ClassII, is this really true? Do you mean I can save 30 minutes of my day by buying the Oral B with ortho head?!!! That would certainly be a miracle. I would be hesitant to buy yet another gadget, but hey, if it saves me THAT much time...
Thank you very much for writing in. I really appreciate your help.
I am frustrated that I can't even purchase toothbrushes with ortho heads anywhere. Not even in Las Vegas, did I see any toothbrushes specializing in orthodontic cleaning (i.e. with centre cutout). I'll betcha the ortho head isn't available in Canada. Here we still clean teeth with hay... or at least that's what it seems like whenever I try to buy specialized anything. Why do drugstores need to stock 50 different styles of toothbrush, but none of them with an orthodontic head? I'll check the next time I'm in the drugstore.
Karencoutts' Story with Carriere Distalizers and Damons
Moderator: bbsadmin
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
I'm an Idiot
And another thing... why the heck can't I remember I have painful braces when I was ordering food today? I had an excruciatingly painful lunch of toasted turkey sandwich on sourdough bread because I forgot I had a new wire in. I remembered my teeth after I sat down waiting for my order. Still, I was so hungry that I endured that eye watering pain to eat the whole damn sandwich. Plus the sandwich was overpriced, at $8 for a couple of slices of bread and some cranberries and deli turkey slices.
Then, the same thing happened again at dinner. Ordered something that hurt to eat. Thank goodness I am not in constant pain, but only in pain when I apply any pressure to my teeth. Ouch.
Isn't it great to have this reminder of what it's like to be newly braced each time I get an adjustment? Aaaaahhhhh.
Then, the same thing happened again at dinner. Ordered something that hurt to eat. Thank goodness I am not in constant pain, but only in pain when I apply any pressure to my teeth. Ouch.
Isn't it great to have this reminder of what it's like to be newly braced each time I get an adjustment? Aaaaahhhhh.
Sure why not 
You can spend 30 minutes pretending to clean and have tablets and dental assistants catch you out. Each and every time. Or....
Those links are Oral B Canada. The ortho heads are a separate purchase, usually found in the section with all the dental floss, picks, tongue scrapers, etc, all on hang tags. The machine itself, somewhere else. Front shelf at the cashier, or some other shelf. Depending where you buy it. All quite simple actually.
You can spend 30 minutes pretending to clean and have tablets and dental assistants catch you out. Each and every time. Or....
Those links are Oral B Canada. The ortho heads are a separate purchase, usually found in the section with all the dental floss, picks, tongue scrapers, etc, all on hang tags. The machine itself, somewhere else. Front shelf at the cashier, or some other shelf. Depending where you buy it. All quite simple actually.
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
Another Teeth Cleaning and Root Repair
Forgot to write that I requested dental cleanings every 3 months instead of every 6. Thank goodness for dental insurance coverage.
The hygienist suggested that I have my wires removed before my cleaning. I haven't been able to coordinate that yet... Unfortunately, my hygienist is a 20 minute drive from the orthodontist, and I only have limited time to get my appointments done without getting babysitting. After my teeth were cleaned, I was surprised at how the cleaning exposed the dark triangles between my teeth. I guess they were obscured by tartar or plaque before! Yech.
On the suggestion of Class II, I tried to find a better electric toothbrush. Class II suggested Oral B. I started using compact brushheads from SonicCare. It seemed like a good compromise between throwing out my old SonicCare and buying the new Oral B setup. The compact brushheads from SonicCare also have an indentation in the middle and can be pressed against each bracket. So now the cleaning routine is:
1. Waterpik
2. Floss
3. Brush above brackets, brush below brackets, then brush on brackets
4. Proxybrush
5. Oral B fluoride rinse
The floss stage USUALLY turns up nothing, but just in case I've missed something from the Waterpik, I have to do it anyway. The flossing is my very least favourite exercise.
Went to the dentist the day following my cleaning to have a sealant placed over the sensitive spot I was developing near my roots, the "dent" I mentioned earlier. I wonder whether this dent was caused by the movement of my teeth, as the gum was removed to expose the root? I have a similar sensitive spot on the other mirror side. Yikes, had to have a needle and anesthetic that I received at 10:45 am and which lasted until past 4 pm!!!
The dentist noted that my teeth are coming along nicely, but also noted that the bite doesn't meet in the front left corner.
I noticed a gap opening up between my left upper front tooth and the tooth to the left of it.
The hygienist suggested that I have my wires removed before my cleaning. I haven't been able to coordinate that yet... Unfortunately, my hygienist is a 20 minute drive from the orthodontist, and I only have limited time to get my appointments done without getting babysitting. After my teeth were cleaned, I was surprised at how the cleaning exposed the dark triangles between my teeth. I guess they were obscured by tartar or plaque before! Yech.
On the suggestion of Class II, I tried to find a better electric toothbrush. Class II suggested Oral B. I started using compact brushheads from SonicCare. It seemed like a good compromise between throwing out my old SonicCare and buying the new Oral B setup. The compact brushheads from SonicCare also have an indentation in the middle and can be pressed against each bracket. So now the cleaning routine is:
1. Waterpik
2. Floss
3. Brush above brackets, brush below brackets, then brush on brackets
4. Proxybrush
5. Oral B fluoride rinse
The floss stage USUALLY turns up nothing, but just in case I've missed something from the Waterpik, I have to do it anyway. The flossing is my very least favourite exercise.
