Cinnamon ALMOST STRAIGHT!--> NEW PICS Feb 2nd - page 6

[Cinnamon]

Thank you KK, rhonda30, bracedagain, and cstubb!! I am very excited to get them on and get this thing started!!

KK, you continue to be a great support to me, and I appreciate that very much.
Thanks for the encouragement rhonda30, like you said, soon I'll be able to add my bits o' wisdom to the board - I can't wait 'til I have something to contribute!
Bracedagain, thank you for your kind words. I hope that what you say is true, as my true concern is that I'll be miserable the whole time...but from looking around here, that doesn't seem to be a common occurrence - so I'm feeling more optimistic by the minute.
Cstubb, thanks for the support and for checking out my story - I'll be watching for your b-day ---> it's not far off!!



P.S. I'm working on getting some good naked teeth before pics, they'll be up later in the weekend.

[cwatt1]

Hi Cinnamon!

I"ve been out of town this weekend and am just now catching up, but I've been thinking about you and wondering how your day went!

Here's to continued success!

[MommaDucky]

Let's see some photos already!!! You can't just leave us hanging..... how did it go???

[Cinnamon]

Thanks for checking in on me guys, sorry for the delay (I promise that it wasn't meant as a dramatic pause ). The braces are on, all is well, and pics and stories will be posted tonight or tomorrow. This is one busy week (and unfortunately I've already burned through my procrastination time ....so, this afternoon and evening are for homework & housework....woohoo!!)

[Cinnamon]

oops, double post

[Cinnamon]

CAUTION This is really long (and involves substantial amounts of whining) - you may just want to skip to the pictures CAUTION

Day 1: Mon, July 23, 2007

ARRIVAL and PREP

I arrived and was led to the chair by one of the assistants. While she readied the tools the ortho came by to say “I’ll be with you in a momentâ€

[cwatt1]

Wow Cinnamon! Well, I have to say your brackets look great, at least. You sure went through an interesting experience, especially with those turbos!

How's everything going since??

[Cinnamon]

Thanks cwatt1! I'm feeling much better thanks. Yesterday I didn't need much wax and flossing was much easier Yay! (I gave up on the threaders for the most part and just fold the floss over and pass it under the wire - works well for most of the teeth - molars still need the threader)

I was very aware of my smile on the Tuesday (Day 2) but I've definitely come a long way since then. I realize that I can't hide 'em so I might as well smile genuinely . I have KK's and MommaDucky's advice on the brain: ACT AS IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED!

Eating has been fine. I try to eat as normally as possible - it takes a while - and I sort of chew like a camel - but I get it done ! (I'm a veg so I don't have to worry about tough or stringy meats and I am happy about that.)

My teeth were super sore on Wednesday but Thursday was fine and today feels good too! I've been enjoying those salt-rinses, I think they've really helped my shredded cheeks recover (a good dose of wax is heavenly too!).

All in all the braces themselves have been a pretty low-pain experience and I feel quite well adjusted to them - they are starting to feel like they are part of my mouth now and I'm so glad. I know that I'm getting used to them because since the night after they were put on the tip of my tongue was very red and painful from all the investigating it was doing - well, it feels fine now so I must've given up trying to pry them off !

[Cinnamon]

Hey cwatt1! I know that we both have Damon 3s and I forgot to ask you if you know the significance (or insignificance) of those colored dots on each of the brackets...just curious.

[cwatt1]

Hi Cinnamon!

I've noticed the little (in my case red) dots on mine as well -- I believe they're on my upper canines, although I'm not near a mirror at the moment so I couldn't swear by that. No, I'm afraid I don't know what they're for, but now my curiosity is aroused I'm sure some of the more senior members will know. If not, I'm going to ask my ortho when I next see him.

I tried the floss threaders exactly once and it took me forever -- I immediately went out the next day and bought some Ortho SuperFloss with the stiff end. It's a heck of a lot easier to use. Besides, my teeth appear to have moved ever so slightly, and I can now get the floss through most of the interdental spaces above the wire, so I don't have to worry about threading it under the wire. But even where I do need to thread it, it's much easier with the SuperFloss.

As far as changiing your thread header, all you have to do is go back to your very first post in that thread, click the Edit button, and change the title to whatever you want.

Great to see you're adjusting so well! I'm having very little discomfort anymore, with the exception of biting my cheeks once in a while -- I have to remember to chew slowly and carefully.

All in all, a great experience so far Sounds like it's going to be for you, too.

Continued success! I'll be following your story with great interest

[Cinnamon]

Thanks cwatt1! I must have found the answer to my title change question and changed it as you were answering my question (should've looked before I asked - sorry ).

Bracedagain, thank you! The different colors for each tooth theory makes sense, that must be it . (I noticed that I've brushed some of my dots off...guess I know I'm keeping clean!)

[cwatt1]

Bracedagain, thank you! The different colors for each tooth theory makes sense, that must be it . (I noticed that I've brushed some of my dots off...guess I know I'm keeping clean!)

Just checked my own brackets in the mirror and I can hardly see them anymore. I guess you're right -- they fade out with regular cleaning.

[rhonda30]

I am glad to hear that your are adjusting to your new hardware. I feel like you, I can't hide my metal so the people will just have to get used to seeing it.

Your last appt sounded terrible. Isn't it ashame that the patient becomes the lowest rung on the totem pole. You would think that with the $ that you pay to the ortho he and his staff should treat you like royality. Thankfully my ortho is very nice however I meet the new ortho in three weeks, hopefully he will be as nice as her.

Ten weeks between appts, that seems like a long time. Is that because of the brackets you have? I have Damon brackets but the longest I have gone is 6 weeks.

I'm sure things will go smoother at your next appt and keep smiling!

[cwatt1]

Ten weeks between appts, that seems like a long time. Is that because of the brackets you have? I have Damon brackets but the longest I have gone is 6 weeks.

Rhonda, my first adjustment is also 10 weeks. That interval may decrease as time goes by -- don't know for sure. I think the initial .014 round wire, which is used for alignment, works very gradually. The interval also depends on the type of maloclusion and how long each phase of treatment is expected to last.

[Cinnamon]

Thank you Rhonda and KK for your words of support, I really appreciate your comments.

As far as time between appointments goes, prior to getting my braces on, I read on the Damon website that that's one of the perks of getting these brackets, but as KK points out - that could simply be fluff. I fear that my orthodontist likes to space them out as much as possible because less chair-time for one patient means more chair-time for more patients, which means he's making a whole lot more money ! (Can you tell that I'm a little disenchanted with the guy? )

Teeth update: Very little soreness now, mostly in the front bottom and the tooth to the right of my big crooked one. I have noticed more space between many of my teeth but most significant to me is the space between my molars because that was always a tough spot to get the floss through and now - no problem! Now I'm getting excited!!
No wax was used yesterday (woo hoo!) though today I'm feeling it in the cheek beside my molars a bit. Oh and I'm feeling a bit of a poke from a bit of wire back there too (movement?!) I can *twang, twang* it with my fingernail but I don't think it's long enough for me to clip - so, back to wax.

Question: Since I have the bite turbos I don't get a whole lot of pressure put on the rest of my teeth from chewing. I feel like I am teething or something 'cause I want to chew chew chew to get those teeth some action (my husband suggested a wet washcloth to gnaw on and I just might do it!). I know that I need to have pressure on these teeth in order to keep good circulation going and rebuild bone as well. What do you think, should I be trying to get more chewing done with all of my teeth? Anyone else have this experience?

Thanks guys!