swiss1 has begun - 2nd adjustment (NEW 10 week pics p.5)

[swiss1]

I thought it was about time i started my own thread to record the next how ever many yrs of treatment, given I had my x-rays and moulds done last thursday. So I guess although b-day isn't here yet, the journey has kind of started! I've been reading other peoples' stories on this site for a few months now, and like many others have said - I'm so pleased i found this place! Their stories have really helped me make my mind up to get started, so you never know, perhaps my journey can help someone else...

It's been over 10 yrs since I should have got things sorted out (am 29 now), and i'm so glad i've finally taken the decision to go for it. It wasn't an easy decision to make, I'm so good at procrastinating and my family haven't really pushed me at all (wish they had!). I still sometimes think it would be oh so easy to take the easy option and chicken out. But i feel like i've come such a long way already in terms of psyching myself up...i'm really motivated now to get things going (ask me again the night before b-day and you might get a different story!)

So the xrays & moulds went ok, although I hated the xray where they hold your head in place with the ear thingys, and boy was the top mould horrible - just made me want to chuck but the assistant was great. She kept giving me things to do like lifting up a leg, bending it etc....it's amazing when you're focused on something else how you forget the pain/discomfort elsewhere!

The best thing was seeing the xrays once they were developed - the side shot of the whole head was amazing - never seen anything like it. My skull actually looked a really nice shape (kind of weird to see it!), and you could see the profile of my face (the skin) around the skull. It was incredible!

So the next step is I go back in 10 days to discuss a formal treatment plan, although we already had a 'pre-xray' discussion so I know i'll have top and bottom, and my ortho seems to prefer the self-litigating brackets. Not sure how long it will be, but i'm hoping no more than 2 yrs......Oh, and I will probably also need 4 extractions - 2 top, 2 bottom to make room. But all the orthos I've seen (about 3 over the last 10 yrs) said the same, so at least the consistency is kind of reassuring. The main problem I have is crossbite and crowding , especially on top with a pushed in incisor and raised canine on one side.....there seem to be quite a few stories on here with that kind of issue. For me it was the old thumb-sucking that did it - a definite thumbs down to that!

So this is getting far too long for a post - apologies... Will post pics when i get round to taking some. Just want b-day to come asap to avoid any changes of heart!

[kisses14]

Good luck on your next visit!

[sjsarre]

Hi Swiss1 would be great to hear what you decided.. Your teeth sound a little like mine and I had four extractions two top and two bottom aswell.

Would be great to hear any updates

[swiss1]

Hi all, thanks so much for your replies! It's so nice to think people are actually interested - it's making this much easier! No updates to report as yet, other than I could have kicked myself on thursday. I came home from work all ready and psyched up to go for my follow-up appointment. I looked in my diary to check my ortho's address, and to my horror saw the appointment had in fact been scheduled for TUESDAY this week, not thursday.......

I felt soooo bad for missing the appointment as someone else could have had it, but it was a genuine mix-up, I don't know how I missed it. I guess it's been really hectic with the start of term this week (I'm a teacher). I phoned the ortho to apologise profusely, but they were really nice about it. I was so looking forward to having an extraction date and b-day date, but now I have to wait til Oct 11 (almost 4 weeks...... ) til the appointment, as she was fully booked. Oh well, it's my own fault, and I could really have kicked myself. I would love to get started before Christmas - the earlier the better so I don't back out!

[kisses14]

Man! I'm sorry you missed your appointment! I know how frustrating that can be, especially when you can't get in for a long time! I have found that my orthodontist does not confirm appointments, so I have to be super on top of things. As soon as I get my appointment "card" at the ortho, I keep it in my wallet and add it right to my personal planner when I get home. Then, when I get to work I add it to my calendar in Microsoft Outlook, as well as to the calendar that sits on my desk. Sometimes it helps to write on little sticky notes and leave it somewhere you will look at constantly. Just some suggestions.

Please let us know how your next appointment goes!

[swiss1]

Thanks so much to you all - you definitely cheered me up, and I guess you're right...time is ticking by quite quickly and the appointment is just over a couple of weeks away...yey!

It's funny though, when I confirmed the oct 11 appointment with my ortho, I asked whether it was worth booking an appointment for middle of october with a dentist to do the extractions (my thinking behind it being that if I waited til the ortho appointment in October, I might have to wait yet another month to get a slot for the extractions, losing even more time). But the ortho assistant said it was better to wait, as they usually do the extractions afterthe brace has been put on. This seems a bit weird to me.....if my teeth are already crowded, how can they move with the brace if there is nowhere for them to move to? Just wondering if anyone else had extractions after their brace was fitted rather than before.......and how it worked....

