I know for many people who have to wear braces for a second time, it's because they didn't wear their retainers enough when they were younger.
That's true in my case, too, but with a twist. I had my permanent retainers taken off several years after my braces were removed. I wasn't given any removable retainers. My orthodontist at the time told me, "Your teeth will never move again." They didn't...for a few years.
Now, 25 years later, things have shifted. My teeth don't look bad, and I have nothing like the horrendous overbite I had as a kid, but my off-kilter bite is causing other problems like bruxism. I'm told I also have a tongue-thrust problem.
All of this means I'm now looking at 1 1/2 to 2 years in braces starting next month, with "cleats" on the back sides of my front teeth to keep my tongue from pushing against them. I've looked these up online, and they look like curled hooks, so that should be fun. I'm told elastics will be necessary, and that headgear is "a possibility" to help close an open bite. (I take that to mean "it's inevitable.")
Still, I'm eager to get the process started and get things fixed.
Thanks for reading!
Farmboy's orthodontic odyssey
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BracketRacket
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Thank you, everyone, for your kind wishes and welcome here! I'm glad there's a place where people are supportive of one another. I haven't even had spacers installed, and this whole process seems sort of overwhelming.
I hope your braces journeys are all speedy and rewarding. Ken, I hope you don't have your braces a minute longer than you need them. It seems like you've put in a lot of time already.
BracketRacket, the reality behind my online name isn't nearly as poetic as you might suggest. I grew up on a dairy farm in rural N. California before a combination of life's opportunities and responsibilities brought me to the strange world that is Southern California. Thanks for making me seem more literary than I am, though!
I hope your braces journeys are all speedy and rewarding. Ken, I hope you don't have your braces a minute longer than you need them. It seems like you've put in a lot of time already.
BracketRacket, the reality behind my online name isn't nearly as poetic as you might suggest. I grew up on a dairy farm in rural N. California before a combination of life's opportunities and responsibilities brought me to the strange world that is Southern California. Thanks for making me seem more literary than I am, though!
Farmboy's orthodontic odyssey...finally a banding date!
After months of delay, I'll finally get wired on July 8.
Most of the holdup was because I'd decided to switch orthodontists after getting a final treatment plan that was very different than the ones that orthodontist and I spoke about the weeks before.
I got lucky and found an orthodontist with nearly 20 years experience. She's very patient with my incessant questions. She also doesn't have an office that's continually stuffed with (im)patients. She carves out plenty of time to be with each patient, which is very nice.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to stuff my face with THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR almonds, Aussie licorice, corn on the cob and all the other things I live for that will be on the "no-no" list next week....
Most of the holdup was because I'd decided to switch orthodontists after getting a final treatment plan that was very different than the ones that orthodontist and I spoke about the weeks before.
I got lucky and found an orthodontist with nearly 20 years experience. She's very patient with my incessant questions. She also doesn't have an office that's continually stuffed with (im)patients. She carves out plenty of time to be with each patient, which is very nice.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to stuff my face with THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR almonds, Aussie licorice, corn on the cob and all the other things I live for that will be on the "no-no" list next week....
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jensceana73
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Enjoy it now....cause they will....become a thing of the past. You might be able to still eat some of that stuff...but it won't be the same. As your eating it, and it gets shoved/mashed in behind are around in your braces...your brain immediately thinks....clean me...clean me....clean me....NOW!!!!!!!!! 
Good luck on the 8th!!!! 
Good luck on the 8th!!!! 
If God wanted me to have straight teeth, he would have made my parents rich..or so I was told....
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LARRYBOY56
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Just hours to go!
I'm at T-minus 3 1/2 hours, and I think it's strange that all the trepidation I've had leading up to this day has now evaporated like a thin morning fog. Maybe I'm just resigned to my fate now!
Hopefully all will go well. I've stocked up on ibuprofen, and I plan on taking a few before I head into the chair. Provided I'm not writhing in pain later, I'll check back in with an update.
jensceana, I've already stuffed the pantry with lots of macaroni and cheese, and have planned omelettes, pea soup, and spinach for tomorrow night's dinner. I have plenty of potatoes and yams on hand to mash up as needed.
Larryboy, seven spacers? That would drive me nuts. Hope you're handling it well. I'm lucky in that my new orthodontist isn't putting any bands on me (at least for now!). Good luck with that!
Hopefully all will go well. I've stocked up on ibuprofen, and I plan on taking a few before I head into the chair. Provided I'm not writhing in pain later, I'll check back in with an update.
jensceana, I've already stuffed the pantry with lots of macaroni and cheese, and have planned omelettes, pea soup, and spinach for tomorrow night's dinner. I have plenty of potatoes and yams on hand to mash up as needed.
Larryboy, seven spacers? That would drive me nuts. Hope you're handling it well. I'm lucky in that my new orthodontist isn't putting any bands on me (at least for now!). Good luck with that!
The first 96 hours
I am now officially a metalhead, and while flossing is a gigantic pain in the ---, I have to say things haven't gone all that badly.
I entered this journey preparing myself for pain of near-Biblical proportions. Happily, I've been disappointed. While my teeth are plenty sore, I haven't had to resort to a strictly-liquid diet.
