6th Braces Adjustment

Tuesday, December 2, 2014 -  Today I had my 6th adjustment appointment. The assistant took off my elastic bands and powerchain.  She readjusted my top wire and clipped the excess wire sticking out.  Then she put a new powerchain on.  I chose a bright pink this time.  I felt a lot of pressure and it was a bit uncomfortable, but tolerable. 

Apparently I had a bracket that was loose on one of my bottom teeth that I didn't even notice.  She removed it and put a new bracket on.  She then gathered the materials she would need to put the coil on my bottom teeth to separate them and make room for my tooth that sits far back now.  She asked if I was ready for the pain.  I told her yes and to keep doing what she has to do and ignore my cringes.  My Ortho came in to set the bracket and the assistant finished it off.  She then put the wire and coil on which was quite uncomfortable and a lot of pressure.  She also put on new elastics.  Once she was done she asked if there were any wires poking, which at that time it didn't feel like it.  Of course it always happens to me, once I got home I realized the wire on my bottom right side is poking.  I'm going to try to deal with it as long as I can without having to go in and get it trimmed right away.

My mouth is sore already, mainly my bottom teeth.  But that's OK, no pain no gain in the world of braces, ;) but really its not that painful just a bit sore.  Below is a photo showing what was done at my adjustment.  My next appointment is January 20th.  She said it will be close enough to my halfway point so they are going to do my x-rays then.  Crazy to think I am already heading towards my halfway point!!  Definitely am very thrilled and amazed with all the progress my teeth have made so far!

8th Month In Top Braces - 2nd Month in Bottom Braces

Sunday, November 23, 2014 - November 18th was my 8th month mark in top braces.   My top teeth have really moved quite a bit and are really starting to finally look straight and are aligning. My bottoms have moved as well.  It has now been 2 months for my bottom braces.  You can see in the photo below how far back the one tooth is, that doesn't have a wire on it, it looks far back away from the others.  My next appointment is Tues. Dec. 2nd.  I should be getting a coil between the two teeth in front of that one tooth, so it will make more room and they can bring that one forward.
My teeth are feeling pretty good right now, but during the month I've had my sore moments.  Last week for 2-3 days my 2 front teeth were very sensitive to anything I drank whether it was cold or room temperature.  Even when I rinsed with my mouth wash my teeth pounded.  They finally eased up and arent feeling as sensitive.  Must have been going through movements and the nerves got tender....not sure.  But glad its not doing that anymore.
My teeth have moved so much that I had to go in a few weeks ago to get my wire trimmed, because it was poking the inside of my cheek so much.  Now its poking me again, but I am just keeping wax on it since I will be going for my next adjustment in about a week and a half.
The extraction gaps are starting to close.  My left side has closed a lot more than my right.  I still have a long ways to go.  But I am feeling more and more confident with my smile each day.  I think I am finally not putting my hand up to my mouth every time I smile or laugh.  Which is a great feeling!  I cannot wait until my next adjustment to change the color of my powerchain/elastics.  I did not like the light green...I think I may stick with pink, since its my favorite color ;).  I will post again in a few weeks to give an update on how my adjustment goes on Dec. 2nd.

Smile in Braces Really Improving!!! :)

Sunday, November 2, 2014  - Braces are really working now.  I can finally smile feeling confident and not hide my mouth.  Really starting to have the straight teeth smile I have always wanted.  Still have a ways to go, but as you see in the photo below, lots of improvement has been made.  I am a happy camper! :)

7th Months with Braces & 5th Adjustment!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 -October 18th was my 7th month mark in braces.  Today I had my 5th adjustment appointment. The assistant took off my elastic bands and then my Ortho came in to take a look.  She was very pleased at how much my snaggle tooth came down.  Which I am too!!  She also was pleased at the movement my bottom teeth have made.  She decided on a thicker wire for my top teeth and a full powerchain to start working on my arch and close the gaps.  She kept the same wire on my bottom braces.  She wants my bottom teeth to straighten out more before she puts a coil between the two teeth to move the back one forward.  She said we should be able to do that on my next appointment.  She said with this powerchain going all the way across, my top teeth are probably going to get pretty sore and that I should take Advil if needed.  So far I have done pretty good after my appointments to not take anything.  I'm not big on taking medicine, so I have to be in a lot of discomfort for me to actually take something for pain.  The assistant put on the new wire on my top braces and then put on the powerchain.  She then put on the elastic bands on my lower braces.  It was a little uncomfortable, but tolerable when she did all this.  I chose a bright lime green for the top and purple for the bottom.  Not too sure if I really like the green, but I have to wear the color for 6 weeks, so I better get used to seeing it.  I am so happy with all my progress so far.  I still cant believe how much my snaggle tooth came down.  I cannot wait until the gaps are closed and I have a full straight smile!!  But for now I am very pleased at how far my teeth have come.  I definitely smile a lot more now without using my hand to hide.  In my photos below I tried to show how much progress was made just from my last adjustment.  You can see the difference of how the wire had to angle up on my snaggle tooth then down and now it is straight across.  Crazy!!  I cannot wait to see how much it changes next time.  My next adjustment is in 6 weeks, December 2nd.