[swiss1]

So the follow-up appointment finally came around yesterday. Having missed my september appointment, I was paranoid about making sure I go to yesterday's! It went well I think, and my ortho basically went through the x-rays and moulds I'd had, explaining the likely treatment plan in more detail. It's so strange to see your own moulds - so recognisable as 'you'. I hope I get to keep them at the end!

So the verdict seems to be I go back in about 3-4 weeks for spacers. Then a week later for a metal wire that goes against the roof of the mouth and is attached to a molar on each side - the aim being to expand the arch at the back a bit. (Is this what some of you call an RPE ) I'll have this for 2-3 months before being braced. I'll also need 4 extractions (all pre-molars - 2 top, 2 bottom) due to overcrowding. My ortho will take x-rays of all my premolars to decide which ones to keep - they will extract the ones with the shortest/weakest roots to keep the best ones in. Then after the extractions, I'll have brackets on the back teeth and will wait a week or two for some 'natural movement', before being braced all the way round. Likely to be metal speed lowers, and not sure about uppers. Hopefully ceramic on the upper social 6, but we'll see. The important thing is the result, so will go with my ortho's recommendation. Total treatment time is likely to be 2 years - trying not to think about this too much...seems such a long time, but it'll be worth it i hope.

Am still very motivated about starting treatment, and glad this site is here...my friends are fairly supportive, but keep reminding me their awful memories of being braced when younger......just the encouragement I need!

Anyway, next appointment is 8th Nov, so will let you know how the spacers go...I know they'll be painful but a necessary evil!

[swiss1]

Quick update as I needed to change my subject heading from 'has almost begun' to 'has begun'! Yey!

The last thing I had done was moulds & xrays, and on wednesday I went for lots of 'before' photos, a few more close-up xrays of the premolars so they could decide which ones to take out (I'm going to have 2 top and 2 bottom out - they'll keep the healthiest ones), and I also got some spacers put in at the top.

I'm so thankful to everyone else for posting their stories, as I had a much better idea of what to expect for the spacers. And actually I didn't find the spacers as bad as some people have done. They felt more uncomfotable than painful when they went in. My top teeth are a bit tender - sort of dull ache, but nothing too bad. They are already crowded and the spacers are pushing them even more. In fact, the most painful part was having the pics taken - those lip expanders made me feel like my lips were going to spilt in half...despite all the lip balm! Ouch!

It's just so exciting to have started the process, even if it's only spacers at this stage! I go back next week for - I think you're right linda21 - a quad helix which I'll keep for 2 or 3 months before the braces go on. The quad helix is a metal wire that goes across the roof of the mouth, and is attached to a molar on each side, the idea being to expand the top arch a bit. Doesn't sound much fun, but am remaining optimistic - I trust my ortho completely! Would be interested to know if anyone out there has had one of these, and what they are like....

Was hoping to be braced before Christmas, but it won't be before Jan or Feb....still, better to take it slowly and do it properly.

I'll try and get some before pics up at some point so you can get a better idea of the crowding issues. Will let you know how the quad helix goes next week.....

[antsika]

Congrats swiss1 for starting your journey
About the extractions, I had mine also after I got the braces (I had 3 extractions). My ortho said it is good this way because after the teeth start moving it is easier to do the extractions.
I am awaiting your pictures!

Good luck on your journey, and keep us posted!

[swiss1]

Thanks Antsika and Karen! Am so excited about the whole thing. The spacers are fine 3 days in. Only another 3.5 days before they come out the quad helix goes in.....All systems are go!

Antsika, my extractions will be after the brace has gone on too, apparently. That's good, if as you say the teeth will come out more easily once they've started to move a bit. Am just a bit worried that the brace will be painful before the teeth come out, as there won't be much room for them to move.....

Thanks also Karen for the subject heading tip - just managed to change it..yey!

[swiss1]

Thanks Bracedagain and Linda21 for your kind words. All is well, although a little sore on the inside of my cheeks

So I went back on tuesday (yesterday) to have the spacers taken out, and what I thought was an expander put in.......turns out I had completely misunderstood what I was actually going in for Oops! They didn't put an expander in at all......my top arch is very crowded, but apparently there is enough room across the palate at the back. So what they actaully did was to put braces on the 2 molars at the top on each side, to 'fix' them together in place. This is so that when I get the 2 premolars extracted from the top, the molars don;t start doing funny things and moving to where they shouldn't. So I'm partially braced....one step nearer!

It was quite tight to get the brackets on the molars, as the molars have a metal ring placed round them, with the bracket attached on the outside. Does anyone else have this? I think they stay on for the whole treatment, and will be linked up to the other brackets when they go on.

So the next step is to get the first 2 premolars at the top (the ones next to the incisors) extracted in about 2 or 3 weeks. Then I will wait about 4 weeks for some 'natural movement (so means a few weeks of gaptoothed grin ....nice!), before the top teeth are braced - my b-day will be 10th Jan Then about 3 weeks after that, bottom premolars extracted and bottom braced. Then fingers crossed for some movement.

