Piglet's Braces story-New adjustment on 8-15-08

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#1 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:37 am

I'm 29 years old and I just started traditional braces in mid April, 2008, after extraction of 2 upper premolars. My teeth were actually pretty straight except for a big overjet (not sure about the measurement since my ortho didn't tell me) and possibly a small overbite. Shaving off the teeth (IPR) to do Invisalign would have only corrected my overjet by 50% at most. That was why I opted to do the traditional braces, and was sentenced for about 2 years (my ortho only told me the traditional braces treatment is on average 2 years, but never specify for my case, how long it will take). It has been tough for the first 2 months, and I really regretted to have chosen the harder route since I didn't realize there is so much pain involved. Oh well, now the teeth are gone, there is no way back, after struggling for 2 weeks trying to find out the possibility to switch back to Invisaglin, I decide to bite the bullet and try to get through this. And during this time, Meryaten, Chris1960, Blair, AngelofLife, Miss Chastity all helped me a lot!!!

For me, the hardest part is to have the extraction gaps. I had a root canal on my left lower molar, and 2 super big cavities on the 2 teeth in front and behind it (which are both on the verge of root canal and just hanging), so the whole left side was really sensitive to temperature, and I have been avoiding to chew on the left side for 2-3 years since I had those cavities. So now missing one premolar on the only side I can chew is really debilitating, and eating have been really big challenge for me ever since I got the extraction.

My first adjustment was supposed to be 4 weeks after my brace day, but I went in one week earlier due to a pain in my chewing side K9, which turned out to be ok and pretty normal. So my ortho changed my lig and let me go and wait for another 4 weeks for my 2nd Adjustment. During that time, My chewing side K9 kept hurting since it was biting right on top of the lower and received the highest pressure.

So on my 2nd adjustment, after unsuccessful begging to switch to Invisalign, I begged my ortho to maybe start to move that K9 back since it's hurting too much. The original plan was to align my front teeth first before starting to close my gaps, but for the past 7weeks, I really didn't see too much movement of my front teeth, probably because they are pretty tight to start with, plus, they were pretty straight except one middle top front one was crooked/twisted. That crooked one seems to be turning slowly, but so far I have only seen really subtle change in the relative position to the tooth next to it. So after looking at my teeth, my ortho put on short clear power chains over both gaps, and boy they hurt. The next 2 days was like hell since my molar was dragged and seemed to be tipping inward, so I could not bite down at all and biting down hurt! If I keep adding pressure to bite, the 2 top molars can seem to be pushed outward and the bite will close, but really painful. I panicked and asked Gennel, and she gave me tonst of tips on what's going to happen, what kind of pains are normal, what to expect... which really helped a lot in coping with the new unexpected pain! And amazingly, this morning (3rd day after getting power chain), when I woke up, I seem to be able to bite down a lot more, though not completely, but a LOT better! So I'm really thrilled about this since not being able to chew is the worst nightmare I've experience so far.

Ok, enough summary on what has been going on, here are some pictures

(Sorry about the large size of the pictures, I haven't figured out how to reduce them yet)

If just look from the front, it was not too bad at all

One month in braces, normal smile

Top with 2 extractions

Happy laugh from side

5 weeks normal smile

2nd adjustment powerchain, normal smile

2nd adjustment, other side, trying hard to show the gap and overjet

#2 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:28 am

Thanks, Denise! I think I am in great need of reassurance since this is probably 100 times tougher than the other route, and I'm really scared now about all the consequence such as possible bone loss, gum receding, and teeth move back again after brace, and life time commitment to retainer... Hopefully these could all be avoided and I'll be fine at the end. I'm having my fingers crossed!

#3 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:28 am

Yeah, that was quite some storms that I've never seen in my life (I didn't grow up in Iowa and spent the past 6 years of my life in the sunny Southern California:P I haven't seen any flooding from my part of the town, but it looks pretty bad in the other side. It's funny you noticed the bad weather in Iowa;)

So do you know what caused the bone loss? Was it because your teeth were moving too fast at that time or it was just luck? How did pregnancy also cause bone loss? Do you think Calcium supplement might help?

I 'm so far very against permanent retainer even though it is the default in my ortho's office. I just hate foreign objects in my mouth and don't want them to be a fixture. Oh, well, I'm still too far from that point and will wait and see.

#4 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:19 am

I see. Thanks a lot for explaining all these, Denise!!! I just checked out your story and it's amazing that you have gone a long way and are still so positive ! I'll try to learn how to cope with all these!

#5 Post by **Kara** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:11 am

Hey there! So I checked out your story. Your teeth look great already. If I had an overjet like yours I probably would have never gotten braces but I can totally understand wanting that perfect toothpaste commercial smile!

We do have simillar stories... and you smile the same way that I do it seems.