6th Month Mark for Top Braces!

Saturday, September 20, 2014 - As of September 18th it has now been 6 months since I've had my top braces on!!  Those 6 months have gone by pretty fast!!

On Tuesday 9-16-14, I had to stop by the dental office to get my wire trimmed.  It was poking my cheek so bad I would have to wear wax on it at all times even while I ate.  Which I would end up eating the wax off in the process... yuck.  When I went back to get the wire cut one of the assistants came up to me asking me what the name of my blog was.  I was surprised she remembered I was the one with the blog.  I told her and she looked it up and found it.  She said the other day she was trying to find it to show someone.  That made me feel great that someone was using my blog to help someone else.  Makes it even more worth doing this blog! :)  Once they clipped my wire I felt like a new person!  Crazy how something so small like clipping a wire makes you feel sooooo much better.  No more eating wax for awhile ;).

The updated changes I have made in my 6 months of having braces:

Eating
I still cut everything up with a fork and knife that I eat.  Because of so much movement and the on and off soreness of my front teeth, I don't ever try to bite through food using my front teeth.  Since I got the bottom braces on it seems to be a little more difficult to chew.  I tend to bite the inside of my cheeks as I am trying to eat my food.  Not sure if its just my mouth trying to get used to all the braces on the top and bottom now or the teeth moving and placing my bite in weird ways.  I still stay away from hard and sticky foods.  Now that I have bottom braces, food gets trapped all in my braces.  Still thankful for my water pik!!  I use that immediately after eating to get all the food out.  If I'm at work then I make sure to swish water around as much as possible to get all the food particles out.  Brushing alone does not do the trick.


Brushing & Flossing

Since my bottom braces were put on last month it takes even longer now to floss.  I have to use the floss threader for all my bottom teeth because they are so crooked and tight.   On my top teeth I have new gaps in places that used to be tight and I still have really tight places on the bottom teeth that make it difficult to floss.  But, I still manage to get the floss through!  I still do my same routine of brushing with my electric toothbrush, then using the small spiral brush to brush under the wires, then flossing using my threaders to help get under the wires and then using the water pik.  I also, still rinse my mouth in the mornings with ACT for braces and then Listerine at night.


Sleeping
I still tend to clench my teeth at night while sleeping.  When I wake up my teeth will feel a little sore.  Also, since I got the bottom braces, I end of clenching my teeth on the inside of my cheeks and wake up with those sore as well. 

Movement of teeth

My top teeth are moving along.  I have a long ways to go, but so far there has been drastic changes!  For one, my front tooth that was turned almost sideways has completely turned in the right direction.  My "snaggle tooth" is already working it's way down which that tooth has only been in a wire for a week and a half.  I have gaps going on right now because of all the movement going on, but I am so happy to be seeing progress.  I haven't noticed much change in my bottom teeth.  But they are very tight and crooked and it's only been a little over a week.  I'm sure on my next appointment they will do adjustments to help separate my teeth, so more movement can take place.

Peoples reactions of me having braces

I still get positive reactions from people.  I haven't had any negative comments or looks from anyone.  I have great support from friends and family.  Since I started this blog I've had people tell me how much its helped them.  I love seeing how many people have viewed the blog, because it shows me that I may be helping others through their journey or the decision on getting adult braces.

Below are photos showing the changes in the last 6 months:

left photo (6 weeks) right photo (6 months) Upper arch comparison

4th Braces Adjustment and bottom braces put on!!!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 - What a day!!  Work at 6am and then left early for my 11:00am cleaning appointment.  This was my first cleaning since I got braces put on.  I purposely scheduled my cleaning appointment on a Tuesday because I knew that my Ortho would be there that day. Just in case they needed to remove the wire for the cleaning.  She also had made my 4th adjustment appointment for 1:00pm today as well.

