Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
February adjustment
Wonderful news today! My braces are coming off and I'll get my upper retainers in three weeks! My upper molar bands are removed and they took some new molds to make my upper retainers. It's been a long long two years and eight months but it's finally happening. The most difficult part now is wearing my retainers consistently to avoid relapsing into my original smile. (I say smile but I mean shark face.)
I just can't wait until March 5th. When I get home I will be looking up how to care for retainers. There's just no way to explain how super stoked I am right now!
Sunday, December 15, 2013
December Appointment
Earlier this month I had my appointment with some very great news.
I brought up to my orthodontist that when I went to my dentist appointment I had two small gaps on my upper teeth (between left canine and left lateral incisor/ between right canine and second premolar) and she found them and attached an elastic going back to the molar bands. Not sure how that was going to work out what with my front six teeth being tied up with the steel ligatures but it got super sore so I'm assuming things are moving again. I was told to only wear those triangular elastics on my left side, which I've been neglecting due to this newfound soreness.
At the very end of the appointment my ortho broke the news to me. The big news. The news I've been waiting for for two and a half years. She told me that depending on how fast these last few gaps close I may have one or two more months in braces, 2014 is my year.
At first I was super stoked about this, had all these plans and just couldn't wait to get to that point but then the very next day I received some unrelated yet unhappy news that kinda clashed with some of my plans I had made when I was feeling good.
So now I'm feeling more along the lines of just trying to be happy but not really in the mood. Yes this is a big thing. But still super bummed about how other things turned out.
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I brought up to my orthodontist that when I went to my dentist appointment I had two small gaps on my upper teeth (between left canine and left lateral incisor/ between right canine and second premolar) and she found them and attached an elastic going back to the molar bands. Not sure how that was going to work out what with my front six teeth being tied up with the steel ligatures but it got super sore so I'm assuming things are moving again. I was told to only wear those triangular elastics on my left side, which I've been neglecting due to this newfound soreness.
At the very end of the appointment my ortho broke the news to me. The big news. The news I've been waiting for for two and a half years. She told me that depending on how fast these last few gaps close I may have one or two more months in braces, 2014 is my year.
At first I was super stoked about this, had all these plans and just couldn't wait to get to that point but then the very next day I received some unrelated yet unhappy news that kinda clashed with some of my plans I had made when I was feeling good.
So now I'm feeling more along the lines of just trying to be happy but not really in the mood. Yes this is a big thing. But still super bummed about how other things turned out.
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Sunday, November 10, 2013
It's (Almost)The Final Countdown!
One of the best things about nearing the end of your treatment is the length of the appointments. Particularly how it decreases significantly. My last adjustment took a grand total of maybe five minutes! All that was really left to do was add a ligature to my upper left 2nd premolar. My lower teeth are fixed in place with steel ligatures, and so are my upper teeth. I'm still wearing the elastics in that triangular fashion to bring down both of my upper second premolars but the one of the left now has a ligature to bring it out as well as down. (Out meaning towards my cheek.)
Super fast appointment, absolutely painless, in and out before you could blink. Hopefully by next month, and this is just me thinking to myself, not based on anything my orthodontist has said, I can at least consider putting on my lower retainers!
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Super fast appointment, absolutely painless, in and out before you could blink. Hopefully by next month, and this is just me thinking to myself, not based on anything my orthodontist has said, I can at least consider putting on my lower retainers!
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Thursday, October 24, 2013
October Adjustment
My appointment this time was a few weeks ago but I hadn't written about it until now because it was just horrific!
My power chain was removed from my upper teeth and canine to canine were secured with steel ligatures. My orthodontist was pleased with them and didn't want them to move anymore. However now that my overjet had been reduced my small back teeth were not touching so I'm back to wearing elastics in a strange triangular pattern. My upper second premolars are the top points and the bottom points are the low molar bands and lower canines. This is supposed to help bring my upper bicuspids down a little. Then we did some finishing touches on reshaping of the front teeth.
On the way home though, that bracket on the left upper side in the triangular configuration popped right off. I called them and explained the setup and how that can no longer be implemented and they told me to come right back. So back on the bus I went for an hours ride BACK to my ortho's office. When I go there she scraped off the remaining glue and put on a new bracket. Which popped off before I even got out of the chair. Again came that scraping tool and this time she replaced it with a metal bracket. It's now been about two weeks and that metal bracket is still going strong! But that week after the appointment was just terrible. With the exception of my extractions and the recovery period this was the most painful my braces journey had ever been.
Oh, on another note, my orthodontist confirmed that my lower wisdoms are growing in really crooked and I may have to have them removed. Holding onto them for now until I get confirmation that my health coverage has been renewed. Just in case.
