Underbite & crossbite correct w/Damon, IPR, Acceledent etc

[newbite]

8 months! Just finished up my 8th adjustment. I'm in the max size rectangular wires and still have tiebacks on top and bottom but JOYFULLY do not have any powerchains! AND, amazingly, they told me not to wear elastics AT ALL this month. Wah!! I'm excited to see if my jaw maintains position or relapses forward.

They repositioned two brackets, hopefully that stupid top tooth that's sticking out will get into a less ugly position.

I will post new pictures eventually! It's so true that after awhile braces become routine and you just want them off haha. I don't care about pictures anymore because all of the major movement is done, my underbite is gone, my crossbite is basically gone, and, honestly, my gum recession and worn front teeth makes me not want to look at my teeth too closely.

Speaking of gum recession, I'm getting a second opinion on May 7. I didn't like how the first perio didn't do a thorough exam (no measurements). This second perio also seems more open about the details of how they specifically do their gum grafts. I suspect they are going to be more expensive, but I just want a good experience and to feel confident I've had a thorough assessment and appropriate after care.

The last month was probably the worst month I've had with braces. My bite was off the entire month, my jaw hurt from struggling against the rubber bands, my molars hurt from hitting each other when I wore the bands (which pulled my jaw too far back) and my front teeth hurt from hitting each other when I didn't. The past week it started to settle down (wearing the bands only during the day helped eventually) so that now my bite feels ok again.

The plan is to get a finishing wire next time on the bottom at least, and then gum surgery sometime this summer! I also have to start being better about using the Acceledent, the past two weeks I've been pretty bad.

If I can get these thing off before Christmas (September??) that would be so amazing. I am DONE with all things tooth related!

[TheProfessor]

I know what you mean about wanting to be done! I'm having on of those "I look ridiculous in braces" days today!!! Let's remember to keep our eyes on the prize

[newbite]

I'm sure you don't look ridiculous, Professor!

I'm surviving the month so far without my elastics. My jaw wants to push forward, however, but it's not too bad. Worse when I'm sleeping on my side, and much worse when I'm exhausted. Which of course I am all the time now with the end of the semester. I was excited to read in another thread that one person's ortho had them leave off their elastics when they were close to the end of treatment so their teeth would "settle". I'm probably still pretty far from debanding but it was good to read that, nevertheless!

I finally took more pictures! I'm missing February and March, mostly because I was busy but also because there wasn't a whole heck of a lot of movement. I continue to have mixed feelings about my teeth (and gums...) but all I have to do is look at these pictures to remind myself it used to be SO MUCH WORSE! Well, for my teeth, at least. My gum recession was hidden because my teeth were so crooked. But, anyway. I'm seeing the perio Thursday so that's good.

I have a normal bite now!

April January november october august together.jpg

My front teeth reaaallly didn't want to straighten, but finally they did. Now the lateral incisors need to get fixed, especially the left one!

april january november october august top.jpg

If this is as good as my bottom teeth get, I'm ok with that!

April January november october august bottom.jpg

Side pictures in next post...

[newbite]

Side pictures...

The top shows my "good" left side, where my teeth fit really well. But you can see that stupid lateral incisor sticking out like an idiot. Get in line, jerk!

The bottom shows my right side where the teeth don't fit as well, but it's gotten better since last month. Check out that gum recession on that lateral incisor. Trouble makers, those incisors! I would love to have that grafted, too, just so I wouldn't have to look at it anymore. It's funny because it's less noticeable from the front, I didn't realize it was so noticeable from the side now. Well, I'll see what the perio says. I'm sure the bottoms are more urgent, but this would just be a little graft... couldn't hurt to add it in with the bottoms, eh?...

left and right.jpg

Ready to have these off and gum surgery(ies) (and bonding, but that won't be bad) behind me!!!!!

[TheProfessor]

Wow!!! Your teeth are so straight!!!! It looks like you will be done soon if that last wayward tooth gets a move on!

I'm also exhausted from the semester, but I turned in my grades today!!! The last couple of weeks of the semester are always tough, but it is so nice when it is over!!!!

Good luck with your perio appointment, I hope this one is more thorough than the last!