An assistant came in and took off my wire and coil.  As she was taking it off she said that it looked like I may have enough room to start on lowering that tooth (my snaggle tooth).  I said I sure hope so ;).   Then the dental asst started to polish my teeth.  She used a smaller brush for my top teeth since the brackets were on those.  Then a bigger rubber brush for the bottoms.  The Hygenist then continued with the rest of the cleaning which overall wasnt too painful.  I have a few teeth that are sensitive, but they were careful around the ones I pointed out.  I let the hygienist know not to do the fluoride because they were bonding my lower teeth today.  So she said she will give it to my Ortho so they can put it on after that appointment.  Once I was done which was about an hour later, I went back to the waiting room to wait for my Ortho appointment.

Surprisingly I was called back 30 minutes early which was great!  The assistant asked me what color bands I wanted which I chose a pale pink.  The Ortho came in to take a look.  She said that it looked like I have enough room to put the wire on my tooth and start bringing it down.  I was soooo ecstatic inside.  I cannot wait until this tooth is aligned with the rest and is no longer sticking out!  I asked about the tooth she had mentioned about getting extracted.  She said they are going to go ahead and hold off on that and see how well my teeth do and hopefully we wont have to extract it.  But there is still a chance later I might.  She said that they would be using a thinner flexible wire so my teeth will be moving around a lot while my tooth is coming down.  She said during this period some teeth may move forward and look off but it is normal.  She also said that my tooth will be pretty sore.  Which its now been 3 hours since I left my appointment and my front teeth are starting to feel the tenderness.  She also said that we can still put the bottom braces on which I was very happy about as well.  The assistant put a mouth expander in my mouth to help keep my lips away from my teeth.  She then blew air on my teeth to dry them.  She then put a conditioner on my lower teeth and started the gluing and placing of the brackets.  My Ortho then came in to take a look and make any adjustments needed for the bracket placements.  Once she was done the assistant put a light on each tooth to set the glue and brackets.  Once she was done she put the wire on my lower teeth.  They didn't put it on my back molar because they are going to wait until my teeth start straightening out.  She also left the wire off one of my front lower teeth because it was too far back.  My Ortho said that later they would put a coil on it to widen the space and bring that tooth forward.  After she put the bottom wire on she started with the top.  They did figure eights on both sides of my back teeth.  I felt the usual slight discomfort pressure while the wire and elastics were put on but not too bad.  My Ortho came back in to see how everything looked.  She decided to put a wire tie on to make sure the wire stayed on my tooth that has turned in.  She also had me make sure none of the wires were poking and fixed one that was.  The assistant then put the fluoride on my teeth and my appointment was done, leaving at 2:00pm.  Wooo what a day!  But it's going to be worth it! :)

I scheduled my next appointment which is in 6 weeks.  Once I got home I realized that one of my wires on my bottom braces is now poking me.  I put wax on it, which helped.  If it doesn't get better then I will go next Tues,. when they are at my dental office and have them clip it.  Below are the progress photos.

Bottom Braces Day 1

5th Month Update with Braces

Wednesday, August 20, 2014 - As of August 18th it has now been 5 months since I've had my top braces on.  I think my teeth are definitely getting used to them, because after each appointment the soreness doesn't last as long and my teeth aren't as tender.

The extraction gaps seem to be getting smaller.  I really can't tell if the gap needed to open has widened any more since they put the clamp on my last adjustment.  I think it has some, but then at times it looks no different.  But, from the photos below you can really see a big difference in both my extraction gaps and the gap behind my snaggle tooth since May.  WOW!  That makes me happy ;).   Maybe my next appointment when I get my bottom brackets on she will be able to tell and see if I need another clamp or if I can finally get the wire on that snaggle tooth.  Fingers crossed it will be opened enough ;).

I still brush my teeth the same.  My front teeth have gotten a lot tighter again to floss and sometimes the floss gets stuck.  It also has gotten a lot easier flossing my back molars.  I think they aren't as tight as they used to be.  The floss hasn't been getting caught or snagged lately.  I still use my water pick all the time.  That thing is a definite must for anyone with braces!! 

