I was eating nachos at a Super Bowl party and the wire popped out of the band on my lower left molar. I kept eating chips (I know, I know) and popped the wire out on the other side, too! I went to get that fixed and the orthodontist offered to re-tie the upper and lower with new colors. My regular appointment is still scheduled for later this month, so this is Month 3 Part B:
I was really excited to get this bright green color. When I posted this, I saw that this was the same color I chose at my very first adjustment. I'd completely forgotten! Oh well, I'll get something else in a couple of weeks.
I'm still wearing the elastic pretty much all the time. I take it out to eat and brush my teeth. The orthodontist said he can tell I'm wearing it consistently. The canine on my left has almost moved to the correct location!
The stubborn bottom tooth is almost lined up! Maybe no need for a spring to create space.
Full Metal Braces at 35
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Here is a comparison of the day I got the braces on to this most recent appointment. This is almost 4 months of progress (I haven't had my 4th adjustment officially, so I'm calling this one 3b)
I see lots of movement! I'm still wearing the original wire on the bottom (.014) and I'm still in the top wire that I got at my first adjustment (.018). Hopefully I'll get "promoted" to new wires soon. According to the ortho, I'm a little behind schedule.
I see lots of movement! I'm still wearing the original wire on the bottom (.014) and I'm still in the top wire that I got at my first adjustment (.018). Hopefully I'll get "promoted" to new wires soon. According to the ortho, I'm a little behind schedule.
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
I would like to see the pics but need to post to prove not a spammer
Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Great progress!!! Very inspirational to see everyone's pics. I hope I can figure out how to do so.
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Thanks BlondeCam!
I had my official 4th monthly adjustment on Friday, so the braces have been on for nearly 5 months. For the first time since my second adjustment, something new happened!
The orthodontist changed the lower wire to an .018. Now both wires are .018. I'm still wearing the elastic 24/7. I went with a bronze color this month. It looked better in the box. On my teeth it's kind of a boring color.
The lower tooth that was stubbornly out of line shifted quite a bit since I had my colors changed a couple of weeks ago. It is now nearly in the arch. The orthodontist says I will not need a spring to create room!
Now, we're waiting for all of the teeth to finish lining up. Once the arches are straight, the orthodontist will move me to square wires to get final adjustments of the teeth.
At this point (nearly 5 months in), the braces are completely routine. I'm not conscious of feeling them with my lips or tongue. I can eat everything I normally would, bite blocks and all. As far as I can tell, I speak and smile normally with the braces. I do not routinely have any self-consciousness and everyone in my normal circle has seen my metal mouth by now, so there's nothing new to talk about with people. If you are just adjusting to your braces, hang in there!
I had my official 4th monthly adjustment on Friday, so the braces have been on for nearly 5 months. For the first time since my second adjustment, something new happened!
The orthodontist changed the lower wire to an .018. Now both wires are .018. I'm still wearing the elastic 24/7. I went with a bronze color this month. It looked better in the box. On my teeth it's kind of a boring color.
The lower tooth that was stubbornly out of line shifted quite a bit since I had my colors changed a couple of weeks ago. It is now nearly in the arch. The orthodontist says I will not need a spring to create room!
Now, we're waiting for all of the teeth to finish lining up. Once the arches are straight, the orthodontist will move me to square wires to get final adjustments of the teeth.
At this point (nearly 5 months in), the braces are completely routine. I'm not conscious of feeling them with my lips or tongue. I can eat everything I normally would, bite blocks and all. As far as I can tell, I speak and smile normally with the braces. I do not routinely have any self-consciousness and everyone in my normal circle has seen my metal mouth by now, so there's nothing new to talk about with people. If you are just adjusting to your braces, hang in there!
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Here's a comparison of each adjustment
And Day 1 to today
And Day 1 to today
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Great progress so far!
Upper arch braced (traditional metal) on 17/02/17
Debonded 17/01/18 with a fixed retainer
Estimated treatment time 18 months, actual time 11 months
Debonded 17/01/18 with a fixed retainer
Estimated treatment time 18 months, actual time 11 months
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Thanks, Atrixa!
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alicafinsch
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Same problem with mine. I got my braces when I was 25 years old and take it off after 5 years. My teeth got relapsed because I did not wear a retainer. Now, I am planning to get another brace at the age of 38.
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Go for it, alicafinsch!
And wear your retainers this time; I know I will
And wear your retainers this time; I know I will
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
More new wires this month! I'm 6 months in; this is my 5th monthly adjustment:
No more round wires on top! The ortho moved me to a 17 x .025 wire for the top teeth to begin correcting the torque of the teeth. The bottom wire is still the .018 I got last month. I really felt pressure from the new wire on top. Nothing that ibuprofen couldn't handle, but it was probably the most I've felt a wire since the braces were new.
The yellow ligature color was another one that looked really bright and vivid in the box at the orthodontist, but attached to my braces, it is definitely the least noticeable color I've had so far. If you're wearing metal braces and you want an unobtrusive ligature color, try the yellow. Strange, but true.
My bottom front teeth are making great progress, I think!
They feel so smooth to my tongue now.
Still wearing the elastic. My ortho is pleased with the progress my bite is making. I'm keeping the elastic in pretty much 24/7. The ortho says I'll be wearing it until the end of my treatment.
