cwatt1's story -- New pics 11-16-2007 -- I see symmetry!

Message

#31 Post by **cwatt1** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:39 pm

I know it's less than 3 weeks, so I hope I'm not boring you with photos at this point, but I'm excited that I'm seeing some movement! You can expecially see how the archwires have straightened out in the frontal view of both arches -- especially the lower arch! (I'm not crazy about how the silicone bumpers on my lower incisors have stained from coffee, but I love my coffee

This is really exciting to me!

My mouth is feeling pretty good, and I'm getting to the point now where I'm not biting my cheeks nearly as much. I felt a little pokey wire again this evening on my upper left (right in the picture), so I kind of bent it in a little -- carefully -- with a fingernail.

Comparison photos:

July 12:

July 31:

Upper Arch:

July 12:

Lower Arch:

July 12:

July 31:

#32 Post by **Tin Indian** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:35 pm

Cwatt, I bet you are soooo stoked with so much progress in the short timed you have been braced, isn't that great! And Karen is right about people when they talk to you. They usally look at your eyes when talking. Some people were stunned at work when I showed them my braces even though I had them for months because they always looked at my eyes. I had to point them out to them!
T.I.

#33 Post by **Cinnamon** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:19 pm

Oh my...Good for you cwatt!!!

Congrats on your progress, I can see the "roller-coaster" (as they call it here

) fading, and your spring seems to be chugging right along too. Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

#34 Post by **AmybettyB** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:22 am

Hey Cwatt!

Great progress pics, maybe i should invest in a better camera!

your front lower teeth are very similar to mine, so i'll be watching your progress, I got my braces on yesterday and hope that in a few weeks I see as much movement as you have!!

Good luck and keep us posted!!

Amy

#35 Post by **Livi35** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:46 am

Cwatt,

I can see heaps of movement on your photos, AWESOME!! Only after 3 weeks too. I think seeing results makes all the discomfort worth while.

Heres to more movement soon

#36 Post by **cwatt1** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 8:57 pm

Thanks for the support, everyone

I am indeed pleased and excited with progress thus far, even if it's been only 3 weeks!

Karen and TI: I'll try and remember your comments if I feel self conscious about the staining of the silicone bumpers! Actually now that I look at the pics and compare them to my reflection in the mirror, I think they stand out more in the pics and are not that noticable -- at least to me -- in "real life"! By the way, for those who have overbites like I do and who've had both upper and lower arches braced, the silicone bumpers are pretty nice -- they're quite comfortable, and do a good job of lessening the likelihood of chipping an upper incisor on a lower bracket.

JT: Thanks for the kudos re the brackets. I'm pleased myself with their aesthetic appeal -- not that I consider them a fashion statement, mind you, but for metal braces they look pretty good!

Cinnamon: I'm going to have to remember the "roller coaster" metaphor! I think that's very appropriate, and I'm glad the hills and valleys are smoothing out some

And thanks for the comment regarding the springs -- I hadn't noticed that before, but you're right -- I think they're starting to do their work. That bicuspid that extends inward at a 45 degree angle wasn't bracketed on my b-day, but I see that my other bicuspid and first molar are starting to cooperate in making some room for him to line up! Hopefully at my first adjustment he'll get his prison garb too! Maybe I'll call him "Weird Willie" -- after all he's been the oddball of my lower arch for years and years

Amybetty: I looked at your own blog and I agree that our teeth, especially our lower arches, look very similar. We'll have to be sure and compare notes as we progress in our respective treatments.

Levi, I absolutely agree that this is all going to be worthwhile in the end! I'm so glad I took this step, and seeing the movement in this short a time is a real motivator!

I'm still feeling good -- certain foods seem to cause me to bite my cheeks more than others, but the further along in treatment I progress the more I'm able to deal with that.

Interesting phenomemon happened to me yesterday -- brushed my teeth after lunch as I always do, and when I brushed under the archwire my upper incisors felt a lot of increased pressure. For a moment I thought maybe I'd bent the wire, but it doesn't appear that's the case. The feeling subsided rather quickly afterwards. I've noticed that my uppers are loosening up, and I think it's related to that, but has anyone else experienced a weird sensation like that during brushing?

I've got to say that all of you are tremendous motivators! I don't know that I've ever found a website that is frequented by a nicer bunch of people.

Till later...

#37 Post by **Laurie** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:06 pm

Is it not just fantastic how fast those teeth can move sometimes?

I'm a coffee drinker too and I've noticed my silver ligs have changed colors a bit. BAH!

I feel my wire tension changing sometimes when I drink something really cold. I think it's the type of wire I have in right now.

#38 Post by **Livi35** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 7:41 pm

Interesting phenomemon happened to me yesterday -- brushed my teeth after lunch as I always do, and when I brushed under the archwire my upper incisors felt a lot of increased pressure. For a moment I thought maybe I'd bent the wire, but it doesn't appear that's the case. The feeling subsided rather quickly afterwards. I've noticed that my uppers are loosening up, and I think it's related to that, but has anyone else experienced a weird sensation like that during brushing?

Absolutely, and I thought that maybe I had also bent the wire or loosened a bracket or something, but like you, I had a look and a bit of a feel and everything seemed okay. So, I agree that it must be related to the loosening of the teeth. I still get some pressure on both the upper and lower incisors when I brush now, and everthing feels a little loose. But I'm sure that it is all normal and can only mean one thing, MOVEMENT!!!!!

#39 Post by **cwatt1** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 8:02 pm

Thanks for checking in, Ken and Levi!

Yeah, Ken, the molar buildups did take a few days to get used to -- when I first got them they felt like granite boulders!

But they honestly aren't so bad -- beats chipping an upper on a lower bracket, or maybe shearing off a bracket! I do find, though, that it takes longer to chew my food with them, especially stuff like lettuce that you have to do a lot of grinding up.

Thanks for the input, Levi, on the varying tension. That's kind of what I thought, but it's a relief to know that somebody else has experienced it too!

Take care, everybody -- more later

#40 Post by **Lisa65** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:32 am

Cwatt, those pics really show some progress. Isn't it rewarding when those ups and downs start to straighten out? I enjoy my coffee too, and pay with stained ligs as a result, but it's worth it

Your attitude is great. Hope you continue to have great progress.

#41 Post by **cwatt1** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:26 am

Thanks for stopping by, Linda and Lisa! I'm really very pleased with how things are going.

Linda, thanks for the assurance about the sporadic changes in pressure/tenderness. Great to know.

Lisa, nobody's ever going to get me to give up coffee! Actually the silicone bumpers look worse in the pics anyway -- when I look at myself in the mirror they aren't that noticeable.

#42 Post by **Milk n Cereal** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:49 am

Thanks for the pics, the progress is amazing! Your rollercoaster is almost just a kiddie ride now.

Glad those bumpers aren't stopping you from getting your delicious coffee!

#43 Post by **kerft** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:47 am

Hi cwatt1

Your progress is really amazing, I hope I have as much progress as you by my first adjustment.

#44 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:46 pm

GIVE UP COFFEE!!!!!!!! Hahahaha just kidding, stain away that lip bumper, who is really going to see that?

#45 Post by **cwatt1** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:53 pm

Ha Ha Smiley -- I'll give up COFFEE when YOU give up curry and crawfish!!!

Thanks for stopping by, M&C and Kerft! You can't believe how great it is to have the support of so many folks