Below are updated photos showing the progress from month 1 to 5.  I also included the side by side photos showing the upper arch gaps taken in May and today.  Again, not the prettiest photos and sorry for the scary teeth.  But, if my photos and experience helps someone else going through braces, that's all that matters.  Plus I like looking back at my own experience and seeing how far my teeth have come since day one.

Just 2 and 1/2 weeks to go for my bottom brackets to be put on and that journey begins to straighten those teeth.  I will update and post photos of that day as well, 9-9-14.

Right Side View - 5 Months

Left Side View - 5 Months

Front View - 5 Months

Progress photos Month 1 to 5 Months

3rd Braces Adjustment

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 - Today was my 3rd adjustment appointment.   The assistant took off my powerchains and looked at the progress of my movement.  She was hoping to see a bigger gap and was surprised there wasn't......me too.  She thought for sure the space would have opened up more.  But that's one of the bummers of being an adult in braces versus a child, your teeth don't move as fast.  Of course mine wants to move like a turtle crossing the street on a busy day. Go figure :/.   My ortho came in to take a look.  She was still pleased at the movement even though I'm impatient and wished it was enough to finally start on this snaggle tooth.  But, since it wasn't enough movement she decided to have a crimp put on the coil to reactivate it and leave the same wire on.  She also said to not leave a loop on the powerchain between my left side extraction area.  The assistant suggested to leave one loop on the right side since it was a bigger gap and last time I had 2 loops between the teeth.  My ortho agreed and the assistant put on the crimp and the new powerchians.  Which I chose purple this time.  It was a little uncomfortable but not bad at all.  My teeth aren't too sore right now.  Funny how I really want them to be sore tomorrow so I know they are moving again....hopefully much more this time.  ;)

I also asked about getting my bottom braces started at my next cleaning appointment which is scheduled September 9th since it will be my 6th month mark of having braces.  She said that we could, which I'm very excited about!  Now hopefully the next 4 weeks go by fast!  One thing I am nervous about, is that my back molar is very sensitive where I have a filling on the front side of my tooth..... Right where the bracket will go.   I'm hoping it wont be unbearable when they put braces on that tooth.  I know it hurts when I get my cleaning....ugghhh fingers crossed it wont be that bad. 

Below is a photo showing the progress made so far at each adjustment.  You can see the gap did get a little bigger behind my snaggle tooth, because you can see more space beside my front tooth.  But it's not quite enough yet.....  My next update will be on the 18th, my 5 month progress.  Can't believe next month it will already be 6 months since I got braces!!!  Crazy!

4th Month Update with Braces

Sunday, July 20, 2014

As of July 18th it has now been 4 months since I got braces. This month they are working on making space for my snaggle tooth that sticks out so it can come down into place.  I have seen some difference in that area.  I just hope at my next appointment it will be enough for them to finally put a wire on that tooth and work on it to go into place.  My teeth aren't too sore now.  Some days my molars are a little tender and other days my front teeth are from the movements.  But not bad at all.  I have been able to eat pretty much what I want without it hurting.  Of course I still stay away from the hard crunchy and gummy foods I'm not supposed to eat.  I also still cut up everything with a knife and fork.  Sometimes my teeth feel a little loose and it freaks me out to try to take a bite with my front teeth, so I stick to cutting up my food into smaller pieces.  My next appointment is set on Aug. 12th.  I am hoping I get the answer I want when I ask if she will put my bottom brackets on the next appointment in Sept since it will then be 6 months that I've had braces.  Hopefully she will say yes! So ready to get started on those bottom teeth!!  Below is an updated photo showing the changes from day one to 4 months.  I can see a difference between the 2 teeth surrounding my "snaggle" tooth from last months photo.  There is even a small gap there.  Crossing fingers its making enough room for my next appointment! ;)

