Hooray for Pain!!!!

Can I just tell you how excited I am!!!! :-) Finally, I am feeling some pain and movement on the left side of my mouth!!! Whoo!! Hooo!!! I don't know if you can see it in the picture but there is one tooth on the left side that jets out a bit. It has not been moving at all and hasn't been sore either. So, about 1/2 hour ago I started to feel pain on that side and now I am soooo excited!!!

Another Picture Update

Almost 2 months!!!

The REAL Fun

I was just thinking about next month. The real "fun" is about to begin. My ortho isn't sure if he will be able to fix my lower arch without extractions. He says with my bite...it's really not a good idea to extract any teeth because it just really messes things up. The goal right now is to bring my upper arch in to get rid of the overbite. Then, when the lower braces go on he will expand my lower arch. Eventually, when everything is aligned he will flare my front teeth forward a bit to make my smile more noticeable. I'm excited and a little nervous. I wonder if they are going to try to get the tooth on my lower arch that sticks out a lot on the wire? If not, I wonder how they will get the wire around it??? Hmmm....I am soooo not looking forward to those stupid spacers again! ARG!!!

MOVE NOW!

Arg!!! No pain today. :-( It's 48 hours after my first adjustment. I am supposed to be hurting right? I'm not. I can't believe I am saying this, but I want to be in at least some pain so I know things are happening. I just got done looking at my brace day pictures and my picture from today. I can see a difference....if you look at the pics...my wire doesn't look as wonky as it used to.

Pain Begins....

Well, in my previous post I was telling you about how I had no pain at my adjustment. That was nice!! It's now 10 hours later and I am beginning to feel the effects. Man, I wish I had NEVER had that stupid spring! I don't think there has been any movement on my left side over the past month. Now that I have a bracket where the spring used to be I am feeling the pain beginning. Ugh! Oh well, like I have said all along pain equal progress! I'm so eager to see my teeth move! Although I have seen some movement over the past several weeks, I am happy to know that I should be expecting even faster progress!!! :-)

First Adjustment

Well, I have heard all these horror stories about how painful so many people's first adjustments were. Mine, was completely uneventful and pain free! I went in. My ortho was somewhat disappointed by the amount of moment I have had. :-( That makes me sort of sad. He said my teeth are really stuck in my head. That's what the dentist said when he pulled my wisdom tooth too!!! I guess it's good that my teeth are stuck in my head though!!! Personally, I think I didn't have as much movement because I didn't have a bracket on one of my teeth. My ortho took the spring out and placed a bracket on the tooth today! That makes me happy! :-) Now, I bet I will have movement! Anyway, they gave me a new wire....same size and shape....just new....and put new ligs on. I went with red for Christmas. January 24th I go in to get spacers again. Then, on January 30th I go in for my second adjustment and to get my lower braces put on!!!! :-) I don't see how my teeth are going to move enough for me not to bite off the lower brackets, but if my dentist thinks it will work....I'm all for it. I am sooooo not looking forward to spacers again. Hopefully, they won't be as bad as the first time. Come on teeth MOVE!!!!

First Adjustment Tomorrow!!

Hi! Guess what?? Tomorrow is my first adjustment! I'm looking forward to it, but I am a little nervous at the same time. I hope it doesn't hurt too much! This time I am going with red ligs for Christmas. I'll post pics tomorrow.

Even More Movement!

Wow! I can't believe it!!! My first adjustment is less than 3 days away and NOW my teeth have decided to move. How convenient!!! I can feel that my front teeth (overbite) is moving backwards a TON now...which is great since that is the goal. It's strange but it feels like my gums have even flattened out so they aren't protruding forward. I've felt pretty much constant pressure so I am excited by what is happening in there! :-) My two incisors seem to be getting the blunt of the pressure they are a little loose and pretty sore. Soreness+loose teeth=progress!!!!! How exciting!

More Pictures

Yes, I know, I am a picture freak!!! But at the end of this I want to be able to see all the progress!! It's encouraging to keep pictures too because when it feels like nothing is happening you can look back and see that things ARE changing.

More Movement!!!

