My road to straight teeth - updated 03-Dec-08 *PICS on p.7*

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#121 Post by **danish** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:22 am

16th adjustment on 13 March 2009.

Hi Guys,

I'm back with an update. If you have been reading my story and my posts on the forum you will know that movement has been very slow in the last months. Well, there is a good reason for this.

Status right now is that my lowers are finished but gaps between upper canines and premolars still need to close. The problem is that horizontal movement i.e. pulling back the upper front teeth at this point is no longer possible due to the lack of space between lower and upper front teeth. The way to deal with this is to pull the upper teeth up thereby creating space between lower and upper front teeth and then pull the front teeth back with a view to close upper teeth extraction gaps. This might sound a bit confusing, so I made a little graphic below:

So as the front teeth pull upwards the space between lower and upper incisors will open up and enable the pulling back of the upper teeth.

My ortho attached plastic bite turbos on the inside of the 2 upper incisors in order to facilitate the upward movement of the upper front teeth. I felt kind of weird in the beginning with these plastic things reminding me of the beginning of the treatment where I was unable to bite down correctly. Furthermore the bite turbos made me lisp slightly reminding me of the good old TPA days... Aaaarrrggghhhh

Well... knowing what all this is good for, I don't want to complain.

No wires were changed. Only the power chain on the upper teeth with an extra piece of power chain between canines and premolars which appears to be my problem spot.

I asked my ortho if I was still due to debonding before Summer and he confirmed this again. I know that I shouldn't be asking about this since it's only an educated guess and since I will be SO disappointed if debonding is delayed further in say end of Summer in stead. But I need to have this hope....

pics as usual:

front:

sides:

upper:

Next adjustment is 24 March 2009. I hope that the bite turbos do their magic!!

I'll be back...

#122 Post by **brika** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:55 am

Hey Danish!
Your teeth are looking wonderful! It's great to see your ortho is trying something new after a few months of slow movement. It looks like he's got a plan, and hopefully it'll keep you on track for the debonding date you want! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

#123 Post by **DaffyDuck** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:43 pm

Hi Danish!
I'm so glad I registered and found your thread! My teeth are almost EXACTLY like yours!! I got 4 bicuspids extractions too, but have not finished had my complete arch wire put in yet. Had the first wires (half??) 4 weeks ago, 1 week after that, I got my extractions done. My ortho appointment is in 2 weeks! I can't wait.
I have been so worried about the gap on the top half left from the extractions because they're so HUGE, I'm wondering how my teeth will be able to move and close that gap up...until I saw your thread.
Now, I can't wait!!!
I will have to ask my ortho when I see him in 2 weeks.

#124 Post by **danish** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:19 am

Hi DaffyDuck,
Yes, looking at the extraction gaps it's sort of hard to think that those gaps are going to disappear. But they will....eventually. Keep up with the elastics if you have started to use them.
Good luck

Danish

#125 Post by **Andromeda** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:40 am

Hi Danish! Did you have that adjustment on March 24? How did it go? Hope the new plan is working out well

I had an adjustment 2 days ago and got a different elastics configuration and he also bent my wire more so my front top teeth can get a move on. I think you said they are gonna bring yours up then back so those spaces will close. Im having the opposite done - forward then down. I had really good progress so far with everything, still no debracing date tho. Maybe next time (April 27).

Let us know how everything is going!

#126 Post by **danish** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:54 am

Hi Andromeda,

I did have the adjustment in the end of March. But there was not much to write about because of the #%"@ slow movement

. I'm still doing the up-and-backwards thing with the upper front teeth. Progress so far is barely noticeable. At this point I'm not so optimistic about debonding before Summer as my ortho anticipates. Would have been nice but it's up to other powers. Hehe

I have an adjustment end of this month where I will post pics and hopefully be able to share some good news.

It's going to be interesting on April 27th for you then?

Looking forward to hear more.

Danish

#127 Post by **danish** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 2:24 pm

18th adjustment on 24 April 2009 (17th end of March).

hi guys. It's time for an update. The last months have been rather uneventful due to the slow movement, but now it seems than I'm slowly coming out of the slump.

At this adjustment my ortho just changed and gave me a double power chain on the upper front teeth. I was quite happy about this as the power chain was looking quite nasty from a couple of curry dishes a few days ago. Hehe. Furthermore I'm in heavy elastics from the upper canines to the upper premolars to speed up gap closure, and to fix the bite I'm in heavy elastics from upper canines to lower molars. Wires were not changed. Bite turbos remain where they are still pushing the upper front teeth up.

My ortho again said that he was quite confident that I will finish in Summer probably around June/July. But it was too early for a debonding date.

At this point I'm pretty fed up with this whole brace thing. I just want it to be over with, so that I can return to normal again. The constant self-consciousness has a negative effect on the way I socialize with other people. I know... it's not the braces themselves , but the way I respond to them etc. Anyway, I don't want to bore anyone with this. I'm just happy that this is moving towards the end.