[newbite]

Yay getting your grades in is the hardest part! I just got mine in last night and guess what-- a student emailed me just now asking for a better grade... At first I thought he was another student (who might actually merit a slightly better grade) and I was feeling very conflicted, but then I re-read the name and it was a different student who definitely got the grade he deserved (a better grade than he deserved, really). So, I'm glad that I will have no problem telling him NO! I should have known it wasn't the student I thought it was-- he would NEVER have contacted me asking for a better grade. Oh well. Here's to finishing the semester in one piece!

[newbite]

I've put off writing about my 2nd perio consultation because it was a bit disappointing and confusing. The exam itself was great, exactly what I was expecting from the FIRST perio. The dr. poked, prodded and called out tons of numbers. They also took photos and some intensely focused xrays of my bottom front teeth. He said the recession on my top teeth was just cosmetic (woohoo!) but that all 8 of my bottom front teeth need grafts (the other perio was only going to do 6).

The problem came in when discussing treatment. This perio did NOT feel the urgency to treat that the first did. Once I told him I preferred to use my palate tissue he said he would prefer to wait until my braces were off. And he didn't want to do all 8 at once, which would mean a much longer treatment/recovery time for me.

I think he assumed I would be ok with cadaver tissue so he started off a little strong saying my recession is 90 something % likely to get worse. Then he backed off after talking with me and hearing me say I want my own tissue and I want it all done at once, and said he has a number of patients whose entire mouths look like my bottom teeth and he just has them come in once a year for measurements and has been amazed at how stable they are. He said as long as I keep my mouth clean and don't damage my gums the recession could be stable for years.

So, that didn't help. I was ready to schedule surgery for when I had time this July, but now I don't know what to do. I don't want to wait until next summer after I graduate because I have no idea what we'll be doing or if we'll have any money. I don't want to use cadaver tissue because I read that it loses thickness compared to palate tissue (which would be pointless for me, then-- a huge waste of money and pain).

I keep looking at my gums and they still look the same. They're still uncomfortable at times. I don't know how this microscopically thin, delicate tissue is still hanging on. And if it drops then the bone will recede even more making a future graft even less successful.

I'm considering seeing if he'd do 4 teeth early July (with my palate tissue) and then the other 4 as soon as possible after. The problem is I only have until mid-August then I have to be back in school and teaching and defending my thesis. Not interested in dealing with gum surgery problems then, too.

Don't know what to do...

[newbite]

My ortho office is great! I called this morning asking if they could make some kind of a stent to cover my palate while I have braces on and they said they could! That means I can have all 8 teeth grafted at once, using my own tissue (yay!...... Hahha well it has to be done). I'm still working out the date but it will be in July. It's going to suck because I'm going to have to go to my ortho super early that morning to have my bottom wire out, then drive 45 min to the perio (my husband will drive, fortunately!), have the surgery, drive 45 BACK to ortho to have the wire put back in, and then drive ~2hr home (if I didn't have to go back to the ortho the perio is only ~1hr from home). Ahh!

But, whatever, thankfully I don't have to drive. I'm planning to take the halcion (it's going to be a looong surgery) AND nitrous (hehe). I figure if the halcion starts to wear off they can always give me more nitrous during surgery. They're doing the free gingival graft so it might not be as long of a surgery as for a connective tissue graft. They're scheduling me for only 2hr (for 8 teeth!) and I've read about 4 teeth taking that long for connective tissue graft. I was expecting to have a connective tissue graft but he said the other kind is a better choice. I hope he's not just saying that because it's easier for him to do.

I hope I'm not making a mistake doing 8 teeth at once. I don't know what else to do, though. this seems the least risky and ultimately the least painful (vs multiple surgeries in the same area).

...

[newbite]

I had my 9th adjustment Wednesday and have had my braces 9 months. Guess what-- they gave me finishing wires on top and bottom! I'm also back on elastics, but light ones-- rabbit during day and fox at night. Still have tiebacks.

My teeth hurt, mostly the bottom front, but no more than normal after an adjustment and definitely not as much as the first rectangular wire.

I'm having one more adjustment mid-June and then am not having one again until the end of August because of the gum surgery. It's highly doubtful I'll have these off in September, hopefully before December.