Wow! I can't believe that my teeth continue to move. It's near the end of my six weeks with these ligs and this wire...so I'm so surprised that my teeth are moving so much! That's great though. The goal is to move my top teeth in to get rid of my overbite. I'm excited because when I look at my side profile I can see a difference already.

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful that I am well on my way to straight teeth and a fixed bite!!!

Ouch!

I'll never get over the fact that I can go for days without noticing my braces and then all the sudden I definitely feel them! Today is one of those days!!! I feel lots of pressure and oddly enough....applying a little pressure to the brackets with my finger seems to make my teeth feel better for a bit. It's strange. I'm glad though because that means my teeth are on the move again!!! Yea!!! :-) I'm looking forward to my first adjustment which is coming up next Friday. Selah!

One Week Until First Adjustment

One Month

Can you believe a month has gone by? I sure can't!!! 2 weeks until my first adjustment! I'm really hoping they will give me a new wire so something. I should get my lower brackets in January so I am really, really looking forward to that!!! :-) Life with braces is going well. I hardly notice them at all and don't really feel like anyone else notices them either. I'm able to eat pretty much anything. If you are really careful you can even eat some of the items you really aren't supposed to have! :-) I had taffy for halloween and it was fine. I just kept it away from my brackets.

3 Weeks

Wow! I can't believe it has been 3 weeks! I'm amazed by the small changes I see each day. I can see some major movement especially on the right side of my mouth. The left side seems to be catching up SLOWLY. I think progress on that side has been slow because I have a spring. Perhaps that is why two of my teeth on that side still don't seem to line up. Or....maybe they are just being slow. Either way, I can see that my arch wire is becoming straighter! That is really, really exciting. I go for my first adjustment and am actually looking forward to the pain! Yes, that's right. I am no longer feeling anything at all so I feel like the braces aren't working (although I KNOW that is impossible). I just like to feel that they are doing something! Anyway, here are some pictures from today. Oh...and just so you know....flossing DOES get easier!!!! :-)

Back to My Orthodontist

Well, needless to say that my ortho was really surprised to see me so soon!! It's only been a week since I was upper braced. Thankfully, after I showed my orthodontist how I had bit off my bracket he understood. At first, he was going to try to put a band on the tooth that lost the bracket. However, he couldn't get it on. I'm glad. So...I walked out without a bracket on one tooth....a spring in its place....and some new colored ligs. All in all...not a bad deal. Hopefully I won't have to go back until December 5!

Weird!

So, I haven't been in pain at all today. I just got done with my night regimen which involves the following:

1. Rinse food particles from my mouth with waterpik

2. Brush with orthodontic tooth brush

3. Rinse again using the waterpik with the attachment that gets at the gumline

4. Floss

Now, I am in pain. I think it was the flossing that did it. It's just weird!!! For the past hour the pain has been jumping from one tooth to the next. It's not horrible pain...just strange. It's so odd how all this works!

Day 4 With Braces

Well, I called my ortho this morning to get my bracket fixed. I'll be going on Friday to get that done. I will be glad to know that everything is in order. So far, things continue to go well. I'm getting used to the funny things on my teeth. I've been pretty blessed because I really haven't had any mouth sores to speak of and I haven't had to use hardly any wax. To get my mouth used to the new appliances I were wax for a bit, then take it out. At first, I wore the wax all the time but I have weaning myself away from it. Today was my first day of doing a lot of talking. I thought I would be really sore, but I am not. Eating is becoming easier already and I am grateful!!!

All in all this has been a very positive experience so far.

Day 2

Here are some pics from Day 2. I can't believe my teeth are moving already! It's amazing but already I can floss between teeth that I used to have trouble with!!!

Broken Bracket Already!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! I am soooo not amused! I broke a bracket already!!! I have a lower tooth that sticks out a lot as you can see from the pictures. When I left my orthos office I noticed that that tooth kept hitting the upper bracket so I think I may have bit the thing off.

:-( Now I have to go back and start the whole process again. They are going to have to put on all new ligs which is going to add to the pain again. :-( So not happy.

My B-Day!!!