Also I miss snacking throughout the day. This triangular elastics set up is severely limiting the frequency of food going into my mouth. >:[
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My power chain was removed from my upper teeth and canine to canine were secured with steel ligatures. My orthodontist was pleased with them and didn't want them to move anymore. However now that my overjet had been reduced my small back teeth were not touching so I'm back to wearing elastics in a strange triangular pattern. My upper second premolars are the top points and the bottom points are the low molar bands and lower canines. This is supposed to help bring my upper bicuspids down a little. Then we did some finishing touches on reshaping of the front teeth.
On the way home though, that bracket on the left upper side in the triangular configuration popped right off. I called them and explained the setup and how that can no longer be implemented and they told me to come right back. So back on the bus I went for an hours ride BACK to my ortho's office. When I go there she scraped off the remaining glue and put on a new bracket. Which popped off before I even got out of the chair. Again came that scraping tool and this time she replaced it with a metal bracket. It's now been about two weeks and that metal bracket is still going strong! But that week after the appointment was just terrible. With the exception of my extractions and the recovery period this was the most painful my braces journey had ever been.
Oh, on another note, my orthodontist confirmed that my lower wisdoms are growing in really crooked and I may have to have them removed. Holding onto them for now until I get confirmation that my health coverage has been renewed. Just in case.
Also I miss snacking throughout the day. This triangular elastics set up is severely limiting the frequency of food going into my mouth. >:[
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Thursday, September 26, 2013
Kinda kicking myself
Saturday, September 21, 2013
August Update
Hello readers (or more likely, Future Me Looking To Stay On Track With My Retainer)!
I've had another adjustment just two days ago. Got a whole new powerchain for my uppers and we did a little bit of reshaping! My right upper lateral incisor had a bit of a funky point and my orthodontist filed it just just a tad and now that is looking a little more normal. Also did some filing on the two upper central incisors. Not as much as I would like my teeth are still a bit rabbity. I asked my ortho to show me a mold of what "ideal" teeth would look like and I asked her if she could make my front teeth have those dimensions instead of being so significantly larger and longer than my laterals and the answer was YES!
Sadly though she told me had I not mentioned anything the next step WOULD have been retainers. Now I need to keep my tinsel teeth a little while longer as we file down my front teeth little by little every month. Hopefully it goes quickly and I can still get them off this year.
Moral of the story DON'T BE SCARED. Ask for the things you want when you want it, otherwise putting it off may delay your freedom. :(
Still though, I'm almost there....
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I've had another adjustment just two days ago. Got a whole new powerchain for my uppers and we did a little bit of reshaping! My right upper lateral incisor had a bit of a funky point and my orthodontist filed it just just a tad and now that is looking a little more normal. Also did some filing on the two upper central incisors. Not as much as I would like my teeth are still a bit rabbity. I asked my ortho to show me a mold of what "ideal" teeth would look like and I asked her if she could make my front teeth have those dimensions instead of being so significantly larger and longer than my laterals and the answer was YES!
Sadly though she told me had I not mentioned anything the next step WOULD have been retainers. Now I need to keep my tinsel teeth a little while longer as we file down my front teeth little by little every month. Hopefully it goes quickly and I can still get them off this year.
Moral of the story DON'T BE SCARED. Ask for the things you want when you want it, otherwise putting it off may delay your freedom. :(
Still though, I'm almost there....
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Saturday, September 14, 2013
Small Triumphs
For the most part I've always had that gap between my canines and molar on the upper right because of my extractions. I've always been able to slip my tongue in the gap and feel the gum there. Today, after one month of power chains I find that I am no longer able to do that!!
My extraction gaps are almost closed!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Monetary Update
Yesterday before I went to class I stopped by my orthodontist's office. I decided to pay the remainder of my bill while I still had some money in my account before something sucked it all away, school, textbooks, whatever. As of now my braces are completely paid off. All $5500!
Just need to save for my retainers now.
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Just need to save for my retainers now.
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Friday, August 30, 2013
August Adjustment update
It is sooo good to eat again, this last weekend was a bit rough. I had a trip to the Poconos planned with my friends with my adjustment falling the day before. I was only able to to chew solid foods again around this past Monday
Got a brand new (stronger and thicker) arch wire for my upper teeth, and no more elastics or ligatures. Instead we say hello to the POWER CHAIN. Holy shitake mushrooms these things hurt. When my orthodontist attached it to my braces I just thought, "MOTHER DUCK!!" (No, that is not a typo.)
So this is great news. We're trying to have me finished by the end of this year or maybe my birthday and it's looking good so far.
Hollywood smile, here I come!!
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Got a brand new (stronger and thicker) arch wire for my upper teeth, and no more elastics or ligatures. Instead we say hello to the POWER CHAIN. Holy shitake mushrooms these things hurt. When my orthodontist attached it to my braces I just thought, "MOTHER DUCK!!" (No, that is not a typo.)
So this is great news. We're trying to have me finished by the end of this year or maybe my birthday and it's looking good so far.
Hollywood smile, here I come!!
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