. Then we snip a corner off the bag and pour the milk out as needed. This is normal for us. Here is my milk pitcher.


Thus endeth the lesson on Canadian milk.

Teeth- I've never thought more about teeth than I have in the past two days. I have embarked on a quest that I should have done decades ago. But I'm doing it now. I am now the wearer of Invisaligns. Yes, I'm 53 years old, with "braces". I have always hated my teeth. My parents did not make a lot of money and I guess orthodontics was not part of my father's dental plan. To try to assist with my crowded teeth, my parents approved of the dentist pulling one permanent tooth when I was young (don't even know how old I was at the time) to make room for my other teeth. It didn't really work.

Life moved on, I was busy with my career, then kids came and I was busy being a mother and a professional, and even though I still hated my teeth, I didn't think it was something adults did. I saw it as an unnecessarily vain thing to do, I mean, who was I trying to impress? I was a married adult, with growing children.

Then, as retirement became a more tangible thing, I realized I still hate my teeth and my dental plan would be coming to an end fairly soon, so if I was going to do something, I'd better do it quickly. So I went to the same orthodontist that did my son's braces and asked for a consult. Yes, it could be done, and they could try and have it accomplished by my retirement date (year and a half - please do NOT tell more stories of people you know for whom it took three years to straighten their teeth - I don't want to know).

My teeth got scanned with some sort of advanced technology, the order was placed, and I waited for someone in, I want to say Costa Rica (??) make my Invisalign trays. I went on Monday to pick up my first two. I was shown how to put them in and was told all the ins and outs of having these things in my mouth. (If you are unfamiliar, they are clear plastic "trays" that mold over your teeth, top and bottom. Mine will be changed every week to a new tray which gradually shifts your teeth into a straighter position). In two weeks, I go back to the orthodontist to get these little "buttons" glued to some of my teeth which put added pressure on certain teeth to help guide things along even more.

Here's the thing. I'm a big baby about certain things medical and painful. But other things, I can handle. Mouth stuff doesn't really bother me all that much. I'm o.k. with needles, I drag myself into work under all kinds of less than perfect situations of pain or ill health. I really thought I would be totally fine with this - hey I'm paying someone to do this! I CHOSE to have my teeth forcibly moved around in my head. But here's the reality: this is no fun at all! I so want to rip these things off my teeth and run over them with my car. They are tight and make me feel claustrophobic, and I'm pretty sure I could have drowned in my own saliva the first 24 hours. That was day one. I truly didn't think I would be able to sleep with them in. Two Tylenol Night time for Pain tablets helped. Then two days of teaching, which essentially is talking all day long, and the edges of the trays have now worn away much of the soft tissue in my mouth that they come in contact with. That's also not a great sensation. I have googled things like" how long did it take to get used to your invisaligns" and "when do you start to get used to invisaligns". The results lead me to believe that I have a few more days until things calm down and it stops being the ONLY thing I think about. Ahhh, but then I switch to new trays and get to do it all over again. Did I mention I'm paying someone to do this to me?

You must keep your invisaligns in for about 22 hours a day in order to get the full benefit and results. If you eat, or drink anything other than water, you pry these things out of your mouth (I go to the back corner of the staffroom and turn my back so people don't have to watch me do this - it's not pretty), then you are supposed to brush your teeth before you put them back in when you're done. I tend to do a secret pick and floss with one of those floss things with a handle (again, people really don't want to witness that).

Can I just say that the happiest time of my day is when those things are off my teeth? Oh, but then when I try to chew my food, it is now like I am using someone else's teeth to do it. They don't feel right. They may not feel right for another year and a half.

I also feel like I might now refer to this as the "Invisalign diet" because you really have to decide if it is worth the hassle to mindlessly snack on something. I'm seriously wondering if I drink my red wine through a straw, maybe I won't have to take the trays out.