Front View - 4 Months

Right Side View - 4 Months

Left Side View - 4 Months

Progress photos Day 1 to 4 Months

2nd Braces Adjustment

Tuesday, July 1, 2014 - Today was my 2nd adjustment appointment.   The assistant took off my elastics and my Ortho came in to take a look.  She was very pleased at how much my front tooth had straightened out.  She decided to stick with the same wire I had on.  She explained to me that I will be getting a coil put on between my front tooth and canine tooth and a power chain going from my far front tooth back to my molar and on the other side a power chain on my canine tooth back to the other side molar. (see pictures below, they clearly can show you better than I can explain ;)).   She said this will help open the gap between my front tooth and canine tooth so we can finally start working on bringing that one (snaggle) tooth down.  The assistant took off my wire and started to work on the coil...ouch!!  The pressure actually made me cringe.  She asked if I was hurting and I said yes but its ok for her to do what she had to do.  She realized it was a lot of pressure and relieved some.  As she continued working on the coil and placing the wire back in it was uncomfortable but tolerable.  She then put on the powerchains which this time I chose a pretty blue color.  She told me she couldn't wait to see me on my next appointment to see how much difference it will be, which I said me too!!  She gave me some more wax just in case I needed it.  I had asked for some because the wax I bought from CVS just didn't seem to stick as well as the one they provide. 

I made my next appointment for Tuesday, August 12th and it cant get here soon enough.  As I was making my appointment, the assistant who was there at my consultation was setting up my appointment and couldn't believe how much my front tooth straightened out.  She said she was so happy for me, because she knew how much I wanted braces.  I have to say being someone who has always been terrified of the dentist office, this is the first dentist office I actually enjoy going to, because everyone is so friendly and welcoming.  They actually remember who you are personally.  Even though my hands still clam up before each appointment they always make me feel at ease. 

My front tooth is a little throbby, but I don't mind, because when my teeth are sore I know there is movement happening.  I'm sure I will be more sore tomorrow and of course I have a pot luck at work on Thursday and probably wont be able to chew that well.  That's ok it will all be worth it in the end!  Below are the pictures to show you exactly the difference of what was done at this appointment from my last.  As always, the pictures are not the prettiest, but I want people to be able to see exactly what is happening and the progress being made.

3rd Month Update with Braces

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

It has now been 3 months since I got braces.  I'm getting pretty used to them and sometimes I forget I even have them.  Since my last adjustment I really can't tell much of a difference.  Probably because they are focusing on trying to close my extraction gaps.  Which seems like its going to be a very long & slow process.  Only way I do know that my teeth have been moving is that the wires are now poking the back of my cheeks.  I had to buy more wax, because I constantly put it on those last brackets with the wire poking on each side daily.  My Ortho told me at my last adjustment that in about 3 weeks I may want to come in to get them cut. This is now my forth week, but I think I can handle it with the wax for now.  If it gets worse before my next appointment on July 1st then I think I might make a trip there to get them cut.
I still eat everything with a fork and knife. I went to the movies this past weekend and was soooo tempted to eat popcorn.  But I envisioned the pieces getting stuck in between my bands and I knew it would not be worth it, so I did without.  Good thing because when we got home my husband was complaining he had a piece stuck in between his teeth having a hard time getting it out, reminding me I made the right choice.
I finally got a technique down to floss in between my bands on my back molars without the floss shredding.  I also found ACT mouth rinse for braces!!  Awesome!   I usually use Listerine at night and the ACT in the mornings.  I like to still use Listerine because it fights gingivitis and that is definitely something I want to avoid with braces or ever.
I am posting updated photos below.  Like I said there isn't much of a difference that I can really see but it's hard to tell in the extraction gap areas.
My next adjustment is July 1st, I will update again then.

Front view - 3 Months

Left side view - 3 Months

Left side view - 3 Months

Progress photos Day 1 to 3 Months

Extraction Gap 1 month progress photos

Braces Update - The Adjusting Week of Agony With Molar Bands, Thicker Wire & Power Chains

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 -

Eating - Today I am finally able to chew without being in total agony!!  All the way up until Sunday my molars were so sore that I couldn't even chew really soft bread without being in pain.  I mainly ate, soup, ice cream, mashed potatoes & very soft mac n cheese.  The first few days even my front teeth were sore to touch.  But today I was able to eat normal without being in total discomfort.  I am also able to touch my bottom and top teeth together without getting a jolt of pain. 

Inside Cheeks - The first few days, the back of the inside of my cheeks were getting torn up by the molar bands and brackets, so I had to keep putting wax on the far back brackets, which helped a lot!  It is still a little sore on my left side cheek, but now I try not to put wax on it as long as I can, so my cheeks can toughen up and get used to it. 