It seems like they're a bit like "meh" with me at the office-- that this is as good as we're going to get with my bone structure and gum loss. My bite is ok, a little tight in the front (in terms of lack of overjet) but I don't wake up with tooth or jaw pain anymore, just a feeling that I've been clenching (stiffness, but more balanced than it used to be). The cosmetic problems are annoying but it is what it is and it doesn't look bad with a normal smile, just when I bare all my teeth. So, as long as I avoid sneering and snarling I should be ok.

[newbite]

10 months and 10th adjustment! This will be my last adjustment until the end of August, because of my gum surgery mid-July. This is the first time they've put bends in the finishing wires and OH MY GOD it's amazing! As soon as she put the top wire back in my bite was immediately better, now it feels like ALL of my back teeth touch! And very substantially, too, not just bits and pieces of them. I didn't even realize how unsatisfactory it was before. She also put bends around some teeth on the bottom to fix the angle of the root and edges.

The bends are SO subtle you can barely see them. I thought they would be actual kinks. She did say they would have to make them stronger as time goes on. Especially on the top since otherwise she'd be afraid of breaking the plastic brackets.

The ortho said he could bond my front teeth today (!!) and I was so surprised I said no, that I wanted to wait. I thought I'd have to wait until my braces were off. Maybe I'll have it done in September. It would be SO NICE to have actual nice looking teeth when the braces come off instead of "well, you can get that fixed..." I'm seeing a new dentist right before my surgery so I'll ask him about it. It's a "cosmetic" dental practice (vs "family" I guess?) and they do all kinds of procedures.

Waiting for the pain to start (I can feel it coming on the bottom!). Well, maybe it will encourage me to use my Acceledent more, I've been so terrible about it the past month.

[TheProfessor]

Hi Newbite,
I also had an adjustment today! I'm glad to hear that things are going well for you and that you will get your gums taken care of soon! I hope your procedure isn't too painful- it doesn't sound very fun. Do you know how long will it take for your gums and palate take to heal?

I hope you are having a great summer!
Prof

[newbite]

Hi Prof! Since they're doing 8 teeth I don't know if that will affect my healing time (well, definitely will be harder on my palate), but 3 weeks after surgery is when I go for my check up and stitches removal. I think I need to have a no-chew diet during the whole 3weeks and can't brush for at least a week (probably more) and can't floss until god knows when. I've been worried about it for so long I'm just ready to have it over with.

Post adjustment Pain level update: everything hurts! Yep, everything. I'm taking it as a good sign that what needs to be moving is moving. Hope it settles down soon!

[newbite]

My gum graft is coming up very soon-- Tuesday! I had my last dental cleaning yesterday. I wanted to have it done as close to the surgery as possible to help stave off problems when I can't brush and floss after surgery. I went to a new dentist which was a pain to get to but was really great exam & cleaning! They actually did a mini perio exam, which I've never had a dentist do before, and used an ultrasonic cleaner on my teeth which was pretty cool and worked really well around the braces. I'll definitely be going back to them (as soon as I get the ok from my perio, which could be months waaaahhhhh).

The dentist was concerned about my overjet. I think it's AMAZING that I even have an overjet. Still too amazed to be concerned about it-- in my mind the underbite & zero overjet was functionally much worse! I'm sure after the surgery when they get the ok they'll start retracting the overjet.

I picked up my surgery meds from the pharmacy today. Yikes! Halcion, Tylenol + codeine, antibiotics, and rinse.

Have I mentioned I just want it to be over with? I know it's going to hurt A LOT and be hard during recovery, but I'm ready to just get started. The dentist was really surprised I'm having the "old fashioned" free gingival graft and not the connective tissue graft. He made me feel better, though, by saying it does work really well (it's just a hard recovery). Since I also talked to him about wanting a gold crown (for my problem molar, once the braces are off) he said "well at least I went to school in the 70's so I know about these things!" Haha. Hey, old school sometimes is best!

[ugh]

Good luck with your gum graft!

[TheProfessor]

Hey newbite,
That's funny about your old school dental wishes, at least you didn't request old fashioned braces with bands around all of your teeth

Good luck next week! I hope everything goes well on Tuesday and you recover quickly! Keep us posted on how you are doing!

Cheers,
Prof