The thing that really hit home for me, was when I realized that an eight year old girl in my class also has invisaligns right now. I told her we could be Invisalign sisters. (I did ask her, "So how long did you have them before you got used to them?" Her answer was "two weeks"). Oh well, once I'm done all the bellyaching and they stop being a form of torture, I will be so pleased to gradually see my teeth become something I don't want to hide behind my hand when I laugh, or close my mouth on when I smile for a camera.

49 comments:

  1. Never had milk like you describe when visiting my Mother in Nova Scotia.. did like the milkman bringing it 3 days a week ( plus yogurt, butter, and orange juice!). he even put it in the fridge!

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    1. That must have been quite a while ago, to have milk delivery. I don't think it exists anymore - but how convenient!

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    2. She was still getting milk etc. by milkman when she died in 2000.

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  2. Being from Europe milk in bags is also new to me ;-) I had braces when I was 36. In the Netherlands they put some iron wiring along the thingies glued to yr teeth so nothing to take out. It is in all the time!! Every two weeks you go to the orthodontist and he makes them tighter (so it feels). They gave me some sort of wax sticks that you could rub on the iron bits to protect the inside of your mouth. Furthermore I does get better after two weeks and I never regret having them. I now have a little permanent wire behind my front teeth so they do not get in their mind to regroup again. Good Luck.

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    1. Oh, we have wire braces here, too. That's what my son had. I wanted the invisaligns because they aren't nearly as noticeable and, in my mind, less painful. Hmmmm, not so sure at the moment.

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  3. I am so sorry for the pain and problems with the Invisalign,but I have a friend that used them and was very pleased with the results! I hope it gets better soon!
    I have never seen milk like that, but it is cool. I love the milk pitcher and I would certainly use it daily if I had a chance.

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    1. Once I'm past this initial stage, I'm sure I'll be looking forward to the results. At the moment, I can't even imagine myself with straight teeth.

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  4. Your snow pictures are truly amazing! ... And thank you for the milk lesson. I did not know that. It does surprise me as the plastic doesn't seem so eco-friendly and in my mind Canada is like NZ on the Green Scale. However, that everyone uses a pitcher makes everything special again! ... Teeth - I had a brace on the bottom to rectify grinding at night. I think I was maybe in my early 40s? I can't remember. I had to have my teeth filed to narrow them a bit so they'd line up, which didn't hurt but was a very gruesome sound to endure. Stupidly, I was talked into taking the stabilising wire off from the back of my teeth several years after they straightened out, and they sprang back into their old position within 12 months. The grinding is a thing of the past so I guess it wasn't a total waste of $$. Sorry to hear you need painkillers at the moment. It must be going to get better soon. Fingers crossed for you!

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    1. You can also buy milk in coated cardboard cartons, but we always seemed to need a bigger quantity, especially when it was all four of us at home.

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  5. That cushion of snow is just waiting to be sat on. Go do it now. A wet bottom would take your mind off your teeth.

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  6. I agree the snow is too much, too soon. I did warn Ms Autumn about dating Old Man Winter! We did not get all our leaves raked up - oh well, Mother Nature has her way again! I did a post about bagged milk on my blog a few months back. I'm waiting for the environmentally friendly version of that to be upon us. Teeth, oh yeah, lots of pain correcting childhood misses, makes me want to agree to provincially funded "universal" dental care. Does the dentist recommend anything to help with the adjustment period (other than that look of pity)? ... Mary-Lou =^..^=

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    1. I agree that some dental problems should be covered as part of our health care (but probably not the cosmetic ones). Our leaves didn't get raked either, but I'm of the opinion that it is good for the soil - and we don't have a pristine lawn, but I could do without the walnuts!

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  7. I think I would prefer snow to the torrential rain we are experiencing right now. Good luck with your teeth, you are very brave.

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    1. Not feeling all that brave at the moment, but thanks!

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  8. Oh, the pain we endure for beauty . . . .

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    1. Ha, it's not even about beauty, it's just about being contented with something that's bothered me for years. I'd never do cosmetic surgery, for example.

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  9. Your bristro table looks like a venti Frappuccino with a ton of whipped cream. Actually the whole photo looks like snow on steroids. But beautiful.

