The Journey of Grace's Braces

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#1 Post by **kaleeky** » Tue May 20, 2008 9:04 pm

The spacers are in!!! Oh, boy!

I got three spacers in yesterday. My ortho's assistant started out with the first one on the right side upper, and she said my contacts were so tight -- the tightest she's ever experienced -- she decided to start on the other side. So she successfully got two in on the left side and tried the right side again. She managed to get the third one in, but she couldn't pull it out into the donut shape because my contacts were just too tight; it was just wedged in between my teeth like a little ball. So she told me to come in this morning and she'd pull out the ball and try again -- hopefully it would loosen up.

My first day in the spacers went fine except for the fact that I couldn't really floss my upper arch -- tore about 10 feet of floss -- drove me crazy. It was just a bit annoying, but I thought to myself, "Oh, I think I can handle this for a few days," since I'm getting braced on Thursday.

I woke up this morning and started to get ready to go back to my ortho's office for that last spacer. I tried to floss behind that tooth that had the little spacer ball in front of it. Oh, man!! Did that knock me back!! I just about panicked! I felt like I needed a root canal! It was actually painful to the touch. The problem is I already had a root canal in that tooth, and it has a permanent crown. So I'm wondering now if that's the type of tooth movement pain I should expect to go through. The assistant pulled out the ball and managed to get another one in and pull it through donut like and then get another one behind that (yea! my teeth are moving!)

I'm going in Thursday morning for my upper arch. It looks like they're going to band three molars, and I'm getting Damon 3 clear on the six eye teeth and then silver brackets for the back teeth.

I'm sooooo excited!!!

So my journey begins!

I'll keep everyone posted, and hopefully it won't take me too long to learn how to post pics.

#2 Post by **jenny101101** » Wed May 21, 2008 7:44 am

Hi Grace,

Welcome to AW!

Congrats on deciding to get braced!

Ouch! I cringed reading about your spacer experience and, even though I didn't need spacers, I've read they're worse then braces so hang in there. I have Damon's, too, but the front six are half metal/half clear. Will yours be all clear?

Good luck tomorrow!

#3 Post by **callmeswtmisery** » Wed May 21, 2008 9:24 am

Keleeky,

Jenny is right spacers are the worst! I just got mines removed on 5-15-08. Believe me Keleeky the pain will only last for about 3-4 days!! After that you will be doing and eating with no problems!!!!!

#4 Post by **kaleeky** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:49 pm

Oh gosh!! No kidding about the eating! I just tried eating a salad. Big mistake! My mouth feels better now that I'm not torturing it with food, but while I was trying to eat, I was just in agony. I love the meals my husband makes, so it's really tough for me to tell him I can't eat it. I was chewing very slowly, but it got tougher with each forkful. I started to pick out the smaller pieces and just swallow them. He finally took it away from me and made me some mashed squash with rice and scallops, good soft food.

So -- mental note -- salads are too hard for spacered teeth.

Jenny, I think I'm getting the partial clear/partial metal Damons, like you (if I remember right). Do you like them? How do they feel? I know mine get installed tomorrow, but I'm still debating whether I should do the partial clear on the top six or go metal all the way. I guess we'll find out what I decide tomorrow.

Thanks, Jenny and callmeswtmisery, for your encouragement.

#5 Post by **kaleeky** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:27 pm

Okay. I just spent the last 15 minutes trying to post my pics, but I can't seem to figure it out.

Can someone please explain (in dummy detail) what I need to do? I'm using the Photobucket site to host my pics, and I want them showing up in the post as opposed to a link to the Web site.

Thanks!!

#6 Post by **Sweet L** » Wed May 21, 2008 7:45 pm

Hi kaleeky!!

I use Photobucket, for posting my pics...

After you upload a pic... It shows a list like this

Email & IM ________
Direct Link _________
HTML Code ________
IMG Code ________

You have to choose the last one: IMG Code and click in the little box
"[ IMG ]http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m229 ... mera17.gif [ /IMG ]"

All you have to do is to copy and paste that text in your post and thats all...

... I you did it right, instead of showing the img code as a text line, will show your pic

Good luck!

#7 Post by **kaleeky** » Wed May 21, 2008 8:11 pm

Thanks, Sweet L! Here goes!

My upper arch "before" pic.

My upper arch front view "before" pic.

Wish me luck!! Brace Day for me is tomorrow!

#8 Post by **Sweet L** » Wed May 21, 2008 8:21 pm

Glad to see that you could post your pics!!

Good luck for your B-DAY!!!

Your before pics look really good....you have nice teeth ...

Don't forget to post after b-day...

Take care

#9 Post by **kaleeky** » Wed May 21, 2008 8:37 pm

Thanks, Sweet L!

In addition to the two crooked front teeth and the one premolar, my teeth are super, super, super tight, and I have an overjet and a slight overbite to correct. I've been impatiently waiting three weeks for my Brace Day after 10 years to finally decide to do it. My ortho estimated 18 to 24 mos for treatment. Oh, I can't wait!!!! I'm going to be one happy camper!

#10 Post by **jenny101101** » Thu May 22, 2008 4:49 am

HAPPY BRACEDAY, GRACE!!

Yes, I do like my Damon's(of course, I have no other type of bracket to compare with). I barely even know they're there most of the time now. At first, they feel quite large but I think that's normal with any kind. Can't wait to see pics!!

#11 Post by **kaleeky** » Thu May 22, 2008 2:34 pm

I GOT BRACED!!

They're on, and here's my first pics.

Yay! Day 1!

The install didn't go too bad. My ortho was a little worried when I came in today because my teeth were so tight on Monday; he said we'll try to get the bands in, but if there's still not enough room, then we're going to put "fat boys" in (thicker spacers). Oh, thank goodness there was enough room!! I'm glad to see the spacers go.

So my first feeling is: I don't like them. They feel huge!! I also can't seem to keep my mouth closed.

My husband says he's already used to them.

So the countdown begins!

BTW, this is my 40th birthday present to myself. My goal is to have nice straight teeth by the time I turn 40; I'll be 38 in October.

#12 Post by **jenny101101** » Thu May 22, 2008 5:18 pm

Very nice, Grace!

That's a great present to give yourself, too! Here's to hoping you don't have too much discomfort in the next few days.

#13 Post by **kaleeky** » Thu May 22, 2008 11:28 pm

My first day in braces went okay. I really started feeling the soreness a couple hours after I left my ortho's office. There were two teeth, in particular, that kept my attention all day, but now I feel a general soreness in my whole upper arch. Hopefully tomorrow goes better.

I've been staring at my braces all day. They're growing on me. It's funny; I walked out of my ortho's office thinking, "I don't like them; what am I going to do?" But when my husband said he was already used to them, I took a different position and started looking at them in a different light. Yes, they still feel huge, but I know that will change in time. I'm really packing on the wax, too, to keep my mouth intact.

I guess there's going to come a time, too, when I won't have to pull my lip over to cover them up? It's a little awkward.

Again, thanks everyone for visiting!
Take care, Grace

#14 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Thu May 22, 2008 11:33 pm

Indeed, there will come a time when your lips will glide over them like the smooth ivories they felt like before. Until then, you should keep up with the hydration and lip balm. Glad you got over the "What have I done" phase so quickly with the support of your loving other half.

#15 Post by **callmeswtmisery** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:12 am

Hey kaleeky,

How are you adjusting to your new look?