chichi is braced!

[ty24]

Sorry to hear about that! My brace day is tommorrow, along with a power chain, so just think about how you don't have as bad as I will for a while! hope you get to feeling better!

[chichi]

I'll have to post pictures later, but I had my 8th adjustment last Thursday. The ortho did a little more IPR between the top front teeth because there was still a very small black triangle. It looks like it should be gone now. I got fresh powerchains that now fully span both arches. I'm in a new stainless steel wire on bottom... I can't believe how shiny this thing is. I've read about it in some of your stories, but WOW, this thing is super shiny! My uppers are still in the 0.019x0.025 TMA wire and we'll be repositioning upper brackets again at my next appointment. I also complained about biting my lip and the assistant looked at me like I had 3 heads and told me that was weird. I showed her that my upper front teeth were actually hitting the bottom brackets and she just said, "oh yeah, but they're just barely touching, so it still looks ok." Then the ortho came over and I told him about it, so he added more bonding to the molar buildup I still had. I expressed some concern that my bite was possibly getting too deep because I was hitting the brackets, but he said he'll be doing more repositioning next time, which should take care of these things. It felt super awkward to only have the buildup on one side, but I'm already used to it again and I'm not biting my lip anymore, so I can't complain. It's amazing how quickly we adjust to these things once we've been in braces for a while. I remember the molar buildups being such a pain when I first got my braces on, but now it was just like any other adjustment.

Anyway, I hope all you other bracefaces are doing well! Happy summer! (or winter to you southern hemispherians)

[parsleysage]

Woot for no longer biting your lip! I'm definitely looking forward to some updated pictures I'm glad the adjustment went well!

[SpottedPickle]

Awesome that you are no longer eating your lip! I am glad things overall went well

[chichi]

1 YEAR!!!

And yes, I know, I still owe you guys pictures...

[Anna5]

Congratulations with your brace anniversary!!!
I am looking forward to seeing your pictures! You must have made great progress, I am sure.....

[mapleleafman888]

Awesome stuff!

[parsleysage]

*chants while holding a picket sign*

PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES!

Just kidding. Put them up whenever you have the chance. CONGRATS on your 1-yr anniversary! Seems weird to think I won't even be halfway when I hit my 1-yr! Geez. Anyway, you've made awesome progress and hope things continue to align beautifully!

[chichi]

9th adjustment was another repositioning appointment. Ortho repositioned my top right central and top left lateral, and It looks like my lower arch is basically done. He told me we're just around the corner now, so that's exciting. I still don't ask exactly when I'll be finished because it'll happen when it happens... my ortho and I want perfection.

Back in 0.018 x 0.025 Copper NiTi on top and kept the same 0.016 x 0.025 SS on bottom. Still have to wear my triangle elastics on both sides (top canine to bottom canine and 1st premolar).

[AlexO890]

Your teeth are looking really straight! How much longer do you have to go?

[chichi]

Your teeth are looking really straight! How much longer do you have to go?

Thanks! I'm not sure how much longer. I was given an estimate of 18 months, which would be December, so I'm still assuming something on that timeline.

[AlexO890]

You'll have your braces off as a Christmas gift! So do you like the way the ceramic braces look?

[chichi]

You'll have your braces off as a Christmas gift! So do you like the way the ceramic braces look?

I think they look pretty good (as good as braces can look, anyway) and I'm glad I got them. When I first got braces, people were asking if I just had braces on the bottom, so I guess the ceramics did what they were supposed to do. I would have gotten them on the bottom too, but that would have pushed the cost to a little over $6,000 and I couldn't justify it. Somehow staying under that mark made me feel better about spending that kind of money

The ceramics also weren't supposed to add time to my treatment, as some orthos will tell you. My estimate was 18 months, regardless of bracket type. My top teeth had more moving to do than my bottom teeth and I'm still on track, despite losing something like 1.5 months because of rescheduled appointments (another story for another day), so I don't believe it has slowed down my progress.

[SpottedPickle]

Your teeth are looking great. I hope that you stay on track with the timeline, those things are stinkers

[chichi]

Your teeth are looking great. I hope that you stay on track with the timeline, those things are stinkers

Thanks! I hope I stay on track too