November Adjustment

Hooray! Good news! Some progress has been made! Remember how I was wearing elastics for the last several months to correct an overjet? Well my overjet… still exists. But it is smaller now. Problem is it can't be corrected any more at this time because my top teeth are hitting against my currently not-yet-straight bottom teeth so we've had to stop that overjet correction. The elastics are still in play though just a different setup.
Instead on going from my upper canines to my lower molar bands to correct an overjet they will now be from my upper canines to my upper molar bands to close what remains of my extraction gaps. Also I have new smaller elastics for this new set up.

In other new my ligatures were changed and my steel ligatures were tightened and my wedge remains in place. All in all I am pleased with my progress and I'm happy that my slacking off on wearing my elastics has not affected my progress. Overjet can't go any further right now anyway. :)

Pictures to come!
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Disobedient elastics

I'm vaguely worried. Yesterday my elastics were not working at all no matter how much I tried they would not go into the little loops on my arch wire. I ended up having to leave them out because if I had stayed and fussed with them I'd have been late for an interview. I don't know what happened. Maybe I rolled over in my sleep and bent something?

Whatever the case I hope they behave appropriately today. Went for a whole day without my elastics yesterday.
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I've just had an epiphany

Or more like a disappointing realization.

I really had higher hopes for my own blog. However I've noticed that most of my efforts are being directed into my job hunt. I'm not taking my progress pictures as regularly as I should. I'm not writing of my experiences as often as I should ever really. Between looking for employment and being a big sister to a baby brother I've been neglecting this blog so badly. I had so many plans, like use cute little emoticons and gifs to make my posts more exciting. But most importantly I was going to use this for myself in my post-braces time. To remind me of all I had to go through to make sure I followed through with my retainer treatment. And it just kinda died. Except now and then I remember about this little project of mine and refuse to LET it die.

Curse you, Real Life. Curse you for throwing too many things at me at one time. Curse you for my own inadequacies. Can't finish school, can't find a job, can't keep a blog. I shake my fist at you....
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Progress Picture

November 11, 2012
1 year 4 months 3 weeks 1 day into treatment

 

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October Adjustment

Just realized I never updated for October. My adjustment in October was a fairly big deal in that now my upper right lateral incisor is attached to the arch wire now. Not with a ligature, though, with a steel wire tie. Slowly but surely, it's making its way to the arch wire. As for the rest of my teeth I'm still having pain when the ligatures on both my upper canines are changed. Not sure why that is as all the other teeth don't hurt nearly as much as those two. Maybe I'll look into it. Or maybe I'll just pop an Advil prior to my next appointment. Finally as a new development I seem to have a gap between my two front teeth that was not there before. It's very small, almost imperceptible but I know it's there. Additionally I know that it will close up in due time but I'm still actually entertained by it. I keep playing with it with my tongue. It's much more fun than it should be. Hopefully it closes up as quickly and stealthily as it showed up. Next appointment has been delayed for an additional two weeks until November 29. I suppose that means I won't be in pain for Thanksgiving! But going out for dinner for my mom's birthday might be a little more questionable. *************************

September Adjustment and money troubles

Slowly making that progress happen. I went in today and my adjustment went normally. The ligatures were changed, my missing bracket was replaced.

I brought up that my gums were bleeding and she said that it is not normal. It usually happens when food gets around my gums and gets irritated so don't stop brushing because they're bleeding but instead make sure that I get all my nooks and crannies.

She said to make sure I keep all appointments with my dentist. problem is I have not been going due to a lack of insurance. But in light of this new development I had to make an appointment for X-rays and cleaning. It'll cost me a total of $200. Just for that. Oh lord I need some insurance fast! *************************

Bleeding gums!

I've noticed that my gums are beginning to bleed in several spots when I'm brushing my teeth. I have heard of this happening to people but it's never happened to me. I'm vaguely worried about this...
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Inability to gorge… for now

I was at my chiropractor's office yesterday when the other Chiro (my doctor's wife) offered me some giant chocolate covered pretzels. I told her "Thank you but I can't have these. Braces." I even explained how I have a broken and missing bracket. She told me that yes she knows exactly what I'm talking about because she had braces too when she was younger. I wanted to ask her THEN WHY WOULD YOU OFFER ME SOMETHING YOU KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE??

Really she makes no sense sometimes. But oh those pretzels looked good… *************************

August Adjustment

I have one less appliance in my mouth. My orthodontist removed my coil spring today! It made the wedge feel a little strange because now it is right against the arch wire. I had the regular thing of replacing ligatures. Nothing unusual there.

I did have do redo my panoramic X-rays and photos. Apparently the office does them every year because they check progress too. So that was fun and interesting.

What was strange though was the following day. I woke up and as I was brushing my teeth I noticed that I was missing a bracket on my upper left 2nd premolar. It was just gone. Not even the ligature was there. Like I swallowed the whole thing in my sleep.