Tongue - I am obsessed with feeling my teeth with my tongue, but I now get my tongue snagged between my wire and power chains when I do....ouchh!  Of course I still do it without thinking.  But, I like doing it to see if I feel a difference in gaps or straightening in my teeth.  But yea -ouch-, it does not feel good when the tongue gets cut up from doing so...maybe I will learn not too.... ;)

Flossing - Flossing my teeth has been quite a challenge.  My mouth is small and trying to get the threader with the floss in between the wire and power chains in my far back molars drives me crazy.  Once I do get it through and ready to floss it somehow snags on the brackets or stuck and I have to pull it back out and start all over again.  I'm sure the more I do it, the more I will get used to it or come up with a technique....just haven't mastered it quite yet.  But, I do have to say I LOVE my water pick. Not sure how I would survive getting all the junk out that gets stuck in the braces without it.  Brushing and flossing alone just does not do the trick!

Gaps - I haven't seen much of a difference in my extraction gaps.  I'm sure this is going to be a long process to close them.  I will wait until my 3 months on 6/18/14 to post a before and after pic so we can see if there really has been any movement towards closing them at that time.

1st Adjustment Con't. - Power Chains, Bands & Thicker Wire!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - Today was my continuation of my1st adjustment appointment.   As you read before, at my original 1st adjustment appointment they realized I needed bands so I had to get spacers put in and come back in 2 weeks.  So today was the day to get my full 1st adjustment made.  The assistant took off my elastics and wire, which like last time was a little pressure but not painful.  She also took out my spacers which didn't bother me at all either.  She then started to put the bands around my molars that needed them.  The first one went in fine but the one around my crown wasn't fitting properly so she had to try 2 other bands until she found the right one that fit.  The band on my opposite side molar went on easy as well.  The orthodontist came in to take out the bands, cement them and place them back in.  It wasn't too bad, just a little pressure when they pushed on them and I had to bite down to secure the bands around my molars.  The assistant then put a blue light on each band to seal the bands to the cement.  Once she was done she let me rinse my mouth...the cement taste wasn't too pleasant.  She then started to put on the thicker wire.  This part is always a lot of pressure but this time my front teeth actually hurt as she was tightening and putting the wire on.  She then put on the elastics and power chains on which were a lot of pressure as well and somewhat uncomfortable.  I chose a dark pink for the elastics and power chains.  Once she was done I made my appointment to come back in 6 weeks. My next appointment is set for July 1, 2014.  When I got to the car and looked in the mirror I couldn't believe I already have a gap straight down between my 2 front teeth.  WOW!!!  That's probably where all the discomfort was coming from, it's already pulling them!  Makes it even more worth it seeing that it's already working.  My husband couldn't believe it either!  I am posting photos below.  The before pics are ones I took right before my appointment and the after ones are of course showing what I just got done today.  You can see the difference in the photos already of the gap that has been made.  :)

2nd Month Update With Braces

Monday, April 19, 2014

It's now been 2 months since I got braces.  I am getting a lot more used to eating and my brushing/flossing routine than before, although after tomorrow it is going to change some.  During these 1st 2 months Ive only had the wire going across the front six teeth due to getting extractions and spacers.  So brushing and flossing my teeth have only been a challenge on those teeth.  After tomorrow I will not only have the brackets and a thicker wire going across all my top teeth, I will also have bands put in and power chains to close the extraction areas.  I am sure this is going to be painful and make it more difficult to eat and brush/floss my teeth than before.  But I am sure I will get used to it and I have to keep remembering it will all be worth it in the end.  I am posting my 2 month photos below.  Sorry for the not so pretty teeth pics, but they are a work in progress.  I can really see that my one front tooth that was turned almost sideways has straightened out quite a bit. You can also see a small space between my front two teeth.   I cant wait until my "snaggle" tooth finally gets a wire on it and can start coming down into place.  Not sure when that will take place though.  My appointment is tomorrow at 2:00pm.  I will post pics showing the difference before my appointment to after.  This way I can show you exactly what they did differently.

Front View - 2 Months

Left Side View - 2 Months

Right Side View - 2 Months

Progress photos Day 1 to 2 Months

Spacers Update

Sunday, May 11, 2014 -  First, Happy Mothers Day to all you moms reading my blog.:)  It's been almost a week since I got the spacers put in.  My teeth aren't that sore anymore and I am able to chew better now with them in.  I was worried at first the throbbing would last for awhile especially since I was running a 5K today.  But luckily they feel fine and I completed my Mothers Day 5K with my son this morning without any issues. My front tooth is actually more sore than my molars with the spacers.  I think it is starting to move again which is great!  I will update again on the 18th when it will be 2 months since I got braces.

