Lest I forget! - new pics 4th Sept

[Britlaw]

I thought I would record my story before the time flies and I forget just how much progress I am making! I waited 47 years to do this (well maybe not that long as we dont have crooked teeth when we're born lol) but now I have done it, the time is going so darn quick!!

I looked like this on my brace day 3rd Jan 2008


My lowers aren't as crowded as my uppers so the ortho said we'd give the top a chance before putting on the bottoms. Prior to brace, I had 2 lower bicuspids removed and 2 molars on the top. I was a bit disappointed to have to have 2 big molars out on the top, as I lost my upper canines at like 14 because they grew way up the gums (and extraction for that sort of thing was common where I grew up grrrr!). But ortho said that he needed 11mm to work with on the top and removal of just bicuspids would not give enough room and would also leave just 3 non molar teeth in front of the molars each side which would look a bit odd. I have healthy wisdoms at the back at the top so I still have 2 molars each side top and bottom for him to correct my bite.

Anyway, I have my 2nd adjustment tomorow and my lower brace (ceramic brackets) is going on at the same time. I will post a pic after to show the full effect lol - and show the progress on the top. My laterals are now where they should be (relative to front incisors anyway) and have revealed dirty marks and a very small cavity where I couldnt reach with a toothbrush or floss before. I am going to take my archwire out in the morning and see the dentist first thing to sort the dirty marks and the lil cavity and then go to work before ortho late afternoon. I am not sure the ortho will approve (he thinks the dentist is doing it!) but its a round wire, just elastic ligs and no molar bands - the ligs get weaker the longer they are on and they have been on for 5 weeks. If I have any trouble I will ask the dentist to do it but I sooooooooooo want time for a good floss before I go!!!!

All in all, the extractions were horrible (one infection) but very temporary. I had them immediately prior to christmas which in hindsight wasnt a great idea but then if I had waited, I wouldnt be as far down the road as I am now - its just one christmas (and it meant I didnt put on as much weight as usual lol). I also seriously bumped a tooth after brace fitted and worried about losing it to a fracture but the tooth is fully recovered now .

I dont mind the brace at all but I only have one at the moment lol, so tomorow things might change. People constantly ask me things like "why have you got braces?" well, duh! why d'ya think! When I tell them they ask "at your age?". If I said I'd had breast augmentation or a tummy tuck I swear they would be fully accepting of that - as indeed they would if I had a mouth full of veneers . Who'd of thought a 47 yr old woman would want something naturally nice huh?!! My kids are very proud of me for doing it (well adults now but it is nice to be suppported by 2 teenagers and a 22 yr old who is doing the braces journey with me).

Well, I am hoping I will only temporarily be back on the soup and cous cous tomorow!

[elpi]

Cool! I look forward to seeing your uptodate pic when you've got your bottom set on as well

Some people think I'm strange getting braces at my age and I'm only 32, they look at me like I'm a bit odd or terrifically vain or something, it's kind of funny but I guess, in the UK especially, braces on adults are a rare sight! We're all trailblazers on here

[Britlaw]

Hey Elphi, we aren't vain, thats the point. I could have spent £10k on a mouthfull of veneers just like the boob jobs etc that everyone seems to be having....instant gratification. But I wanted MY smile because its part of ME (as is my "I had 3 children" tummy & boobs lol).I want MY teeth, just better and I am prepared to work to get it. I am sure thats what you are looking for too.

Okay, I just took a photo and looked at it....found it a bit odd to be honest. My teeth look much wonkier in it than I thought they did but I guess we see a different image in the mirror and when we see us the 'wrong way round' it feels a bit wierd. In any case, at least one side of my mouth looks completely different! My younger son (who has been through orthodontics) explained to me that the areas under highest force/resistance will move the most first, and thus the wonkiest side to begin with is now straighter than the other. The ortho was really pleased with the top so far and said I should be too....which I am but I think the pics are a good illustration that things can get a little worse before they get better - not that I think I look worse but progress is uneven.

Jan 3rd 2008

March 17th 2008 (today lol)


I now have the next wire up on the top and the ortho says things should even up a bit now but because I have a different gap each side on the top (I had two molars out but he took the ones with decay which were first on one side and second on other) he said I may stay a bit wonky - because its easier for one side to drift back into the gap than the other, but that all would rectify when closing the gaps.