    Didn’t know about the milk packaging but makes good sense to me. Love the milk pitcher also. I often take my cream out of the carton and put it in a pitcher instead. Most often if I can’t get the bottled version and I seriously resent cartons which never open properly most of the time.

    Braces ugh. Kids are super resilient making adults look like whimps. When I was taking riding lessons a bit back the instructor said children learn how to do things faster than adults as the come to the task with less or no preconceived ideas of what is expected of them. Therefore they are quicker to learn as they don’t have to sweep out the “wrong” and start with the right. You will be fine it will just take a little longer.

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    1. I know I have to just get past this first week or so. My son, after I texted him because he has gone through braces (the wire kind, and then invisaligns at the end) told me not to be a baby. I responded I'm not a baby, in fact, I HAD two babies!

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  10. Hi Jenn :) Nice wishful thinking, but me thinks the snow is here to STAY!! Much too early though! :) I LOVE your milk pitcher! When I buy the big bags, I transfer them into big Mason jars. I can't stand having the open bag in the fridge. Our fridge is old and you can taste a little onion in the milk if I don't seal it up lol...not exactly what I'm expecting.

    I can kind of relate to your plight!! I have to wear a mouth guard all night so I stop grinding. I know what you mean about the salivation, the dentist told me it would take a few weeks for your mouth to realize you don't have food in it. And YES, I've had my brandy through a straw because I don't want to get up and brush my teeth again once I put the guard in lol...not too classy but it works! :) I hope you get used to them soon. 22 hours is a LONG time to wear them.

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    1. My MIL used to fold over the top cut corner of her milk bag and put a clip on it to keep the odors out.

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  11. Oh and btw, yes it did take just over a week for the salivation to cease! Still feels weird in the morning when I take the guard out though, feels like my teeth have shifted a bit.

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    1. I find it hard to believe that my teeth have already started to shift, but that must be what's happening.

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  12. I was the same and had a tooth out to allow room for crowded teeth to fit. Parents of our generation didn't seem to worry too much about children's teeth. Mine too are all crooked and some are of a different length to others. It doesn't seem to notice much if I don't point it out though. My pet hate is the dentist and I just couldn't go through what you are going through. You are so brave. I am sure it will all be worth it in the end. Let us know how you get on. I admire your will at sticking with this.

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    1. I kind of have to see this through. It's like my last hurrah.

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  13. The snow table looks like a cake!

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    1. Would be pretty if I didn't have to drive through it!

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  14. If you join RTO and take their medical insurance when you retire you will have 85% coverage on dental checkups and teeth cleaning. Sorry you are in such discomfort.

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    1. Yes, I have to do a more thorough job of looking into my retirement packages. I just might contact you when the time gets closer for any advice you might have!

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  15. We had too much snow, too soon, and I take a pass on the milk. Now I'll skip the Invisiligns, too.

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    1. I'd rather put up with invisaligns than some of the discomforts you have dealt with in recent years, Joanne!

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  16. We've had our first snow in Alberta but not too much and it has really melted away the last few days.

    No bags here, only cartons or jugs. I wonder if this is just in the East?

    Chy

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  17. It does seem like many of us are getting snow (and cold weather!) earlier than usual this year. Just means it's time to start our winter hibernation sooner! (Hang in there, your retirement and lovely winter hibernation is coming!)

    I had never heard of invisaligns, only the wire braces. My daughter had those and was VERY uncomfortable each time we went in for a check-up and "tightening." In my mind, you are doing exactly the right thing in having the work done on your teeth now. It's the proper time and why in the world shouldn't you have it done? I don't doubt that your firmly implanted, been there forever in your adult formed mouth teeth might be a little harder to "rearrange" and therefore cause you more uncomfortable times (okay, real pain) than a pre-teen or teenager might have. But, again, GOOD FOR YOU for doing what feels right!!

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  18. I've never even heard of milk in bags! In the US we just have them in cartons or plastic jugs and some dairies provide them in glass bottles. Thanks for sharing, and good luck with the "braces". Regular braces take about two weeks to stop being uncomfortable.