Here are some pics to show the recent progress:

front:

upper:

lower:

sides:

Next adjustment will be on 15 May. If everything goes my way and the heavy duty elastics do their magic, my extraction gaps just might be closed by then. We'll see. I'll be back. See ya

Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:20 pm

Hey Danish,

First of all... your teeth look absolutely amazing!
I know how you feel about feeling self-conscious, I'm that way too.
June/July is coming up pretty quickly... hopefully that will all work out for you, good luck on the rest of your journey!

Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:20 pm

Hey Danish,

First of all... your teeth look absolutely amazing!
I know how you feel about feeling self-conscious, I'm that way too.
June/July is coming up pretty quickly... hopefully that will all work out for you, good luck on the rest of your journey!

#130 Post by **Andromeda** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:56 pm

Awesome! It looks like your bite has improved as compared to you last set of pics, especially in the vicinity of your upper right bicuspid. Those spaces are so small now; I bet the heavy elastics will work wonders in the next couple weeks! Have you had any progress with moving your front teeth up with those bite turbos?

I'll keep my fingers crossed that you'll get a debrace date soon! Maybe next time. I go in tomorrow and once again for the third time in a row, my ortho has said he should be able to give me "almost an exact date" this time... so I'll definitely be posting an update tomorrow afterwards (hopefully a happy one...

) but either way, I've had some really good progress on my left side these past few weeks so that makes me happy

#131 Post by **danish** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:47 am

Hi RainAndTangerines and Andromeda,

thx for your comments. Yes, the self-consciousness is strange. Sometimes you almost forget what's in your mouth..... which is kind of nice.

But most of the time is hard to forget. Especially in situations where eating is involved. And after eating .... O-M-G! Without my travel tooth brush I would be lost! Hehe.
Andromeda, I didn't notice the bite improvement being so focused on the gap closing problem. I assume that it's the bite turbos which have started the movement again.

Danish

#132 Post by **imwiredtoo** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:18 am

Hey danish!

Your teeth are looking great, man!

Can I ask, what is the green thing on your top front teeth? I've seen other people having similar things.

#133 Post by **danish** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:33 am

thx imwiredtoo

The green things made of some hard plastique-like substance on the back side of each front tooth are called a bite turbos. My lower front teeth hit the things thereby pushing the upper front teeth upwards. In my case I need my front teeth to move a bit upwards before the extraction gaps between my upper canines and premolars can close.

Welcome in the brace club.

Danish

#134 Post by **danish** » Sat May 16, 2009 5:14 am

hi guys

time for a little update. Those turbo bites have really been a smart move. Gaps in upper teeth are practically closed. A gap has opened between upper left lateral incisor and canine but this should close easily within the next weeks.

My ortho changed the wire and also gave me a triple power chain from upper canine to upper canine. My teeth are a bit sore today. Besides that I'm supposed to wear elastics from upper canines (#3) to upper molars (#6) to close the upper extraction gaps entirely and from upper canines (#3) to lower molars (#6) to correct the bite. My ortho addressed some other issues. My lower canines need to be moved a bit down in order not to stick out like they currently do. In order to move the lower canines a bit down he bent the wire around the lower canines. Furthermore my upper right lateral incisor has always been kind of indented which looks stupid. So my ortho has bent the wire outwards trying to move the tooth into the arch. I made a little graphic illustration:

At my last adjustment x-rays were taken and my ortho showed me why movement in the last months has been so slow. It appears that I'm sort of a freak as the bone material around some of my teeth is of a super hyper heavy duty concrete-like material.

On the other hand this may be a good thing when finished as the teeth cannot easily relapse into the previous crooked condition. And THAT is a good thing!

My ortho is still positive about debonding before July 2009. I'm pretty ecstatic about this because I have been sick of the waiting and not having an end in sight. So I made a tentative debonding date for June 30 2009. I will keep you guys updated as I get closer.

I have been thinking about teeth whitening when finished. I asked my ortho about this because I read some horror stories about permanent ultra sore teeth and teeth looking artificially white. Well, he didn't recommend nor advice against teeth whitening. My left front incisor is slightly discoloured from a root treatment a number of years ago. As the discoloration is apparently interior, any exterior teeth whitening could end up being a bad idea. I think that I will just wait and see when debonded.

Ok, here comes the usual pics.

Front:

Sides:

uppers:

I'm back for a new adjustment in 3 weeks time. See you then

#135 Post by **Andromeda** » Sat May 16, 2009 10:45 am

Hi Danish! That is excellent news that the turbo bites have worked for you!!! It sounds like you are well on your way and hopefully will be able to stick to your tentative debanding date; that is really exciting

I am SO excited for mine haha. Although now that it's been moved up, I feel like time has been going at a snails pace. Come on June 2, where are you?!

Here's to the lovely month of June and all the happiness it shall bring us

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My road to straight teeth - updated 03-Dec-08 PICS on p.7