My gaps were closed with those stupid springs but they really worked quickly so I'm happy that I got them. The powerchains may work faster for you. I was in springs for months. I'm in the chains now. I bet those gaps will close up in no time at all. It seemed like mine were never closing for a good month or so and after a while I stopped noticing and then my boyfriend said something about it and I was surprised to see how much they actually had closed up.

You have a pretty shape to your teeth already. I'm sure they will look absolutely fabulous when your debrace day comes around! I'm glad you got in touch with me. I'm looking forward to following your story.

Kara

#6 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:04 am

Thanks a lot for checking out my story, Kara!!! Sometimes I felt really stupid wanting the perfect smile without considering the consequence, and now I'm stuck with braces for at least the next one year, and most probably more. The most I fear is the gap not close up completely and I'll be left with a defective bite and gaps...But then I decide since I'm already at this stage of not being able to go back, I should just hang in there and your story is a tremendous encouragement, since I'm seeing hope for myself when your treatment progress.

So do you mean after all your ortho doesn't think extraction of the lower would be necessary for your case? Do you know how much your ortho shaved your lower and on which teeth? How much space total did you get from that? When you say you have several different bites, does that mean in one of the bites, your upper still have space to move back more? And sorry for being too inpatient, do you know how big gaps you still have to go by now? I'm just a bit frustrated that I still have two big gaps in my mouth, (though they did close up about 1-2mm in the past 2 month, which seems like eternity to me already). Do you think you ever get used to chewing with the gaps? Since my powerchain was a result of begging on my 2nd adjustment that might not be in the original treatment plan, I'm just afraid it'll be taken out next time and I'll have to live with my gaps for a bit longer.

#7 Post by **braces4astw22** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:27 am

Hi Piglet

Just wanted to say hello.. just read your story.. your teeth are looking pretty good already I think you should just hang in there and let the wires do their work! I know easier said than done.. I have not seen movement exactly where I wanted to yet and im trying to be patient and realize that these things take time and it doesnt happen over night.. I am only a month in and want to wake up and have them all straight and perfect but I guess it doesnt work like that

Im sure those gaps from your extraction sites will close up in no time! Hope the rest of your treatment goes well..

#8 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:44 am

Thanks a lot, shannon! I'll try my best to deal with all these. I guess this is also part of growing up;) (which I've been so reluctant to face for so many years) Sometimes I feel I'm worse than those little kids in my ortho's office. I guess the difference is that they don't exactly know what they are getting into, while I didn't know at the beginning, but now after reading more, I'm having a bit more doubt. I wish I can 100% trust my ortho, but I guess that will take time, too. But at least he was the one I felt more comfortable during my consultation. I just hope everything eventually comes out as we hope:)

#9 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:00 am

Thank you for your encouragement, Ken! I think it is true that patience is the key. I still can't help looking at my teeth everyday, but now I sometimes trick myself by going back further for pictures a month ago or 6 weeks ago to see how far I've gone, which are usually a lot bigger and easier to see changes:P
I think now my only problem is I always think about "what if". What if I chose the Invisalign route and maybe I'll get very similar result without the pain, and all the complications of teeth extraction such as bone loss... But now there is no way back. so my biggest challenge is to stop thinking back and look forward.

#10 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:39 am

Thanks a lot, Ken! I will!

#11 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:59 pm

Quick update:
Now it is 20 days after my 2nd adjustment, I have been religiously brushing, flossing, rinsing, looking into the mirror whenever I get a chance, and using wax to measure my gaps. Man, so far the wax measurement is the most solid evidence for any closure of my gaps!

So here is the story: I freaked out 2 days ago when flossing, because I saw blood!!! It was near my upper left 2nd premolar extraction gap between the 1st premolar and K9. the molar side of the gap also bled whenever I floss. I felt like the end of the world and my tooth is falling off in the near future. Luckily I have all the wonderful ppl here on the board to calm me down. So what I did was stop using alcohol containing rinse, bought myself a giant bottle of Centrium (for Vitamin K), and kept waking up during the night after nightmares. (That was also due to the upper edge of my lower front teeth are hitting the back of my upper front teeth and somehow I'm just really sensitive to the slight pressure caused by this, even though it was not that strong at all, some how a prolonged pressure is equally powerful:( Anyway, and my upper arch started to ache, after not feeling anything for 2 weeks! Whenever I put pressure on the front teeth just with my lips, I can feel the pressure! And the gum-bleeding premolar also sore when I pressed it with my tongue. The bite of my molars felt tight again, similar but to a lesser extend as the first several days after getting powerchain. Somehow I have a hunch my teeth are moving, but really could not see anything But I kept measuring the gap with wax twice a day (a bit obsessive), after a whole nightâ€™s aching, this morning, the gum bleeding gap was still 5mm (or a bit bigger) as usual as for the past 3 weeks, but tonight, after my careful routine, and surprising stop of bleeding when flossing, the same gap measured 4.5mm!!!
Conclusion: (also basically answers to almost all of my post earlier after all the drama following my first powerchain experience)
1. Powerchain kept working even after it stopped hurting, well after 2-3 weeks, but it seems the action sometimes is kind of quantum style: when it hurts, it works, for a big jump, then it stops. But itâ€™s kind of freakish for 0.5mm in one day!
2. Bleeding during tooth movement? Still not sure, since my other gap kept closing up without me even feeling it. But purpleteeth seems to have similar experience of the correlation of bleeding and tooth movement. Well, weâ€™ll wait and see.
3. I need something to keep my 2 arches from touching each other, but the receptionist was not really helping in giving any suggestions:( But I really need a good night sleep without the pain from teeth biting into each other!!! Iâ€™ll ask on my next adjustment.