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  19. Sounds tiresome! But think of how happy you'll be when your teeth are what you always wanted them to be!

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  20. I had no idea about the difficulty of having your teeth straightened in that way. Taking the braces out whenever you eat or drink, your gums feeling weird. Yikes. The milk in bags thing is new to me; I buy it in plastic jugs which I recycle. Are the bags recycled?

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  21. I did not know about milk in bags. What a great idea! I love your milk pitcher. We got some snow too, but only a light dusting. Thank goodness! It's too early to be getting snow. (In my mind) But I do have to agree that your snow is really quite beautiful to look at. (not to shovel, just to look at)

    As for the invisaligns, I somehow had the idea that they would be much easier to deal with than regular braces. I guess I was wrong. You are very brave to be dealing with it now. I hope it gets more comfortable soon. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

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  22. All I can say about the snow is -- YIKES. That's a TON!

    Milk in bags -- I had no idea. (Love your pitcher, though). I don't really drink milk and the only time I buy it is to bake so a whole new world!

    Ad invisaligns. Well, good for you, following you dream for your mouth. As one with a mega-overbite, I really admire you and if I was about 20 years younger, I might join you. For now, taking a pass and wishing you well as you continue to adjust.

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  23. I had seen the milk in bags on some youtube video (or maybe a show on netflix?) I didn't really understand, but the picture helps me a bit. I hope you're soon comfortable in your invisalines. I had braces as an adult. They came off either just before or just after giving birth to my firstborn (me at the age of 30). I'm glad I had it done and I'm sure you will too when the torture is over. ;^)

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  24. Good Morning Jen. I love that you get your milk in bags and put it in pretty pitchers for pouring that is pretty cool and better on the environment for sure. We use way too much plastic here in the USA. You will love your sweet smile after the invisaligns. Have a great weekend.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  25. Wow, that is a lot of snow! Years ago, we got our milk in bags, but those are no longer available.

    As for the teeth issue, I feel your pain a little bit. I purchased an appliance because I clench my jaw and grind my teeth while I sleep. I wore it for a few weeks but damn near drowned myself in saliva so I gave it up. AND I wasn't getting much sleep. Good luck with the Invisaigns.

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  26. Your porch looks so pretty covered in snow and I love the idea of milk in bags and a milk pitcher. I hope all will be well with your invisaligns and that you get more used to them soon:)

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  27. Well I learned something this morning. I'd never heard of the Canadian way to serve milk. :)

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  28. Wow to two things....all that SNOW and milk in bags!! I never heard of that! I guess it makes sense but I would probably want a covered pitcher to keep the other fridge odors out. I'm weird about my milk anyway....can't drink it out of plastic or at anyone else's house. Weirdo, right? Now on to the invisaligns....oh you poor thing, they sound like pure torture!! I have a cap on one of my front teeth (broke it as a teen playing hockey) and it still annoys me every now and again, and it's been in my mouth for 38 years!!! I can't imagine the pain you're enduring, and I do hope it ends soon for you.

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  29. This has got to be one of the funniest (my apologies for laughing at your misery, but...still) posts I have ever read. I never realized that Canadians got their milk in bags - is there a special way they are displayed in the store?

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  30. Count me among those who didn’t know about milk in bags, and it really wouldn’t keep me awake wondering about it. You have snow and we’ve had a lit of rain and knowing that snow will get here eventually, I will take the rains now. That said, the new fallen snow in your post looked lovely, Jen. I hope the dental procedure will give you the results you want because it seems quite an awful process, but your description was quite funny, but not so much to you.

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  31. We have bag choice like you but our Container light blue . Your container looks beautiful. Yes we have snow like you got but for now it comes and goes. From cold to warm and the snow melts.

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  32. How interesting to have your milk in bags. I love your milk pitcher! Beautiful snow! Stay warm !

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  33. I've been to Canada more times than I can count, but never realized milk was sold in bags. I guess I never bought milk in Canada. Good luck with your orthodontia.

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