Today is six months since I began orthodontic treatment, and the news isn't so good. 

I went in for my usual monthly adjustment. Dr. Vogt looked in my mouth. "Hmmm," he said in a concerned voice. After about two minutes of examining and "Hmmmms" I finally asked what was wrong. Seems that the gums under my bottom two front teeth aren't as pink as they normally should be. They are, in Dr. Vogt's words, "blanched" and in danger of receding. "I think we've pushed the limit of what we can do without extractions," he said. Damn! I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. But he's right, the gum tissue is more white than pink, and it definitely looks different from the picture that was taken before treatment began.

In a nutshell, I have two options: 1)Get those four bicuspids extracted, or 2)Have some skin grafted from the roof of my mouth to the problem gum line (OUCH!!!). Neither option is pretty.

Dr. Vogt wants me to get another x-ray to see how the top teeth have moved. From that, he will be able to make a final evaluation for further treatment. I have a feeling that extractions will be in order. Frankly, I've been surprised all these months that I seemed NOT to need the extractions. All the other orthodontists I've seen over the years have recommended it. I appreciate that Dr. Vogt tried to straighten my teeth without taking any out. But the simple truth is, that my teeth are very crowded, so those two front ones apparently can't bear the strain of movement without more leeway (or something like that).

I'm getting the x-rays done early next week, and will see Dr. Vogt later in the week. In the mean time, he took the wire off the two bottom front teeth (to take the pressure off of them). So my braces look a bit weird on the bottom -- there is a wire on the left, and a wire on the right, and no wire in the middle!

So no, I'm not happy about the latest development, but it is what it is. Next week I'll know what my orthodontic future holds.

Well, it's bye-bye bicuspids. In fact, I had them removed today. Here I sit, with four big gaps in my mouth.

Yes, that was fast, wasn't it? I saw Dr. Vogt the day after the x-rays were taken. My teeth had actually moved 4 millimeters in 6 months. Based on a comparison of the old and new x-ray image, he thought that my lip profile would be essentially the same as "pre-braces" after treatment if the 4 teeth were extracted. He thought that extraction would be a better bet than gum surgery.

I wanted to get the whole scenario over with ASAP, and I was able to see the oral surgeon at the end of the week -- today, that is. Hubby arranged to work from home to help take care of me, which was very sweet of him. 

The extractions took place under local anesthetic. I could have been "put under," but I don't like to do that unless it's absolutely necessary. FYI, getting bicuspids extracted is NOT the same as wisdom teeth; it's very easy. So, 6 or 8 Novocain needles later (I lost count), my mouth was completely numb. The oral surgeon had a really great technique. Usually, when I get Novocain for a filling, the needle hurts and burns like hell. This guy did it very well, with minimal discomfort (although, my fingers were sure gripping the armrests pretty hard anyway)! Needles in your mouth are never pleasant, but it was over quickly. As needles go, these weren't too bad.

After giving the Novocain a few minutes to do its magic, he and an assistant got to work. One thing I can tell you -- fillings take longer, and are more involved, than these extractions were! He took a pair of dental pliers to each tooth and said, "OK, when I push down on the tooth, you push up (or vice-versa)." 1-2-3, the tooth popped right out. I was totally amazed. One after another, like popping apart Lego pieces. Only one top bicuspid made a slight crunching sound. The rest was totally silent. Incredulously, I asked, "Are they all out?" Yes indeed, they were, all four of them. So I sat there, my mouth packed with gauze, my stomach doing flip-flops from relief. The whole thing took about 20 minutes.

Hubby drove me home, and suddenly I was overcome with emotion. I tried to say, "You know, sometimes it's hard to be brave," but my mouth was packed with gauze and I just wound up sounding like a sincere, but mentally challenged woman! Hubby got me laughing by asking me say all sort of phrases that were impossible. After a few minutes, all the tension melted away and I took a big deep breath. When we got home, I took a nap.

The oral surgeon gave me some generic Vicodin, and so far I've taken one. I feel a little woozy, but I'm not in pain at all, which totally amazes me. So, the thing I've been dreading all these years is done. 

Before you sit there, possibly thinking that I am a very brave individual, let me put this all into perspective for you. If you're a Mom, you know where I coming from: after childbirth, practically NOTHING medical is a big deal anymore. Childbirth has been, by far, the most terrifying thing I have been through, and I have been through it twice (both normal births, thankfully). Have you ever read the book, "The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit"? It's about a guy who is a paratrooper in the war, and then becomes an advertising executive. This guy is terrified to jump out of airplanes, but he has to do it. Once he is out of the military, he finds the cut-throat advertising world difficult, but no matter the situation, he always rationalizes, "It could never be worse than jumping out of an airplane." 

So the next time you need dental extractions (or even just braces), remember: at least you're not giving birth or jumping out of an airplane.

