Emma's story - New photos

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#1 Post by **emmajade22** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:33 pm

So i guess i began posting in the wrong forum the other day.. I'll start my story fresh in here.

Well I've been wanting to fix my teeth for years, especially since my first ever ortho consult at 16, when I was asked if i was "happy with my face like that?" (Subtle hey!) Well until then, I knew i had crooked teeth, but i didnt know that i had an under developed jaw and would need surgery. My parents weren't happy with the idea of surgery, so decided not to go ahead with it.

By the time I was about 19, I was really concious of my teeth and my jaw. I would cover my mouth constantly, stutter when i talked out of nervousness and trying to hold my jaw forward, and i'd just had enough. So i began making appointments with different ortho's and cosmetic dentists.
Every one of them recommended jaw surgery. I basically wanted to make my front teeth look straight without braces (some sort of veneer i guess i was hoping for - found out this was not possible). Most of the quotes were around $8000 for the braces aswell.
I began getting all my fillings/cleaning etc done (when i was about 20), through a dentist who was an old family friend. He did my moulds and sent me for x-rays, and once all that was done (at 21), he had me see the orthodontist in his office.
He was not a specialist orthdontist (all the others i'd seen had been), and he said that although surgery would provide the optimal outcome, he thought a 'dental compromise' would be fine, if thats what I was looking for. (and a quote of $4800 including extractions)
After alot of thinking, and alot of postponing, i finally went back and had spacers put in my back teeth, about a month ago. I took these out after about a week (bad decision!)
And yesterday I got 2 teeth extracted, got both upper and lower metal braces put on (I wanted clear but was told they wouldnt be strong enough for my teeth), and got spacers in between my back teeth again (they could not fit the metal rings around them).
I also am having a palate expander (i think thats what its called) put in on my next visit i believe.
I'll be 22 next week. Thats a good few years of being a chicken hey.
I'm in quite a bit of pain and discomfort, but am looking forward to the day when i can talk and smile without covering my teeth or stuttering. And the thing that finally pushed me is that im engaged - and there was no way I was having an awful smile in my wedding photos!
My sentence is 2 years. And then retainers for life.

#2 Post by **emmajade22** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:53 pm

I'm trying to post a photo of my teeth prior to braces

I'll post one with braces soon.. however i've got wax all over them at the moment!

#3 Post by **young67** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:14 pm

Hi Emma.

Just like you, Wanting to have a beautiful smile in my wedding photos finally pushed me to see an ortho too. Now I'm gonna have to push back wedding planning, but at least I'll be fully smiling. You have nicely shaped teeth now, I'm sure your smile will be so fabulous at your wedding!

Oh and by the way, I can't believe your first ortho said that to you, "Happy with your face THAT way'? haha. Your story reminds me of my younger dentist visits, I always despised the tone he would use when he told me that I needed braces.

Anyways congrats on starting your braces journey! Good luck!

#4 Post by **emmajade22** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:59 pm

Hi young67, Thanks for the words of encouragement

And hey, atleast we have longer to save for the wedding!

I'm starvvingg. All I want is a damn vegemite sandwhich. And a drink wouldn't hurt either.

Anybody know how long after extractions you can drink alcohol? I'm kinda figuring because of the blood-thinning side of things, 24 hours probably isnt long enough.

#5 Post by **laineyloo** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:10 am

Welcome Emma

Good on ya for getting the braces. It's a hard decision to make but feels great to get them on and get everything moving.

I have metal braces too. Only the tops for the moment but in another couple of week I will have the bottoms too. I can see changes happening and it's so exciting.

Looking forward to following your progress

#6 Post by **emmajade22** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:05 pm

Thanks laineyloo

Well, i know im a big wuss, but im still in a fair bit of pain. The pressure on my bottom teeth in particular is annoying the hell outta me.
One of my spacers has also come out, and at the top of my gum (where the gum meets the lip) I feel like i have a little rock or something in there. I'm thinking it might be a bit of the tooth that broke when I had the extraction.
I'm also not sure what im meant to be doing. I mean, i know with braces im meant to be brushing like a maniac, but directions for extractions basically tell you not to brush!? arghh

#7 Post by **emmajade22** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:59 am

ok i really dont know how all you guys have dealt so well with your braces. This is my 3rd day and its the worst pain ive been in so far. I am feeling like ive been punched in the teeth.
God i hope this pressure goes away. Does anyone have any tips for relieving the pain at all? Im taking way more than the recommended 6 nurofen plus in 24 hours lol.. not helping a whole lot.

#8 Post by **jenny101101** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:42 am

Hi emmajade,

First off, congrats on getting braced and welcome!!

