Braced Very Late - 6 months and counting! new pix

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#46 Post by **Grutty** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:08 am

Hi BracedVeryLate,

Wow, you have made so much progress in four months! Very inspiring!

Your lower arch looks great, all of your teeth are lined up now.

I will keep an eye on your story, cant wait to see more progress!

#47 Post by **Unhappy teeth** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:16 am

It's been ages since I checked in on your story and your teeth have made so much progress!

Looking good!

#48 Post by **jenny101101** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:50 am

Isn't it great to see all those changes? Your teeth are really coming along nicely!!

I haven't seen noticable changes in a while now

and I feel like I'm at a stand still but seeing other peoples progress gives me hope.

Hope you're having a great weekend!!

#49 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:37 pm

Thanks Grutty, Ken, Unhappy Teeth and Jenny for stopping by. My story is just getting.... well... a little boring!! Not too much new to report.

I am five months in, and here are a couple photos. At my last adjustment, I got a new stainless steel wire on the bottom as well as a fresh new powerchain on the bottom front teeth, WITH NO EXTRA RING connecting the teeth adjacent to the gap. The technician said, "do you want me to leave a ring, or should we try to connect it directly"? well, what kind of big wimp is going to say no??!! boy, was I scared, but, it went on OK, I was wincing a little and I popped an advil immediately because i felt my jaw start to hurt. I can't believe A) the elastic stretches this far, adn B) it hasn't snapped off in my mouth, taking a tooth with it. After a day it was ok.

Here is a front view of the bite, which doesn't seem to be changing. The bottom teeth need to be pulled up and back to fill in the space. And you can probably see the OVERstretched chain closing the gap. yikes!!!

compared to last month:

here is the bottom arch which honestly looks worse to me, but... PATIENCE, I know, I know!!

compared to last month:

top arch, no real change. just waiting for a canine implant in 2021 or something ...or so it seems!!!

here is a big smile:

I have never smiled like this in my entire life. There is no known photo of this many of my teeth in any photo. No one would recognize me.

That's it for tonight!!

#50 Post by **sdawdy** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:25 am

Boy do I know what you mean on boring stage. I am so sick of hearing nope the teeth are not just quite right today...so we will continue the same thing until the next adjustment....so wait another 6 weeks and see if they change....here to us getting our positive attitudes back!!!!

#51 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:31 am

So, what foods are you getting stuck in your gap these days? It's closing up pretty well; you'll be down to sesame seeds or single kernels of rice soon.

My own lower gap traps rice and vermicelli as if each bit has a magnet in it. Classy.

Yup, I'm bored of it all, too. Adjustment #3 is next Monday. I'm going to ask something be done about closing my lower gap, if for no other reason than to make it interesting again.

#52 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:31 pm

Well Ken, sdawdy and IAM,
I shouldn't have complained about boring braces...
I have been having all kinds of trouble with my gums on the top right side. Swelling, bleeding, etc. I have been really cleaning well, so I don't know what's going on. Part of the problem I think is that the gums are almost growing over the brackets - YUCK....

I had another adjustment... lost count, but I have been braced almost 6 months!

here are a few pics, not too exciting:

the infamous gap, still trying to close:

got a new extra stretchy powerchain...yikes!

this is my bite, still open and a little crooked:

compared to last month:

here is my top arch:

had a little trouble, 1st upper bicuspid got itself free from the archwire without me noticing, and went back to its old position. must have been happy crooked and tilted inward, because in about ONE week, it was back where it started. my ortho had to bend the archwire in about 5 places to try to coax the tooth back into line. i thought she was making jewelry or something.... it's tied with a wire tie, and not a lig, because it just wouldn't fit back into the wire. she was wrapping the bracket with a thin wire, spinning it, twisting it, and then snipping it. i felt like a thanksgiving turkey.

here is the bottom arch:

compared to last month:

clearly a case of getting worse before it gets better....
my bottom molar, the gorgeous one with the metal filling, is so out of line! anyone have any ideas of what kind of torture device I will need to get that thing into place???

take care all and thanks for stopping by!

#53 Post by **grneydfairy** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:17 pm

BracedVeryLate, did your ortho say anything about why you're experiencing the swelling, redness, etc on those gums? Does he think he needs to reposition/rebond?
Keep your spirit up about your bottom arch!

#54 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:40 pm

hi grneydfairy,

the tech and the ortho said to use a waterpik, which i have done, and to stimulate the gums with a very soft small brush. it seems a constant effort to keep the gums on these three teeth healthy. i don't have a problem with any of the other gums, so it's odd.

#55 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:59 pm

Not much new to report. It's been a while....

Ortho continuing to work on bite. See below. Bottom teeth all have to be pulled together, and then upward to fill in the gaps and to get the archwires looking parallel.

The bottom front five teeth are in powerchains, and the remaining molars and premolars are secured with (rather SHARP) wire ties so they don't move forward. I am very happy with the progress of my teeth, I never thought that front gap would close, but it should be closed in about 4 months, based upon movement so far. I have been in braces for 8.5 months.....

I am happy with the fuller look of my mouth because my premolars and molars have been pulled outward. But, my face still looks VERY thin from all the weight I lost. Hopefully it will look normal again after these things are OFF!!

I have been seeing lots of posts about others getting their braces off, and I must say, I am getting jealous. But, I have come a long way from this:

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Braced Very Late - 6 months and counting! new pix

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