#12 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:30 pm

Denise wrote:Piglet, you can buy mouth guards at the pharmacy. I wonder if that would help.

Denise, unfortunately all the night guard I can find in the pharmacy all specifically point out they should not be used together with braces:( I kept asking my ortho, but he only said that they can make me one, but he doesn't think it's necessary now:( I'll try to push him on my next visit. Sometimes I feel I always have to push him, or he will just say "you'll get used to it" which means the pain:(

#13 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:36 am

I thought I needed one in the beginning of ortho but my ortho told me he didn't want to give me anything and wanted o wait. Now, my clenching and grinding has stopped at night. Maybe your ortho wants to wait and see if it will subside after your bite comes together.

#14 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:37 pm

Thanks, Miss Smiley and Denise!!! I guess you guys are right, now the front teeth touching issue seems to get better after 3 days, though sometimes still hurts if I don't pay attention to hold my lower jaw back. But all in all it is a very dangerous biting relation that Iâ€™ll have to force my ortho to address next time.

#15 Post by **PigletInIowa** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:54 pm

OK, sorry about the delay, I've been really busy these 2 days and couldn't really finish all the update about my June 24th adjustment. So here is the full story:
I went into my orthoâ€™s office for my 3rd adjustment 8 days earlier than originally scheduled (so it was only a bit shy of 3 weeks after my 2nd adjustment.) The top edge of my lower right 2nd incisor (not sure the official name) was biting into the back of my upper right 2nd incisor, the pressure was low, but somehow accumulative and could become really profound after a prolonged period of time. So I had been waking up multiple times during sleep for the past week (maybe also because my anxiety over whether my gap can close completely or not) That was why I called in and asked an earlier adjustment.

So my ortho changed my wire to a stiffer one (018, that was what I heard) but said itâ€™s the same diameter as the old one, which I donâ€™t really understand (???). Then he put in bents on the wire to pull my upper 2nd incisors out to stop the hitting. It worked for a while during the first 3 hours, however, now one of my bottom is hitting my top left central incisor because that little sucker has a thicker left edge than any other tooth! (That was the little trouble-maker that was crooked at the beginning) Then I realize by switching to this stronger wire, my upper front central incisors were quickly aligned to the center (which were twisted to one side before) thatâ€™s why now my upper left central incisor is closer to the bottom now) I feel I will have to ask him to shave down the thicker edge on the back side next time. The only positive change I can see immediately is that now my upper front 4 teeth are perfectly aligned instantaneously! My friend who accompanied me to the orthoâ€™s office almost freaked out after seeing one of my teeth being visibly moved! And my upper centrals now form a nice curve instead of the flat pane as before. (Though now I can see the dark stain (or tooth decade that used to be hidden in between the contact surfaces of the central incisors). I just hope this drastic change is not too rough on my teeth. Though it really didnâ€™t cause too much pain (if any) than before (with the more flexible wire), and went away in merely 2 days.

But the problem now is that I feel my teeth already looks perfect, except I still have 2 giant extraction gaps to close on the side!!! The ortho insist that I still have 4mm overjet to close, so there should be no problem for me to get the gap closed. (my gaps are slightly over 5mm and ~4.3mm now) So I asked him how can the gap to be closed. He said that the molars will need to come forward to establish a class II occlusion, and the 1st premolar or K9 on the other side will not have to go all the way back. But the plan is to pull the K9 back in place first, before pulling the front 4 together back! I got so bumped because that means that first, Iâ€™ll have big gap showing up between my 4 front teeth and K9, 2nd, apparently that will mean Iâ€™ll have to spend twice as much time living with gaps than most other ppl when their front 6 are pulled back together! (well, maybe not exactly twice, could be a bit shorter than twice, considering for the first part, 2 teeth on both sides of the gap are moving, though Iâ€™m not clear about the 2nd part). Is it normal to have this kind of treatment plan? His argument is that pulling 4 at a time achieves better results than pulling 6 at a time, which I donâ€™t understand.

Another shocking fact I realize this time is that I actually have a â€œnear class II occlusion, division Iâ€