Luckily, I've also avoided having to use any wax at all. The large brackets on my back teeth hold enormous hooks which have cut into my cheeks a little, but it's nothing too bad. I've actually found I'm in much less pain than I was when I had braces as a kid.
My next adjustment is only a little more than two weeks away. We'll see if that rains any more pain on me...
Lastly, thanks to all of you who have either read or responded to my young blog here. Your experience, insight, and support has been invaluable.
I entered this journey preparing myself for pain of near-Biblical proportions. Happily, I've been disappointed. While my teeth are plenty sore, I haven't had to resort to a strictly-liquid diet.
Luckily, I've also avoided having to use any wax at all. The large brackets on my back teeth hold enormous hooks which have cut into my cheeks a little, but it's nothing too bad. I've actually found I'm in much less pain than I was when I had braces as a kid.
My next adjustment is only a little more than two weeks away. We'll see if that rains any more pain on me...
Lastly, thanks to all of you who have either read or responded to my young blog here. Your experience, insight, and support has been invaluable.
Chewing is a pain!
My first adjustment will be on Thursday, which means I'll be just short of three weeks in braces.
So far, things are going pretty well. I've still managed to avoid having to use wax. I haven't had any soreness in my teeth for some time, which is great.
However, that doesn't mean eating is any easier. My teeth have definitely moved, and because of that, chewing with my molars has been very difficult...I almost feel as if my teeth aren't even there. Hopefully this is the "things will get worse before they get better" I've heard about with orthodontic treatment.
And for comic relief: I went to the beach last weekend for some bodysurfing and got pummeled by a pretty big wave. When I surfaced, I was fine, I thought.
Then I felt something strange in my mouth. The force of the waves had knitted my cheeks onto just about every elastic hook I had in my mouth (and I have 12 of them!).
It took me a few minutes of pretty strange facial contortions to free myself. Who knew surfing could be hazardous to one's dental health....
So far, things are going pretty well. I've still managed to avoid having to use wax. I haven't had any soreness in my teeth for some time, which is great.
However, that doesn't mean eating is any easier. My teeth have definitely moved, and because of that, chewing with my molars has been very difficult...I almost feel as if my teeth aren't even there. Hopefully this is the "things will get worse before they get better" I've heard about with orthodontic treatment.
And for comic relief: I went to the beach last weekend for some bodysurfing and got pummeled by a pretty big wave. When I surfaced, I was fine, I thought.
Then I felt something strange in my mouth. The force of the waves had knitted my cheeks onto just about every elastic hook I had in my mouth (and I have 12 of them!).
It took me a few minutes of pretty strange facial contortions to free myself. Who knew surfing could be hazardous to one's dental health....
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BracketRacket
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SDFD TSchott
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I've had a few instances where the board has come back to attack me but has missed my face, in fact I actually had one time the board came back at me so violently I used my arm to avoid getting hit in the face and well ended up with a moderately sprained wristTheresa48 wrote:DUDE...surfing can so be detrimental to your teeth---wear a mouthguard! My son had his surfboard smash right into his mouth and killed a couple teeth right in front!!!!! Be careful when you are hanging ten, man....
but that was also when I was just learning how to surf to!
Adjustment Sept 14th, 2018
Braces back on August 06, 2018
Braces off April 02, 2008
I haven't updated my story because, well, I feel like there hasn't been much to update.
My orthodontist is very happy with the progress I'm making, which is good, considering the exact opposite had happened under a previous treatment under another ortho.
At my last adjustment in late August, I got a powerchain to help close up some gaps that were beginning to form. (Strange how the orthodontic process works; I have fairly crowded teeth and didn't know there would be room for gaps to form!)
The doctor didn't have any grey powerchains, so she convinced me to get glow-in-the-dark ones. They're an off-white under regular light, so I'm trying to be careful to limit my intake of red wine and spaghetti sauce. (Sigh.)
The power chain has worked, though. Only days after my appointment, I was right back in the doctor's chair. My teeth had moved so much my archwire began poking me.
The realist in me, however, isn't willing to hope progress will be this swift the rest of the way, but it's been nice that my teeth have moved as much as they have. The doctor also hasn't mentioned the tongue thrust thing again, so I'm hoping that's no longer a problem.
My orthodontist is very happy with the progress I'm making, which is good, considering the exact opposite had happened under a previous treatment under another ortho.
At my last adjustment in late August, I got a powerchain to help close up some gaps that were beginning to form. (Strange how the orthodontic process works; I have fairly crowded teeth and didn't know there would be room for gaps to form!)
The doctor didn't have any grey powerchains, so she convinced me to get glow-in-the-dark ones. They're an off-white under regular light, so I'm trying to be careful to limit my intake of red wine and spaghetti sauce. (Sigh.)
The power chain has worked, though. Only days after my appointment, I was right back in the doctor's chair. My teeth had moved so much my archwire began poking me.
The realist in me, however, isn't willing to hope progress will be this swift the rest of the way, but it's been nice that my teeth have moved as much as they have. The doctor also hasn't mentioned the tongue thrust thing again, so I'm hoping that's no longer a problem.
