Supernumerary Teeth and a Fixed Retainer

I was born with some extra teeth which blocked my incisors from coming in (and in turn kept my baby teeth from falling out) when I was a young buck. This rare condition is called hyperdotia. The result was that I had three oral surgeries and got to have braces twice.

I got my second set of braces off when I was 17 years old and my orthodontist used "2 year glue" to keep a fixed retainer across my bottom row of teeth. This retainer has kept my teeth straight for over two decades.

Twenty-one years later and the thing finally fell off. And the glue held tight. The metal broke on one side on Friday, so I ended up getting the rest of it removed this morning.

Twenty-one years. I guess my fixed positioner felt it was time to venture off on its own to get its own Coors Light. It didn't need me anymore.

Good bye, old friend.