I called the office and they eventually told me to come in 15 minutes early on my next appointment and they out me in for a repair appointment. Strange... *************************

It's been a LONG time since I took progress pictures

These were taken today, August 20, 2012
1 year, 1 month, 4 weeks, 2 days into treatment

Still got my elastics on and still have the wedge on the lower right lateral incisor and still have the coil spring right in front of the wedge. Still just plodding along. My next appointment is coming up in three days!



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Broken bracket

The bracket on my upper left central incisor is broken. It's still on the tooth but chipped and cannot hold a ligature. I hope I don't get charged for its repair since I found it almost immediately after my last appointment.

Shhh don't tell on me!

July adjustment

So I have a confession. When I was young I wanted attention. Haha okay let me stop quoting random songs.

I do have a confession though. I have not been very attentive to my braces. I've only been wearing my elastics occasionally and not 24/7. It's been very inconsistent. Kinda like how I treat this blog actually. Anyway that is my big bad braces confession. I'm sure that I'm not alone in this neglect but I still feel upset with myself that it has gotten this far. The only person I hurt by doing this is myself.

Anyway now that I've gotten that off my chest time to get down to business (to defeat the Huns- okay okay I'll stop)

I went in for my adjustment today. Nothing too fancy. Just replaced the ligatures. I still have all the extra stuff, the wedge and the coil spring and the elastics. I was hoping to lose some of it but no I must continue with them all. I guess this is what I get for failing to keep up with everything.

I know I've been promising pictures for a while this is also something I've been slacking in. I had planned in making a video or a sideshow of my progress when I'm finished with my treatment but well we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll still have enough pictures to make that work.

Sorry readers

Real life has been kicking my butt lately. I got into an accident at work and while I'm still living a mostly normal life I'm in therapy 3 times a week.

Let's update. I've been going to my normal visits. Twice in June because the office was closed during the first week of July for independence day. At my last appointment at the end of June my ortho gave me a new device. It's called a wedge. It is located in front of my lower right lateral incisor. The simple explanation is that it is there to sort of turn my tooth. I'll wrote more later. I'm in the doctors office right now for a follow up. Take care my few readers.

The things I do for vanity

My braces are killing me right now. I am wearing two rubber bands both with a circumference of 8 mm, to correct a 6mm overjet but the band is stretching from my lower molars to my upper canines. My mouth opens about 4.5 mm when I have the bands on. It was an adventure trying to get an advil into my system. Finally with my bff kinda helping me on skype I manage to slip it between gums where a wisdom tooth have not yet erupted waaaay at the back.

All because I want to get rid of my severe crowding and overjet and crossbite.

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April adjustment

As of today I have rubber bands in my mouth. They are to be worn 24/7 and removed only when I'm eating. And I must change them once a day. It is such a hassle to get ON I don't know how I'll manage to get them off. It make speaking difficult and licking my lips impossible. I just ran into the Rite Aid and stocked up on chap stick lol

More details and pictures to come later but so far so good!


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ALL Progress Pics (July 2011-February 2012)

October 11, 2011 (3 months)
November 11, 2011 (4 months)
February 3, 2012 (7 months)

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July 5, 2011
July 9, 2011
October 11, 2011
February 3, 2012

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July 5, 2011
July 27, 2011
October 11, 2011
February 3, 2012


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February Progress

I went in for my adjustment yesterday and it was not that bad. Again, my orthodontist changed all my rubber ligatures and the steel ligature on my upper right lateral incisor. But then it changed. Instead of having a power chain from my molar to my lower left canine, the powerchain was attached between my lower left 2nd bicuspid and my lower left lateral incisor. I can only imagine this means that my canine has moved as far as it can go and it's time to bring another tooth over to the left to help out my coil spring a bit.

And I guess since it's a brand new power chain it is STRONG. My lateral incisor has already visibily moved. it's right next to my canine now... And the area of the gum where the tooth used to be is all red and raw.

As you can guess I'm having difficulty closing my mouth all the way now. It seems to interfere (or at least feel odd) on my appliances....


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Misadventures

So I know I'm supposed to avoid all things hard, sticky, or tacky but i was overcome with munchies these last few days. Not the drug-induced kind, mind you, just being glutton. And I found a box of Cheezits. And ate them all.

Felt like they pressed the wrong way against my archwire and elastic chain on the lower left side. Eeek!


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Love thy name is Apple

I'm having my first apple in 6 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days because of my braces. IT WILL BE THE SWEETEST APPLE I HAVE EVER TASTED.

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January Progress- no pics

Hello readers! Happy New Year!

So on the 4th I went for my monthly adjustment. Nothing new to report just the regular changing of all the rubber ligatures, retying of the wire ligature on my upper right lateral incisor, replacement of the elastic chain from my lower left molar to lower left canine.

Althought my coil spring on the other side seems to be bothering me a bit... It's probaly nothing.

Minor soreness now and then. I should have gone to my six month appointment to my regular dentist in December however I was recently kicked out of my health insurance group and have been unable to be accepted into another one. Hopefully I'll be able to go see him in February when I may be better able to pay for his services out of pocket. Other than that I think I'm fine. Progress pics to come later :)


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