Hi!!! I am finally braced on top!!! WHOOOO HOOO!!! Boy am I glad to have those God awful spacers out!!! :-)

So here's the jist:

I showed up 1/2 hour early to my banding appointment. The got me in right away! Boy was I excited. The assistant asked me if I still had all my spacers, which I did. She went to take them out and said they were awful tight still. :-( That had me worried, but thankfully she was able to get all 4 molar bands on. Then she had to take them off to put the glue on. After that she put this thing in my mouth to hold it open. She then proceeded to clean my teeth with something. Finally my ortho came in to put on the brackets. The assistant put on the arch wire and asked me what colors I wanted. I went with pink and purple. Things went well and it was perfectly painless. I can't believe how much better I feel having the spacers out!!! :-) My first adjustment is in 6 weeks.

After my appointment my friend and I went out to lunch. I ate soup and managed to eat some bread too. The brackets really aren't bad. However, I have little atennaes on my upper molar bands. The are in the inside and are driving my tongue nuts!!! Then I have little atennaes on two of my front teeth...those too are driving me nuts. I have wax on them now, but am having trouble keeping it there. So....I'm hoping to find some advice on how to deal with that. I sure don't want my mouth to be all cut up.

Anyway, I am VERY, VERY happy to be braced! How exciting!

Braces Tomorrow!!! :-)

WHOOO HOOO!!!! I get braced tomorrow! :-) I've been playing with my spacers all day...can't believe I have managed to keep them all in!! :-)

I'm soooo excited about tomorrow! I'll post pics tomorrow evening!

Nervous? Not me!!!

Okay....so maybe I am just a "little" nervous about Friday. I'm mostly worried because although my teeth have been hurting like heck for the past week...there still isn't much room in between them to get the molar bands on! :-( Hopefully, they won't have a problem and I REALLY pray I won't have to continue with spacers!!! ARG! I want them out soooo much!!! I've been trying to stay busy. Today has been probably the best as far as pain goes, but my teeth are still pretty sensitive. I'm not looking foward to anyone touching my teeth...that's for sure.

Sigh...oh well...just one more day...I hope and this part will be over!!! :-)

50 Hours Until I'm Braced!

Oh man! The pain has been HORRIBLE today!!! I can tell my teeth have done some major moving these past few days!!! OUCH!!! Guess what though? I only have 2 more days of spacers!!! :-) I sure am glad! I am been a real grouch today because I am hurting. I can't believe I only have 2 more days until my brace day!!! :-) I've final determined what color of ligs I am going to get! :-) More soon!!!

Final Pictures of my Naked Teeth

You can see that my midline is really off.

In this picture you can seee that my two middle upper teeth go in.

Spacers....and VERY crowded lower teeth

My main reason for braces....the gum line is receeding because this tooth is so crowded. If I don't do something soon I will not only lose this tooth, but several others around it. :-(

Spacers 57 Hours

Well, I'm hoping the worst of this is almost over. I've heard that after 72 hours the pain usually subsides substantially. I hope that is true! Early this morning and this afternoon I was hurting pretty badly, but now I can't feel the spacers at all! I went to Walmart today and invested in a teething ring. Oh man....did it feel wonderful to chew on that thing!!! :-) It hurt...but it felt good in a way too!

So, Friday, I get braced. I can't believe it! That's only four days away! I'm not nervous about the bracket part, but I am wondering how in the world they are going to get those metal bands around my molars! They are starting me off with only 4 bands, but eventually I will have 8!!! Yikes! Not fun. I hope they aren't good bad.

I am still trying to decide what colors to go with for my ligs. I'm leaning toward purple and black....we'll see though.

Spacers 30 Hours Later

Yesterday, I pretty much at no pain until about 8:00 p.m. Then, I took some pain meds and slept really well through the night. Today, I haven't had to take much of anything...just some Ibuprofen occassionally. Tonight, I am feeling the spacers a little more, especially when I eat. It's not so bad though. Most of the time I don't even notice the little blue things stuck in between my teeth. I am really curious how they work and IF they work. Apparently they must. However, my teeth are EXTREMELY tight. I'm a little worried about Friday....I just hope they don't have problems getting the metal bands around my teeth. I'm constantly checking my mouth to make sure the rings haven't fallen out. Thankfully, they are all still there. I don't want to lose any because that would mean another trip to the ortho's office.

