UPDATES!

I haven’t been posting here. Sorry. Shame too because I like to come across blogs where people write about their braces journey.

At any rate, Here are updates from June-December. I’m just around 11 months in, with an expected treatment time of 18-24 months (the standard).

 

 

 

Today, at my December appointment, we repositioned 3 brackets (right front, right canine and one on the lower left). The worst part was the air…popping them off and even sanding down the adhesive didn’t hurt at all.

I am done with my powerchain for now and just have a figure 8 across the top.

 

Day 125 in braces

So I’m just about 4 months in and had another adjustment today. So far, I’m going every 4 weeks still.

Upper brackets placed: Jan 24
Adjustment: Feb 28
Adjustment: Apr 5
Lower brackets and adjustment: May 3
Adjustment: May 29 

4 months in and the overlap of my central incisor over the lateral is gone. My diastema is closer to 3 mm instead of 5+. I see the space between my lateral and canine opening. The plan is to close the space up and then start to pull the front teeth back to close up those gaps that form on the sides.

We are still iffy on the frenectomy, though I think I should do it regardless once treatment is done, even if it doesn’t interfere with closing the space. It’ll help to ensure that it doesn’t return.

My ortho is quite excited about my progress and after coming back and comparing pictures – I am too!!

*Before
*Day 1
*Day 125

Week 4, Day 32 in braces

It’s been an entire month in braces! Woohoo!! Only a few people at work have noticed. One guy said he knew something was different when we were in a meeting and I was talking with a slight lisp (stupid lisp). It’s funny how adults get all self consious about it but really…no one notices and when they do, they’re not snickering behind your back. It’s more like, oh cool!

So, something has changed. My lower molar bands are killing me! All of a sudden, my tongue is taking a beating! Bleh. Every morning I wake up in the slightest amount of pain and I now have scar tissue on my tongue – and lots of it on the right side.

Also, every now and then when I’m chewing my tongue gets caught between the upper teeth/molar bands and it hurts. Not like biting my tongue, but like it gets “caught” or “stuck” somewhere. It’s super odd.

I have my first adjustment on Thursday. He hasn’t said anything for certain about powerchains but he did say that at this appointment we’d be moving up to a heavier wire. My front right central and lateral incisors have been sore. I’m going to stock up on soup and apple sauce just in case!

Day 4 in Braces

I still haven’t felt any “pain” – YAY ME!

However (ah, but of course!); boy oh boy! My right central and lateral incisors are sen-si-tive! I have be very gentle when I brush and floss. Also, my molar bands are doing a number on my tongue. I used wax the first two days and have since been fighting through it. I’m thinking I’ll wear it at night because last night was uncomfortable.

I have lost 5 pounds since this whole journey started – January 17th when I got spacers. I’ve moved from straight soft foods but I still can’t eat “normally” and comparing how I’ve eaten in the past, I won’t be returning to that type of eating anytime soon. No peanut m&m’s. No tortilla chips or Doritos or Fritos or microwave popcorn. No twizzlers… I have to cut my food up so much that I eat SO much less once it’s said and done. I simply get tired of trying to get it down. Today I made chicken fajitas at my husband’s request and they looked and smelled so good, I couldn’t wait to eat. Errr, biting into the fajita was impossible. I ended up with a taco salad sort of thing and it was not a satisfying!

I am having slight difficulties with certain sounds like F’s and S’s. I bite my tongue a lot. And I love (LOVE) my Water Pik. Best investment ever!

I’ve Gotten Braced!

Today was B-Day. My appointment was at 10 this morning. I took an Aleve about an hour beforehand. The assistant pulled out my spacers (OUCH!) and basically, my teeth weren’t “hurting” because the spacers didn’t do anything! LOL! My molars were all very tight and she couldn’t get the bands in. But boy oh by did she try! She tried several times in each quadrant, for over 30 minutes total. It hurt so badly. I was sweating and near tears. She ended up getting bands onto just two lower molars and my ortho decided to bond everything else. I’m not full on all the jargon so I don’t know high level detail about my braces. I have ceramic uppers (front 8 teeth). He put a “lighter wire” on this time and a heavier one will go on at next months appointment. I didn’t know that I wasn’t getting lowers put on today. He said we’d do those in 4-9 months depending on how quickly the top teeth respond.    I was there for just under 2 hours. My first attempted meal was a cod filet and fries from Culver’s (My husband LOVES Culver’s!). I couldn’t eat the breading and basically just picked the fish out of the breading. I ate some fries quite easily. I haven’t eaten anything sense though and that was at 2 o’clock! I’m just not hungry. I have that slight nauseous feeling and my head hurts. My teeth don’t *hurt* but they feel really tight and the pressure is there. My journey begins!  P.S. – I got my WaterPik too!

Intro and First Orthodontic Visit!

I’ve started this blog to chronicle my orthodontic experience. So I will *only* post related to the orthodontic process. Pre-treatment, once I get them on, adjustments, progress pics, trials and tribulations too! 🙂

I’m 33 and married. I have two kids that live in the house (12 and 14 and not in need of braces – YAY!), plus three more that aren’t (technically stepkids but we don’t use that word). I work as a chemist having recently completed my B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota.

I have had a gap (diastema) my entire life. It never really bothered me through my childhood and then at one point – it did. I got braces at some point in 1999. By late 2001 I got them removed. I have straight teeth! But not for long. I never (*ever*) wore my retainer and it was only a matter of time before the gap returned. But it was slim! And cute! So I didn’t fuss about it.

Now, it’s wide (5-6 mm) and my teeth are rotating and sometimes they hurt. These pictures made me semi-sad. I don’t feel like my teeth look like this but they do and I don’t want them to.

I’m having my orthodontic work done by Dr. Bates in Minneapolis. He’s reasonably priced and offers no interest payments with 10% down. That’s my kind of party!

On 1/17, I got spacers placed to prepare for getting braced next week. I got there, paid my deposit (eeeeeek!) and went on back.

First up were pics. I had to do a mugshot first and then a smiley face pic 🙂 Next were molds. UGH!!!!!! That was the most disgusting thing ever! It tasted like paste. I don’t eat paste but it tasted like paste!!!!!! Meh!

Then the spacers. Oweeeee. There was lots of pressure and it was quite uncomfortable. My lower left molar at the back was too tight and she ended up having to thread the spacer into place with floss – OUCH!!!!! I have 12 spacers!

Since getting them I’ve eaten nothing but soup, applesauce, oatmeal and soggy cereal once. This will be pretty interesting!

Getting braced next Thursday, 1/24! Ceramic uppers, metal lowers (elastics? Powerchain??) Woooohooo!!!!!