I ate normal food for dinner just to give it a go and now have a sore inner lip - so wax for bed tonight and soup tomorow. All in all I am thrilled with progress and apart from the extractions its been a totally comfortable ride so far. My family have been great - especially my little boy (18yrs old lol) who, having been through all this ortho stuff explains everything to me and is very reassuring.

At 47 yrs old it might not be the greatest investment in monetary terms (when one considers the years of benefit had I stayed with my braces at 17) but I say better late than never and if I only live 5 years after braces off, it will still have been money well spent

Night all, have a great week.

[elpi]

wow it's amazing how much the top left teeth in the pic have changed in such a short time - great stuff

I think I do have my vain moments lol, but it's not the main driving force behind getting my teeth fixed, I just miss the way my front teeth were before my wisdoms coming through caused them to collide and I'd rather like to be able to effortlessly shut my lips together without a cheeky bit of tooth poking out

[Britlaw]

Wherabouts in the Midlands are you Elpi? I think you have answered that before but I am an old lady who forgets lol. There are a few of us here in the middle of england I work in Birmingham but live on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire borders.

I went to dentist today before ortho and my dentist charges way more per hour than general practice for my profession (law) - he had £100 out of me in 15 minutes! Do you find your treatment expensive? My ortho will be £3000 in total for a none too complicated problem and the extractions at the dentist are extras. I am not complaining myself as I am lucky and can afford it but I feel orthodontics should be more accessible for everyone and it never will be at those prices with diminishing NHS provison

P.S. I have my vain moments too and I struggle to compete with the youngens in my profession in terms of image but nothing would make me desire those plastic teeth (and boobs lol) I see daily

[Britlaw]

Had 3rd adjustment last Thursday. Havent had time to do pics, will do some and upload when I can. I now have quite thick wires on top and bottom and both the same guage even though my bottoms were braced only at 2nd adjustment of the top (i.e. 5 weeks ago). The wires now cross all 4 extraction gaps and this really helps when eating as the wires help chop the food up!

I can really feel the difference in the wire and can see movement even since thursday. I have noticed that over the weekend my two front incisors at the bottom have raised above the line of those adjoining. I am sure its all fine but I will ask at next adjustment if still bothering me. My teeth are much more achy this time but havent had to do any painkillers or anything...I just dont bite anything remotely hard on any teeth other than the molars right at the back which arent braced.

The ortho did say that I was a very undemanding patient! He said that most of his other patients were on the phone all the time asking questions or with problems but remarked that I had seen/spoken to him only at adjustment appointments. He wanted to make sure all was okay and I said that really things had been really good and that this was all much easier than I ever thought it would be.

He was really pleased with progress and got out my moulds to remind me just how much had changed in just 3 months. I had a crossbite one side which has now gone. When one looks at the zig zag wires when I first had them on....now they are smooth curves, incredible really - although they are not parallel so elastics will come soon I guess. My progress is still a bit lopsided but is getting there.

[elpi]

Sorry Britlaw I missed your post when you did it, just caught up now when I was looking at your new one! I'm in Derby, my treatment's going to cost me £3100 (18 months metals) which seems dearer than some but cheaper than others.

Extractions were £65 each on top. I'm lucky in a manner of speaking because I can afford this, I inherited a bit of money and it seemed sensible to use my inheritance to help fix my other inheritance of wonky teeth I am the first in my family to have fixed braces, I feel like a SPAM

Now I realise why you're called Britlaw seems obvious now what kind of legal work do you do?

Glad to hear that your new wires are helping things move along further, looking forward to the new pics. I didn't realise the wires could help with chewing! I really miss being able to chew easily, at the moment it's little chew, little chew, little ouch, little chew, little chew, ouch as the food pokes my extraction holes and I'm not even braced yet - though I should be in a few hours, in some ways I won't mind if chewing hurts then cos I'll have the novelty of braces, at least for a little while

[Jill52]

Hello elpi and Britlaw - nice to read from some other older Brits with braces. I'm scouring these pages garnering moral support before I head off to England next week. I've been in braces for two months now and am loving the journey. I've been in California for 8 years and realized that I was a good example of why there are so many jokes over here about the English and their teeth! So I took the plunge - which is not so much of a plunge over here actually - and got braced on March 20th. Anyway, I haven't told anyone over there yet, so I'm bracing myself for the comments. I don't expect to spend my usual nights down the pub this year - I'll save that for next year when they're off. I've been told I need 12 months, which seems quite short compared to what others are going through.