1st Adjustment

Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - Today was my 1st adjustment appointment. The assistant took off my elastics and wire which was a lot of pressure but not painful, just uncomfortable.  The orthodontist looked over my teeth. I let the orthodontist know that my bracket popped off my crown the very next day after my braces were put on.  She took a look and decided I needed to get spacers put in for bands.    The assistant put the rubber spacers between both sides of my crown molar and also on the other side of my mouth between the last 2 molars. Holy moly ouchhhh!!  My teeth next to my crown molar were so tight she had to use floss to help her get the spacers in between and boy was that painful! The orthodontist said that my teeth were very clean and for me to keep up the great work.  She said that I will need to take Motrin and rinse with salt water to help with the discomfort.  I was also told to make sure to not take the spacers out, but if they fell out a couple days before my next appointment that it's ok.  They made an appointment for me in 2 weeks on Tuesday, May 20th to get the spacers taken out and the bands put on.  She said at that time they will put on a thicker wire and put on power chains to start closing the gaps.  They put the wire back on the same front teeth I previously had them on and I picked out dark hot pink elastics.  It's been about 5 hours since my appointment and my teeth are throbbing from the spacers.  After doing my usual brushing routine I rinsed my mouth out with salt water and took some ibuprofen.  Hoping it wont bother me too much when I go to sleep.  Please excuse the not so attractive picture below, but I wanted to actually show you what was done today.  Pictures seem to help me get a better understanding when I am looking through others blogs regarding braces. ;)

1st Month Experience with Braces

Friday, April 18, 2014
The changes I have made this 1st month from having braces:

Eating

Well I definitely eat totally different now.  Pretty much everything I eat I use a fork and knife to cut up my food into small pieces before eating. This also includes sandwiches & hamburgers.   I stay away from all the "do not eat" foods.  Anything that is too hard or too sticky I don't even attempt.  On the plus side.........I lost weight!!! :)  Because of cutting everything I eat up and eating/chewing slower, I get full faster.  Plus a lot of my favorite "junk foods" are now too hard or too sticky to eat and are on the forbidden food list.  Also, having my extractions done and mouth too sore to eat a lot, played a big part.  But hey no complaints, because I went down a size and now wear size 5 which I havent worn since my 20's ;-).  My husband calls it the braces diet! lol

Brushing & Flossing

Brushing my teeth is completely different.  I went from spending maybe 2-3 minutes brushing my teeth to now spending 10-15 minutes.  I have a routine down.  First I brush the bottoms for 2 minutes,  then the tops for 2-3 minutes focusing on all sides of the brackets, teeth and gums. I use an Oral B electric toothbrush.   I also make sure I brush the roof of my mouth and tongue.  I then use the small spiral brush to go under each wire and brush parts of my teeth there, as well as around each bracket.  Then I floss between every tooth which is tricky for the ones with the brackets and wire.  I have threaders that help get the floss under the wires and make it easier to floss.  Then I use plackers to scrap between my teeth to make sure I got all the plaque off and food particles.  Then I use a water pik and lastly I rinse with mouth wash.  I do this in the morning and at night.  After snacks or meals during the day, I just brush or rinse my mouth out really good to make sure I don't have any food on my brackets or wires.

My teeth/braces cleaning essentials ;)

Sleeping

Sleeping with braces on so far only is disturbed when my teeth are feeling sore due to movements.  I have noticed I wake up during the night feeling like I am clenching my teeth.  Sometimes it suddenly wakes me up with a jolt of pain but goes away very fast.  Like I was pressing my bottom teeth hard against the back of my top teeth.   Weird...

Movement of teeth

Not too big of a difference so far.  Although I can now see that my top front tooth, that was turned almost sideways, has straightened out some.  It still has a ways to go. I can feel soreness when there is movement and I even see a small space between the top of my two front teeth.  It's weird, one day when I floss my teeth will be really tight and then another day the floss glides right through.  Then back to being tight again in some places.  But at least it shows me they are actually moving even if I dont see much of a difference right away. 

Peoples reactions of me having braces

Ive had a lot of support from family and friends when they found out I got braces.  I don't feel like I get strange looks from anyone that I don't know, so I am not embarrassed at all.  When people at work first noticed I got braces, they were all positive reactions.  If anything, having them on has helped build my confidence more to smile without hiding my teeth.  Even though they aren't straight yet and have a lot more work to go, I feel better about myself with them on.