I have to say I am really, really excited to have this process started. I get my upper brackets on October 24, 2008 and my first adjustment with be December 5th. :-) I will not be getting my lower brackets until they fix my upper arch some...probably not for another 3 months. But I am totally okay with that! This will wean me into the process.

I GOT SPACED! :-)

The day has finally come. I went to my ortho appointment this morning and got my spacers put in. The assistant said mine were the hardest she has ever had to put in. Not good. I feel okay right now....but I think I'm glad I have some narcs to help with the pain for tomorrow. Here's a pic:

14 Hours Till Spaced

Wow! Time is flying now! I can't believe it. I really thought it would be dragging, but nope! I pray that I can sleep tonight!!!! In 14 hours I will be officially spaced. Before they put in my spacers they are doing the final consultation. I'm eager to hear what my ortho and his assistant have to say. I went out to lunch today for a "last meal" before starting this process. I know it's going to be a few weeks until I get used to everything.

I'm also whitening my teeth tonight and giving them a good cleaning.

Here we go!!! At my next post I will be spaced!

36 Hours

Hi Everyone!

Can I just tell you that I am a nervous wreck???!!! I get my spacers in 36 hours and will be upper braced in 7 days! Wow! I thought the day would never arrive, but now time is going so fast! I went to the grocery store last night to stock up on things like mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, and other soft foods. I'm also armed with lots of pain meds. Okay. I know. I'm probably a wimp. I just don't know what to expect. Some people say the first two weeks are heck...others say they aren't too bad.

Come back soon! I'll be posting pictures.

Oh...just want to give a shout out to Melissa!!! Thanks for following my blog. We are only about a week apart in our brace day which is very cool.

God bless!!!

17 Days Until my B-Day!!

I can't believe how fast time is going now! I get my spacers next Friday! I'm not looking forward to that. I wish I could fast-forward about a month and have all the beginning stuff out of the way! I've heard that the spacers are really uncomfortable so I am nervous about that. I'm planning to take some pain medication before my appointment on the 17th. The ortho actually suggested this. I'm planning to get the spacers mid-afternoon and then go back to work. I think I will be able to make it through the day, but I hear about 6-7 hours afterward it really hurts. I'm planning on binging on every hard an crunchy thing I can find to eat next Thursday! I probably won't feel like eating real food for a few weeks. Please Lord don't let me have any presentations to give during my first week of banding!!! Yikes!

Clinical Findings

Well, I just received my initial pictures and the clinical findings from my orthodontist. I'm eager to get this process started because a few of my bottom teeth have been bothering me for a while. Here is what he found:

Upper teeth are too far in front of the lower teeth

Upper teeth are tipped back

Excessive deepbite

Lower teeth are left of center

Upper teeth are crowded

Lower teeth are very crowded

Start of peridontal disease on left side of mouth

Tooth with the peridontal problems will be extracted to save the other teeth in that region

Clicking in jaw joint consistent with TMJ

Neck pain and headaches also consistent with TMJ

Abnormal wearing of teeth consistent with grinding at night

Comprehensive treatment is planned

Minimum of 24 months of treatment

Before Picture

The Beginning

Well, I've decided to take the plunge and get braces at the age of 29. I've created this blog to document my treatment and to help support others who are undergoing this process. I thought it was going to be an easy process but come to find out I am wrong!

I started a couple of months ago with going for an Invisalign consult. The dentist I went to said it would be easy for him to do. Following my gut, I decided to see a dentist who worked with braces. He said my case would be complex and that he would not treat me because of the complexity. Four months later, I found myself in an orthodontist's office. I was impressed my the care and concern they immediately showed to me.

My biggest concern was that my new-found ortho was an hour away, but thankfully they have been very accomodating. I've already had all my xrays and molds. I go on Oct. 17th to get my spacers followed by banding on the 24th of October. I'm excited and somewhat apprehensive about what lies ahead.

I have some peridontal problems related to overcrowding in my lower arch. My lower arch is very small and I have a deep over bite. Thankfully, I will not need surgery, but may require an extraction or two.

In the next post I will post some before pics.