Antsika's lingual story with pics

Message

#1 Post by **antsika** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 2:47 pm

Hi there,
I have already sent some replies but now I have decided to start my own braces story. I must tell that this site has been so helpful to me like nothing else!
So I am a 33 years old girl living in Hungary. Due to an accident when I was 4 my first right teeth have moved out from its way for 7 mm, and due to my impacted wisdom teeth which started to erupt when I was 30 all my teeth are very crowded. As I grew up like this I got used to what I see in the mirror but I have always been thinking about getting braces. But I was so vain I couldn't imagine a brace on my teeth which is out enough. This winter my dentist told me that my wisdoms should be extracted so I visited an oral surgeon who asked me if I wanted braces and offered me an ortho. Things have speeded up since then.
As I have a very small mouth and very narrow row of teeth the ortho said that all my wisdoms have to be extracted plus 3 other teeth in order to give space for the first tooth to come back in the row. And she said that I can have linguals! It wont't be easy for me and to her but we can try.

Than I have surfed the net, read about expanders and SARPE and I also got a second and a third opinion as well. Finally I have chosen the first ortho and the extractions because I think the other possibilities are going with too much pain and I was afraid if they would change my profile more. I don't need a wide row of teeth in my small mouth

So a month ago I had my 2 left wisdoms removed, after 2 weeks the right two, than some fillings and cleaning by my dentist. And finally yesterday I have been braced!
Now my first day have passed in braces. It is a bit better than I thought from the pain point of view but I wonder if I will be able to speak again normally

Today I have tried to speak a lot, but now my tongue hurts so I give it a rest for now and some salt water rinse.

Next tuesday I will have 3 of my 4 bicuspids extracted and then hopefully I will start to see the changes

I place here the starting pictures:

I plan to update this topic regularly so I can follow my progress (hopefully)

#2 Post by **lionfish** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:23 pm

Hello again, antsika. It sounds like you're doing really well so far and you have a very positive attitude. I look forward to hearing more.

#3 Post by **jenfire** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 11:08 am

Best wishes on your treatment. Does it take long to recover from having the wisdom teeth removed?

#4 Post by **antsika** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:08 am

Hi lionfish, KK, jenfire and linda21,

Thank you very much for your kind words, they mean a lot to me!

Jenfire, for me it took about 2 weeks to recover from the wisdom teeth extractions. Probably it is different for everybody, my too sides were different as well. The left side was ok after a week but I was very careful not to eat on that side and not to touch it with the toothbrush, and after 2 weeks it was totally healed. The right side is healing a little bit more slowly. The pain have disappeared after 3-4 days.
The holes are still there, as I know they will disappear in a few months.

Today I think I can speak a little-little bit better

I still use a lot of wax, could someone maybe tell me how long does it take for my mouth and tongue to adopt to the braces so I can get rid of the wax?

#5 Post by **lionfish** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:50 am

It took 2 weeks for my tongue to adapt, antsika.

#6 Post by **antsika** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:34 pm

Thank you lionfish, I try to be patient then.

You have written something about a roadblock in your journey, how it is going?

#7 Post by **lionfish** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:25 pm

Until I get my lower right wisdom tooth pulled, things have stopped. Two weeks today and by this time, it will be gone. Two weeks after that I go in for another adjustment......and this time around, I may get the dreaded elastics. Unless something else happens between now and then that my ortho hadn't factored in!

#8 Post by **antsika** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:12 am

I hope nothing else will happen and everything goes like it is planned for you lionfish!

Today I had my bicuspids removed, only two of them (it was enough though), the third will come tomorrow and with that I will finish the extractions (hopefully forever).

#9 Post by **sjsarre** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:18 am

Hi Antsika

Congrats on starting your brace journey...

#10 Post by **antsika** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:25 am

Hi sjsarre!

Thank you very much!

#11 Post by **lionfish** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 3:36 pm

Thanks, antsika.

Fingers crossed that your last extraction goes well.

#12 Post by **antsika** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:01 am

Well, the extractions themselves went quite well I think, but since then I have some hard times...
Tuesday evening after the 2 left bicuspids extractions I didn't feel very well, I was very week and shaking.
On Wednesdey I had my last extraction, my ortho said maybe I didn't feel well yesterday because of the shots she gave me. The place of this tooth was bleeding a lot in the afternoon.
On Friday I went back to my ortho in order to fix me some fake teeth so I don't have holes in my mouth. It took 2 hours and with some pain and bleeding from the extraction sites. So in the afternoon all my mouth was so sore and in pain, especially the space of the lower left bicuspid, which became worse for the evening, I almost couldn't sleep.
Now it is Saturday, I woke up with strong pain again in the space of the left lower bicuspid, took some medicine and decided to go to an emergency doctor, but I am so afraid of strange dentists that I didn't go yet, and the pain is a bit better now.

I am wondering if I have a dry socket, which I was able to avoid with my wisdoms, but I was afraid of it very much. Or this week was so full with things happening in my mouth that I just have to give it a rest??

If someone could help me finding out if I have a dry socket, please let me know. Thank you in advance.

#13 Post by **antsika** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:16 pm

Thank you KK for being there and for the advice!
Saturday afternoon I have sent an SMS to my ortho (she did the extractions), she called me back and told me to meet in her office in an hour. She cleaned the site of the extraction and gave me medicines and in the evening it was already much better.

So today was my first working day in brackets

Nobody realised it, although I am still lisping a lot. I told to my closest collegues that I have braces, and they said my lisp is not as bad as I thought

My next appointment with my ortho is next Friday, before she goes to holiday, hopefully no emergencies in the meantime

I think I will take pictures at that time, it will be 3 weeks then, I am looking forward to some changes...

#14 Post by **antsika** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:10 pm

Hi there!! I wasn't around for a few weeks, but I am back!
The last few weeks were quite quiet from braces point of view but were much more busy in working and having fun and parties in the summer

After my difficulties at the beginning, after 3 weeks I didn't need any more wax, only a little if I speak too much... I can eat much better, and my speach has also improved a lot! I think I still lisp a bit but my friends say it is not noticable for someone who doesn't know about my braces.

My ortho is on holiday for 4 weeks and she told me to be very careful as she is not around to fix things in my mouth (she has a private office). So I eat very carefully, only soft food and everything is ok so far

And I have lost 6 kgs, which is great!

My next appointment is on the 21st of August.
It is more than 5 weeks now that I have my braces and I can see progress already, which is very exciting!! Also 2 of my collegues who know about my braces (I have linguals) have told me that they can see progress

So things are great, I really love my linguals, and I hope we have a couple of nice weeks still to come in summer to have nice garden parties and fun!!

I hope you all doing fine!

#15 Post by **lionfish** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:30 pm

Hi Antsika,

It's great that you're seeing such good progress and have adjusted well to your braces. I'm sure with your soft food diet, you won't get into trouble while your ortho is away. Knowing that they're in town is a little like having a "security blanket" isn't it?

Enjoy your lovely weather (it's winter down under and I don't care for it a bit) and party on!