You're going to have beautiful teeth when you're done:)

I'm thinking that maybe the "little rock" you're feeling COULD be what my OS called a bone spur?(I think). It can be normal to feel something hard under the gum line after extractions. I had the same thing after I had my wisdom teeth out and I was sure he left pieces of tooth behind but he reassured me it was just a little piece of bone I was feeling. Of course, you probably should check with your dr. to make sure.

As for the pain, day 3 was the worst for me too...it does get better!! Hang in there!!

#9 Post by **Skitters** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:50 am

Welcome to the metal mouth club emmajade! I hope the pain has subsided for you. I've had my full mouth of metal on for just under two months. Although there are some days with ALOT more discomfort than others, I haven't had anything worthy of being called pain and things like "tylenol" and "advil" take care of it. Just hang in there and in a few days you won't even notice you have braces on.

Sounds like we have similar problems. I too have an underdeveloped lower jaw and my upper is alittle on the narrow side. I have such a combination of problems that all the orthos and dentists I've talked to agree that surgery is the only way to fix things the right way. Hope your dentist is right and you won't need to take the surgery steps to correct everything.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how your doing. On the days when things ache and you wonder if you're nuts for getting braces, just remember why your doing it and think of how AWESOME your smile will be when it's all done! Good luck!

#10 Post by **Bekah** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:45 am

I read somewhere that drinking something hot will relieve a little bit of pressure because the metal wire will expand. Just a suggestion.

I hope you feel better soon!

#11 Post by **emmajade22** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:37 am

Thanks alot guys, its great to have someone reply to my whinging that is going through it too. it really does help alot.
Well day 4! And i'm not feeling quite so bad today, ive discovered if i dont touch my teeth with my tongue too much, i dont get as much irritation.
I think i somewhat overdosed on nurofen migraine tablets lol, so i went to the doctors today and he's precribed me some antibiotics, and recommended panadeine rapid (which so far is working a whole lot better than the nurofen).
Yesterday was a really bad day, but today im actually out of bed for the first time, so im feeling quite a bit better.
I'm wondering if theres eventually going to be a day when im not focusing on the braces? You know, like before braces you dont wake up in the morning and begin licking your teeth and noticing pain. With braces, the second i wake up im like "oh yeah" and feeling alot of pressure. Does that make sense? I want to wake up in the morning and think of something other than oh yeah braces, damn things. lol

#12 Post by **emmajade22** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:48 am

oh i also took a photo with the braces on. The quality isnt so good due to its from the webcam. And please excuse the wax, but its providing a whole lot of relief to my lips right now lol

#13 Post by **elpi** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:56 am

I'm on day 4 too (think I am, cos I was braced on Monday

), the pain comes and goes for me but you had your extractions done on the same day as you were braced right? that's a LOT for your mouth to cope with so hang in there. I had 2 extractions 2 weeks before and another 2 a week before and each time they had me curling up on the sofa like a kicked puppy! I've found the braces to be a different kind of pain, I've read on here that it seems to take around 2 weeks for everything to feel a bit more normal and for the braces to become less of a dominant thing so I am patiently waiting for then

I think with regards to cleaning, just do the best you can without damaging your delicate extraction areas, it has to be a compromise I think at this stage. I didn't like that at all about the extractions, the mouthwash my dentist recommended helped, has yours suggested one? if not you can rinse with warm salt water? I reconciled myself to perhaps booking a visit with the hygienist when my mouth has properly healed in case any tartar built up whilst I couldn't clean my teeth properly.

Ooh and I forgot to say also congrats and I hope you get to see some progress soon.

#14 Post by **elpi** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:01 am

Bekah wrote:I read somewhere that drinking something hot will relieve a little bit of pressure because the metal wire will expand. Just a suggestion.

I hope you feel better soon!

I'm confused because I'm pretty sure that the archwires are the opposite of normal metal, that they contract with heat and expand with cold, yet drinking warm things seems to help me, I think perhaps cos it relaxes my mouth and jaw muscles which have tensed up from the pain. I am curious about the physics of all of this

#15 Post by **emmajade22** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:09 am

Relief! finally! So its been 10 days, and yesterday was the first day i havent had any painkillers, or used any wax. I still cant eat very well (although i am attempting - i actually ate one of my spacers yesterday while trying to chew on bread)
My lips are getting more used to it. And i am waking up in the morning and not automatically thinking about the braces already, which is f*cken fantastic!
I gotta say, even though everyone said it gets better, i really had my doubts. I couldnt imagine feeling ok with these things just a few days ago.