Kim's 'Finally Braced' Story- NEW UPDATE 11/14 W/ PICS

[finallybraced]

Kim,

Your teeth are looking so much better than the first Pics you posted. Be encouraged!! It's a big difference, your braces are working.

I just got a power chain on my lower yesterday, today has been rough, but no pain-no gain. If I'm feeling pressure, I know my braces are working. Hope your pain gets better.

Finally Braced

[RainyDay2]

Wow Kim...your teeth look awesome! You've had so much movement. I can't wait to move up in wires! I have some extraction gaps that need to be CLOSED ASAP! I'm so sick of them! I have an adjustment on Monday. Can't wait he's been promising a new wire for the past 3 adjustments!!!

[KJNELLAMORE]

I've developed a considerable gap between my left upper lateral and my upper left central incisor.. it's kind of worrying me. I am not sure if I can get in for an appt. this week, but I am going to try so that I can see if they want to put a powerchain on or something.

[-Michael-]

Your teeth look great! And believe me when I say your not talking to yourself. Only I do that...haha

Keep the updates coming. Fascinating read and great to hear about your progress!

-Michael-

[KJNELLAMORE]

Here are some updated pictures. You can see the large new space. Honestly, I think my teeth look... worse . I am going to make an appt. tomorrow, because I kind of want to get the 'show on the road', so to speak.. and I have had this space for over 2 weeks and it's really an eyesore, so I am going to try to pop in and see if he can do something there. I am not sure if the space was intended or not. The molor right behind it has a tie wire.. so maybe he was trying to accomplish something? I'm not really sure

[SimInsomniac]

Remember Kim, sometimes with braces things will look worse before they get better. It's all part of the progress. So don't be disheartened by the gap.
Your teeth look great and the expander is doing an awesome job so far.

Good luck and lots of progress to you!
Sim

[lemonlyme]

Kim-
I have an expander also..but i got gaps atleast twice that size in between every single one of my front teeth. I HATED it! He said it needed to happen cus i had so much expansion. I now have powerchains and they're all closed up and my teeth look amazing. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same for you.

[jenfire]

Your teeth are looking really great, Kim! I also had an annoying gap but it was on my lowers--I had a spring then the lateral moved forward but once it came forward there was a gap for a few weeks. It closed naturally, without powerchains.

Good luck on your future progress! I think that gap will be closed before you know it!

jenfire

[KJNELLAMORE]

Here's a quick update. I went in today to have my ortho check out one of the bands on my RPE that seemed like my gums were growing 'over it'. Apparently it's common for appliances to cause inflammation, which is what it was. He said he's seen worse though.

The good thing is that he bumped up my RPE removal date, which is now in 6 weeks! (my next adjustment, which was supposed to be in 2 weeks, but they did it today) I will get brackets on those teeth then. I am very excited to have MY mouth back!

I asked him to close up that annoying gap, and so now I have a 3 to 3 powerchain across the front. That gap was closed in seconds! I had my ligs changed on bottom, and that was it. My bite is really weird right now, but hopefully it will settle in.

[chillin-in-grilz]

Wow awesome journey!!!

[samantha_lou]

Looking good Kim, and thats great to hear about your RPE removal in just six weeks! You must be so excited!

[KJNELLAMORE]

Hey all. I haven't updated in a month because, for the most part- nothing has really changed, and in all honesty, I am reallyyy sick of having all of this metal in my mouth. I can't help but feel like my teeth looked better a few months ago.. but I know, I know.. things get worse before they get better. I just feel like something is 'off'.. I can't pinpoint it though. It 'looks' like the brackets on my front teeth are placed to close to the bottom, maybe? I am not really sure. But, from dead-on, the wire seems to go like this: \__/ (not as extreme of course, but maybe you get what I mean)... rather than like this: ____ . Like, it 'bows down'. I don't know if that makes any sense.

I know that most of the 'dramatic' changes (teeth shifting into line, etc.) is over.. and now for the most part, it's 'bite' changes that need to take place, and those are less noticeable for the most part. I can't wait to get some elastics and get this show on the road to being FINISHED!

I have an appt. at the end of this month to have my RPE removed (thank god), and I am hoping for big things to happen (elastics, teeth shaving, etc). I am really hoping that he thinks that I could be done by the end of this year.

Here are some before pictures so you don't have to go back:

[KJNELLAMORE]

Well, I don't think that I will make it to my appointment next week. I have had this 'pain' on my upper left, right where my right front RPE bracket is. It's where I had shown him that it looked like the bracket was 'under' my gums, and they said it was just inflammation. Well, it's red/irritated/bleeds now.. and I can't even chew on that side or let my toothbrush anywhere near it. No idea what's going on, but I really want this thing out of my mouth! I am going to see if I can get in on Tuesday this week instead of next.

Oh, and my powerchain is now a wonderfully disgusting 'yellow'.. I believe it's from the Mexican that I had yesterday. Blech.



Oh, and here is a better picture of my upper arch than the one that I posted the other day. Can't wait to get my molars tipped back to their 'normal' position now, since they've tipped. I just can't believe my upper arch even looks like this, especially this soon.

[BracesRacer]

Looks great! And thanks to the slightly yellow powerchain at least I know what the h*ll a powerchain is now, lol... My clear elastics went kinda yellow after some mustard but in a week or so went back to clear

[KJNELLAMORE]

Well, it's OUT!!

The roof of my mouth feels reallyyyy funny. For those of you who have had broken bones, it feels like your skin feels when you have a cast removed. Reallyyy weird. It hurt soooo much when she removed it, but I can finally talk normally! WOO HOO!!!!

I had brackets put on the teeth where the bands were (so all of my teeth are braced now except the last on each side on top and bottom).. so my teeth are pretty sore.. but I can handle that. I had my ligs changed on top and bottom, a new wire put in on top (not sure if it's a different size), and the powerchain removed. My ortho said that my teeth have changed incredibly in such a short period of time. I was planning to ask him when he thought I'd be finished, but I didn't. I will definitely ask at my next appt. though (in 6 weeks).