It's been quite cool this week as I've told some of my classes (I'm a secondary (high school) teacher) that I'm getting a brace, and they were all quite curious, in a nice way. I looked at some of their braces so I have an idea of what I might get. Quite useful really!

I'm just trying to get used to the feeling of the bracket against my cheek. It seems to stick out quite a lot, and will take some getting used to. Apparently these feel much more bulky than the ones at the front....I hope that's correct! Am trying salt water rinses, although not sure how much salt to use And wax was a huge relief this afternoon..really helped as I'd been talking all day, and my cheek needed some TLC.

Quick question - what is the water pick, and where can I order one? I'm going to order the dentakit, but I don't think there's a waterpick inside.....Any other tips warmly welcomed!!

[swiss1]

Thanks guys for the waterpik advice...will try and order one online.

Actually, Linda21, I don't think I'll have an expander at all. Just the extractions, then brace. The molar bands I got were to 'cement' them in place so they don't move once I get the premolars extracted and am waiting to get the top braced. I think the idea is that once the 2 top premolars are extracted, there will be some natural movement backwards. I need to post up a pic so you can see better. On one side my incisor kind of overlaps the teeth on either side (one of which is one of the premolars being removed). My ortho said the incisor will naturally move back a little on its own, then after 3/4 weeks the top gets braced to ensure everything falls into the correct place. Hope that makes sense.......and hope I understood my ortho's explanation this time!

[joney]

Good luck with the extractions. I had two extractions 2 weeks ago and people won't notice really as they're at the side.

Waterpiks are good. I'm not sure where you live but if you are in the UK you can get them from Argos.

Regards
Joney

[swiss1]

Thanks guys. I'll try the 'dosage' you suggest, karen, for the salt rinse. It's been about a week since the back brackets went on, and it's strange because on one side they're really no bother at all (no pain, don't even really feel them very much), yet on the other side, it's been quite sore. Just catches when I smile, and is tender when I eat. I've been using wax but it's such a pain to take out all the time before eating. I'm a real 'snacker' and I get the feeling I'm going to loose my snacking habit completely! I'll ask the ortho why the pain is just on one side when I go back. Maybe the teeth are angled a bit differently, so one side rubs more

Other than that, the only other changes are I've noticed that it's harder to eat on one side because my pre-molars are sore, even if they are not banded yet. I was wandering whether the back brackets (and rings around the molars) are maybe already exerting a little force, even though they're not attached to the pre-molars?? It's pretty crowded up there, so I guess it wouldn't take much to get the pre-molars upset....

Thanks also Joney for the Argos tip. I live in switzerland, but my parents are in the UK and I'll be back there for christmas, so will go and investigate! So, next step is to book my 2 upper pre-molar extractions before the 12th dec when the ortho wants to change the wire on my molars. I'm a little worried that my front teeth will slide back too far into the gap left by the extractions in the 4-5 weeks without brackets, but my ortho assures me the movement will only be slight in that time. Has anyone else had extractions and waited a few weeks before having the teeth braced

[swiss1]

Quick update as this afternoon I had 3 extractions Actually, all went well. My ortho referred me to a dental surgeon for the extractions, and he was great. I thought I was only having the top 2 premolars out (the ones closest to the canines, but he also took out a wisdom tooth which was just peeping out and was starting to decay because I couldn't reach it properly when brushing. The other 3 wisdom teeth whoch haven't come out yet will need to be extracted at some point, not sure when yet.

I was so excited about the extractions this morning, but by the time I was in the dentist's chair, the nerves really set in! I didn't feel any pain at all as I had anaesthethic, but I couldn;t feel my mouth or lips for about 4 hours after. I couldn;t even thank my dentist properly when leaving. I tried to utter 'thank-you' but just came out with a indistinguishable murmur! Oh well, I hope he understands! My mouth felt huge, and I looked like I'd had a stroke, as my mouth was kind of to one side when I tried to talk. Very strange sensation. Anyway, it's been 5 1/2 hours now, and the anesthetic is wearing off - still a bit to go. I hope all is back to normal by tomorrow a.m. as I'm off to London for a shopping weekend! There's nothing like retail therapy to take your mind off things!

This time, it really feels real. Whilst I already had my top molars braced, they could always be taken off. However, my premolars cannot be put back in, so it really is on and up from here - it;s a good feeling. I've kept the teeth, might try to make something out of them as a momento....So now I go back on 12 Dec to the ortho, I think so they can check the molar brackets. Then it's brace day for the top on 10th Jan. I'll need to have the bottom 2 premolars extracted sometime after this, and then they get braced too.

Well, that's all for now, got to pack my suitcase for tomorrow! I know I keep promising photos, I will try and get some up soon!