I think sometime in the last month, I've gotten to the point where the braces feel and look completely natural to me. I've been "used to them" since the first month, but I truly forget that they're there now. When people ask me about them, my brain takes a moment to think, "what braces?"
No more round wires on top! The ortho moved me to a 17 x .025 wire for the top teeth to begin correcting the torque of the teeth. The bottom wire is still the .018 I got last month. I really felt pressure from the new wire on top. Nothing that ibuprofen couldn't handle, but it was probably the most I've felt a wire since the braces were new.
The yellow ligature color was another one that looked really bright and vivid in the box at the orthodontist, but attached to my braces, it is definitely the least noticeable color I've had so far. If you're wearing metal braces and you want an unobtrusive ligature color, try the yellow. Strange, but true.
My bottom front teeth are making great progress, I think!
They feel so smooth to my tongue now.
Still wearing the elastic. My ortho is pleased with the progress my bite is making. I'm keeping the elastic in pretty much 24/7. The ortho says I'll be wearing it until the end of my treatment.
I think sometime in the last month, I've gotten to the point where the braces feel and look completely natural to me. I've been "used to them" since the first month, but I truly forget that they're there now. When people ask me about them, my brain takes a moment to think, "what braces?"
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
Wow! Time flies and I skipped a month with progress photos by mistake. This week marks my eighth month braced and seventh adjustment. Last month, there were no changes. I got cobalt ligatures and kept up with my rubber band.
Big news this week! No more elastic (for the time being). The ortho says my canine is roughly in the correct place, so I'm supposed to stop using elastics this month and see what happens. I got upgraded to new wires on top and bottom. 19x.025 on top and 17x.025 on the bottom. The top wire should be the last one I get. I was boring and went with silver ligatures this month:
My teeth seem to have straightened quite a bit. Even though I'm nearing the end of the wire sequence, there are still several more steps to complete over the next few months. The ortho plans to move my bottom teeth to their final wire either next month or the month after. On top, once the current wire has "expressed" its tooth movements, one of the brackets needs to be repositioned. The orthodontist mounted the bracket on one of the teeth upside down to help control the tipping of the tooth as it slid forward. Once that bracket is placed correctly, I'll need to wait for it to move that tooth. Elastics may return as needed, too.
The bottom teeth are finally lined up!
Big news this week! No more elastic (for the time being). The ortho says my canine is roughly in the correct place, so I'm supposed to stop using elastics this month and see what happens. I got upgraded to new wires on top and bottom. 19x.025 on top and 17x.025 on the bottom. The top wire should be the last one I get. I was boring and went with silver ligatures this month:
My teeth seem to have straightened quite a bit. Even though I'm nearing the end of the wire sequence, there are still several more steps to complete over the next few months. The ortho plans to move my bottom teeth to their final wire either next month or the month after. On top, once the current wire has "expressed" its tooth movements, one of the brackets needs to be repositioned. The orthodontist mounted the bracket on one of the teeth upside down to help control the tipping of the tooth as it slid forward. Once that bracket is placed correctly, I'll need to wait for it to move that tooth. Elastics may return as needed, too.
The bottom teeth are finally lined up!
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
I dug through my pictures and found some progress comparisons that made me really excited to see. Hopefully they'll provide some folks with motivation if anyone is feeling like not much is happening with their braces!
Here's a comparison almost exactly 8 months apart, from the day I got braced to today. For people suffering with bite blocks - both of these pictures are taken fully closed on my bite blocks. The bite blocks have worn down and my bite has shifted that much:
Elastics really do work! I couldn't find any direct comparisons from when I first started wearing elastics, but here's a comparison from 3 months into braces until today, so basically five months of elastic work on the canine. The elastics had already been in place for 2 months in the initial pic:
Here's a comparison almost exactly 8 months apart, from the day I got braced to today. For people suffering with bite blocks - both of these pictures are taken fully closed on my bite blocks. The bite blocks have worn down and my bite has shifted that much:
Elastics really do work! I couldn't find any direct comparisons from when I first started wearing elastics, but here's a comparison from 3 months into braces until today, so basically five months of elastic work on the canine. The elastics had already been in place for 2 months in the initial pic:
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
looking good!
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r1r1r12000
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Re: Full Metal Braces at 35
No major changes happened at my last adjustment, so updating this page slipped my mind...
This is 9 months into treatment. The gray ligs were boring last month, so I went with red and blue for the 4th of July (I'm in the US). This adjustment happened in late June. I'll have my 10th monthly adjustment in a few days.
Still in 19x.25 wires on top and 17x.25 on the bottom. According to my ortho, the next adjustment is also likely to be just a color change as we continue to wait for the wires to fully "express" themselves before anything changes.
Here's the left side after a month with no elastic. Still pretty well lined up, though there seems to be a gap that still has to close.
The right side is looking good:
This is 9 months into treatment. The gray ligs were boring last month, so I went with red and blue for the 4th of July (I'm in the US). This adjustment happened in late June. I'll have my 10th monthly adjustment in a few days.
Still in 19x.25 wires on top and 17x.25 on the bottom. According to my ortho, the next adjustment is also likely to be just a color change as we continue to wait for the wires to fully "express" themselves before anything changes.
Here's the left side after a month with no elastic. Still pretty well lined up, though there seems to be a gap that still has to close.
The right side is looking good:
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