I see Dr. Vogt and the oral surgeon next week, and the braces will be put back on. I'm looking forward to closing those gaps and continuing treatment!

Ironically, my mouth is fine, but my back is KILLING ME! I had stopped taking my prescription anti-inflammatory meds for the extractions (because they thin out your blood and can prevent it from clotting). My back had actually stopped hurting completely last week. I thought everything would be fine, but last night it started killing me. Today, I can't sit, stand, or even lay down without pain. Doing the back exercises and stretches makes it feel worse. In fact, I'm on my knees at the computer writing this so I don't have to sit down. Hopefully, my meds will kick back in soon and I'll be out of pain again. I have an appointment with my orthopedist later in the week, thankfully. What the hell did I do to myself to get into such pain?!

Anyway, regarding the mouth...no swelling, minimal bleeding. The only pain I feel is at the points where they gave me the Novocain needles yesterday, so my jaw hurts a bit from that. It's totally weird to look in my mouth and see 4 spaces where teeth used to be. 

Yesterday I needed to eat only soft foods, but today I can eat normal stuff if I want. I think I'll still stick to a soft diet for another day, just to be safe. Chewing feels weird when food gets into the holes where the teeth used to be.

Everyone tells me that the gaps close up rather quickly when the braces are put on, so I expect that the "holes" won't be there too long. Truthfully, I'd be feeling pretty good today if it weren't for my back.

Well, my teeth have stopped hurting, for the most part. I have a little trouble with crunchy foods like cookies, but I can eat them if I break them into small pieces, first. Phew! I thought for sure that I'd be in pain for a much longer time. I'm relieved that it was only about a week. 

For whatever reason, the end brackets on the top right are irritating my gums, and that really hurts. I need to keep wax gobbed on them 24/7, or it's incredibly uncomfortable, and I can barely speak.

I'm trying not to be upset about the teeth I had extracted. I know that if I had the choice again, I would have made the same decision. Still, it's hard to look in my mouth and see these gaps. They are so big, it seems almost impossible that they will close up. I worry about my bite -- that it will be ok. I feel like this has been a huge leap of faith in my orthodontist. Once the teeth are gone, they can't be put back! I have to trust him, and what others have told me, about having the teeth pulled, and that it will be ok. Truthfully, I try not to think about it too much. Because if I do, it really makes me feel a little sick. I kinda mourn for my pulled teeth. Yeah, maybe it's a little silly, but they have been part of me for most of 40 years. I feel like I've "betrayed them." OK, slap me; I know I'm just being weird about this. But I bet others have felt the same way. Poor little teeth....

My back is getting better slowly. I saw the orthopedist, and he said I have "facet syndrome," which is a clinical way of saying that I tend to sprain my back a lot. He prescribed more of that anti-inflammatory and 4 weeks of physical therapy. I start the therapy this week. Anyway, the doctor agreed that I probably hurt my back this time when I was lifting something heavy. So, no more moving furniture for me. At least I can sit in a chair now instead of kneeling.

Saturday, July 13

The teeth don't hurt at all anymore. I'm back to where I was before the extractions, and I'm quite relieved. I can bite into a burger and eat chips, if I want to. The thing is, chewing is a bit more difficult. I'm not exactly sure why. I suppose those four missing teeth, and the gaping holes they left, are technically interfering with my ability to chew. Not much. Just enough to be a pain in the butt.

Personally, I can't stand people who chew with their mouths open. I have to remember to take small bites of food; otherwise, I need to open my mouth slightly when I chew. And all the time, I'm thinking, "Eeew, gross, don't do that!" Well, I take solace in knowing it's only temporary.

The bottom teeth have un-aligned themselves, but I expected that to happen. The two front ones are not tied into the arch wire. Dr. Vogt did this to take the pressure off of them so the gums could recover. Remember, the reason I had those four teeth extracted was because my gums were beginning to get stressed (lack of room to move). I expect that on my next adjustment visit, he will tie the two teeth back in, and the bottom row will re-align itself.

One pain-in-the-butt inconvenience lately is gum soreness. First my gums are rubbing against the brackets here, then there, then another place. One area heals, then another one gets irritated. I've gone through a lot of wax lately, and I really hate it. One reader emailed and suggested Listerine. She said that if I swish with Listerine a few times per day (and hold it in my mouth for as long as possible), it will help the irritations heal. I'm going to try it. Thanks for the suggestion! Actually, I've gotten a few suggestions about things lately, and I'm thinking of adding a page to the site with those sort of "helpful hints." 

Saturday, July 20

It has been a rather uneventful week, and I don't really have much to write about.

My teeth have been fine; the usual inconveniences. Although I've had the arch wires in for several weeks, the gaps don't seem any smaller. I suppose the movement is in small increments. Still, it would be motivating if SOMETHING visible was happening.