Britlaw - love your pictures. Like you, I saw some dramatic movement the first month where there was a lot of tension on the wire. This second month has been a bit slower and less noticeable. My second adjustment is next week, two days before I fly to London.

I seem to be quite lucky with the money side of things. My job here has good dental insurance. I'm paying 1200 dollars for everything, including permanent retainers at the end. The insurance pays the balance of about 4100 dollars. It sounds as though it can end up quite exspensive in the UK from what you both say.

Anyway, good luck to both of you with the next phase of your brace journey. If I can find some help on here, I'll post some pictures too. All the best!

[Clairey Fairey]

Hey - Just thought I'd say hi as Im from the Midlands too.

My treatment is costing £3000 in total for aligning the teeth, correcting the bite and decreasing an overjet. I'm lucky to have found an NHS dentist so any extra dental work only costs the nhs prices (which are still bad, but obviously an improvment than if I was to go private).

I hardly ever see anyone with braces, especially adults, which made me worry that when I got braces everyone would notice. Well I've had braces for a year now and I haven't had any negative comments about them, infact only last night I was out with some friends and one said 'ohhhh u had your braces off!!' (Well I haven't, they are still there, but it was nice to think that people don't even notice them)

I like the fact that the UK isn't full of hollywood smiles coz theres less pressure to look perfect.

Anyway just thought I'd drop by and say hi. Britlaw your teeth are already starting to look fantastic, in such a short amount of time. It's brilliant that you've decided to get braces and not just a pile of veneers. You go girl!!

[gemdoll]

hiya fellow brits!!

britlaw - your teeth are improving quickly!! you must be rapt.. and its lovely having support around you.. my bf's little girl saw me for the first time on Friday since i've been braced up.. and she said they're lovely and shiny.. shes 4.. bless her. i thought she'd be freaking out at the sight of me.. but now she wants braces too - i even let her touch them!!

i'm shocked at the price you lot are paying.. i guess i should count my lucky stars i managed to get into the teaching hospital down here in london to get mine sorted.... even though they've never explained a single thing to me.. having found this website, i now have a long list of questions to ask.. mwaha. that will learn them!

happy smiling!!
xx

[Britlaw]

Sorry its taken me a while - I hope I can remember how to code the pics! I have been meaning to post progress and see how others are doing but been so busy at work and also been overseas in South Africa, Switzerland and god knows where. Back to the relentless rain in England now (what happened to our summer?)

This was uppers on day Jan 3rd 2008


Lowers went on March 2008 at 2nd adjustment


Here we are 4th Sept 2008



Overall I am pleased thus far. A huge gap has opened up one side so the teeth dont meet (openbite?) so I guess elastics are to come at some point - its because I had a large molar out that side and the teeth drifted back into the hole (which was enormous but the gap almost now closed). I guess those teeth now have to be aligned.

I also have lower molars tipping in towards my tongue so the ortho is going to put bands on the ones right at the back at next adjustment so all teeth will be on the wire. Such joy!

Everyone I know says I smile much more than I ever have before - even though I am quite concious of my braces. I went to a wedding the other weekend and there are loads of pictures of me smiling, which feels quite odd to me as prior to braces I would purposely not smile to hide the crooked teeth. So, even with braces on, I must feel a lot more confident in my smile even thought I have a long way to go.

Regards to all

[Miss Smiley]

Oh my, look at that transformation! Your teeth seem to be cooperating well!

[mariea]

Hi Britlaw can I ask are they the Damon braces you have on?? I got mine on a 2 weeks ago and Im amazed at how your teeth have moved and how great they look... you have given me a little confidence now... thanks

[UGHBRACES]

They aren't damons. Damon doesn't have full ceramic brackets.

Your teeth are progressing great.

[jpiper001]

your teeth look great! i need to take before and after pictures like you, to remind myself why i am in so much pain.=)