Front view - 1 Month

Left side view - 1 Month

Right side view - 1 Month

Progress photos Day 1 to 1 Month

Extractions update

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - 1 week after extractions -  Since my extractions, I ate nothing but ice cream, pudding and mashed potatoes.  I don't think I want to see any of those foods for awhile.  I finally felt ok enough to eat something a little more solid but still soft yesterday.  I was craving Red Lobsters chicken alfredo and cheesy biscuits, yummm!  Of course I had to get it to go, because I had to cut everything into tiny pieces and eat very slowly.  But OMG it was so great to taste something different for a change.  It felt weird, a little tender but didn't hurt, in my extraction areas when I was chewing and food would slip into those areas.  After eating I made sure to rinse my mouth with warm salt water, brush my teeth and floss (which takes even longer now, go figure).  I still rinse my mouth out with warm salt water at least 4 times a day.  My right side where I got my stitches is still a bit tender but my left extraction area doesn't really bother me anymore. The stitches are still there, not too sure how long they take to dissolve.   My top front teeth have been feeling a little sore lately, so I am guessing they are going through movements when this happens.  Very small movements, because I cant really tell much of a difference.  Although, my husband says it does look like my one front tooth has turned a bit.  But of course it's only been 3 weeks since I got the braces put on, ;).  Now only 3 weeks and 6 days until my next Ortho appointment...cant wait so I can get the rest of the brackets and wires on all my top teeth and hopefully start seeing more changes. ;)  On April 18th I will post updated pics since it will be exactly 1 month since I got the front braces put on.  Maybe then we can see if there actually was some kind of movement so far.

1st picture of me (since I was a child) actually smiling showing my teeth!!  This was taken Saturday, April 5, 2014 at the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Game with my husband <3.

Day of Extractions

Tuesday, April 1, 2014 - Day of extractions.  I was completely nervous all day, I'm not good with dental procedures.  My husband took me to my appointment and when they called me back I got even more anxious.  The dental assistant saw the nervousness in my eyes and asked if I would like to take a Valium to ease my nerves.  She also let my husband come back to help me feel more comfortable.  After taking the Valium they gave me gas and put the shots to numb the areas.  The dentist was extremely nice.  The first tooth came out but part of the root broke off because of how tight my teeth were around it.  He went to the next tooth and that one came out in one piece.  He had to use other tools to get the remaining root out and then had to stitch the area.  He used dissolving stitches so I wont have to go back to get them removed.  He said because of that happening that I would be in more pain than usual.  So he prescribed me a pain medication.  They packed my areas with gauze and gave me instructions on how to care for the area.  After getting home the areas of the extractions were throbbing bad.  There was a 30 min wait on my prescription fill.  I put ice packs on both sides of my mouth which helped some.  Once I took the pain medication about 20-30 mins later the pain went away.  I had to keep packing the areas with gauze every 30 mins.  I am now leaving the area free of gauze so hopefully the bleeding has officially stopped.  Its been 5 hours since my appointment.  Getting the teeth pulled didn't hurt, just felt a lot of pressure.  It didn't take long at all other than the mishap with my one tooth.  I hope for a quick recovery and keeping my fingers crossed I don't get dry socket.  I posted pictures below.  Sorry if you get grossed out by the teeth but I wanted to show you what happened.  I don't see much difference in my teeth yet now that its been 2 weeks since I got the braces on.  Only thing I notice is that my front teeth are easier to floss because they have moved a little from each other so they aren't so tight.  My next appointment for the rest of my brackets and wire on my top teeth is May 6th.  Hopefully after they do that I will start seeing more changes.

Thursday, April 3, 2014 - Yesterday I took off work because of my mouth throbbing so much, mainly the right side from where they had the issue of the root breaking off and I have stitches.  I took pain medicine with Ibuprofen as the dentist suggested which helped a lot.  I stayed in bed most of the day and kept ice packs on it.  Today I went to work.  My face was a little swollen where the teeth were extracted.  I put ice packs on it when I could.  I made it through the day without medicine but by the time I got home it throbbed so bad I took some medicine which helped a lot.  I also started rinsing my mouth out with warm salt water which helps.  I hope tomorrow is a better day with the pain.

Getting ready for the extractions

Extracted teeth.  You can see how the root broke off on the right tooth :(

Front view with extractions

left side view with extractions

right side view with extractions