Went to the dentist the day following my cleaning to have a sealant placed over the sensitive spot I was developing near my roots, the "dent" I mentioned earlier. I wonder whether this dent was caused by the movement of my teeth, as the gum was removed to expose the root? I have a similar sensitive spot on the other mirror side. Yikes, had to have a needle and anesthetic that I received at 10:45 am and which lasted until past 4 pm!!!
The dentist noted that my teeth are coming along nicely, but also noted that the bite doesn't meet in the front left corner.
I noticed a gap opening up between my left upper front tooth and the tooth to the left of it.
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
How many adjustments is that now? I've lost count.
A brief report to reflect my brief appointment.
CDA removed my wires. They were stuck, probably due to calculus, she surmised. As always, upon removal of wires, embarrassingly stinky smell just broadcasts from my mouth. For the first time, I say nothing about the stink. Of course, the ortho comes over immediately as the stink hangs in the air.
He said almost nothing to me. Took a look at my teeth, asked me to bite down. Just said something about changing the wires to some number, and started to move on. Total elapsed time... maybe a minute? Maybe less? But I did ask him whether there would be any change in the projected end date, because, frankly, I'm already sick of braces and I've only had them on for five months. He just said 18 to 20 months. I said, isn't that the standard time for mostly all ortho work, 18 months? He said, the majority of the work is done at the end, the fine adjustments.
When I went to floss my teeth, it was very unsatisfying. Virtually nothing came out with the flossing.
My appointment was at 2 pm, instead of my usual morning appointment. This is a better time, because I can have my dinner without much pain. The pain kicks in after I've gone to sleep and is noticeable by the next day. I'd only rate my teeth pain as maybe a 2/10. This was the most comfortable adjustment yet. I hope the gap between my upper left second incisor and front tooth closes some day. Next appointment, September 15.
I dutifully took shots of my teeth, but there really isn't much change. When I feel less lazy I'll post them.
CDA removed my wires. They were stuck, probably due to calculus, she surmised. As always, upon removal of wires, embarrassingly stinky smell just broadcasts from my mouth. For the first time, I say nothing about the stink. Of course, the ortho comes over immediately as the stink hangs in the air.
He said almost nothing to me. Took a look at my teeth, asked me to bite down. Just said something about changing the wires to some number, and started to move on. Total elapsed time... maybe a minute? Maybe less? But I did ask him whether there would be any change in the projected end date, because, frankly, I'm already sick of braces and I've only had them on for five months. He just said 18 to 20 months. I said, isn't that the standard time for mostly all ortho work, 18 months? He said, the majority of the work is done at the end, the fine adjustments.
When I went to floss my teeth, it was very unsatisfying. Virtually nothing came out with the flossing.
My appointment was at 2 pm, instead of my usual morning appointment. This is a better time, because I can have my dinner without much pain. The pain kicks in after I've gone to sleep and is noticeable by the next day. I'd only rate my teeth pain as maybe a 2/10. This was the most comfortable adjustment yet. I hope the gap between my upper left second incisor and front tooth closes some day. Next appointment, September 15.
I dutifully took shots of my teeth, but there really isn't much change. When I feel less lazy I'll post them.
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
The Billionth Adjustment--Are we there yet?
Went in for my next scheduled adjustment. I have lost track of how many I've had, and frankly, I'm too lazy to look back into my own blog to figure it out.
This reflects my current attitude: I'm just tired of the braces thing. I just want them off. Most recently, I have gone from flossing every day to flossing every three days. The other two days I do the three part routine: Waterpik, soft pick, then proxybrush. The soft pick sort of replaces the floss step. I was called out on this today.
For the first time since my braces were applied seven months ago, I managed to time my ortho appointment with my dental hygiene appointment. 9:00 am: Remove wires at ortho. Stinky. 9:20 am Buy contact lens solution. 9:45 Renew driver's license. 10:00 Arrive at dentist. 10:15 Dental Hygiene appointment. 11:00 Rush off in a tizzy to pick up child. 11:20 pick up child. 12:00 Return to ortho for regular appointment.
Okay, so you didn't need to know I picked up contact lens solution and my child or got my driver's license renewed. But it was all part of the chaos of coordinating the two appointments.
My dental hygiene appointment was much faster without the wires in the way, as you can imagine. Got a nice polishing. The hygienist kept complimenting on the health of my gums, the cleanliness of my teeth. Hey, keep it coming. She asked me how often I flossed and I told her the 1 in 3, and the use of the soft pick in place. She thought it was all right. She said my teeth were very clean for a person with braces and that she'd seen some pretty dirty teeth. Then time for my dentist to take a look. She also asked me how often I flossed. Now, SHE was quite unpleased with the 1 in 3 routine. She advocated flossing daily. Yes, I know, but I have no patience any more. I was sent home with more soft picks. Yay!
On the other hand, I think they ask me every appointment how often I floss, and I've always been flossing at least once a day in the past. The follow up question I've never had the guts to ask is, "So why do you ask? Does it look like I've been flossing?"
Finally I made it to my ortho appointment, with my child sitting on the floor looking at the Guinness World Book of Records (illustrated). The CDA chatted me up while I waited to be serviced. Finally the moment had come... for the royal visit. I asked him how his summer was. He sort of mumbled something, I think. He asked me to bite down. The rest of the conversation was directed at the CDA. He told her that one of the brackets was 0.5 mm out of place.
He broke off the bracket. Now THAT really hurt. Then he sanded it off, and I watched the white "sawdust" get kicked into the air. It had a little burnt smell to it. Then he disappeared to work on another patient as the CDA put on the etchant, stuck in the hard foam rolls between my cheek/lip. When he returned, I was shocked at how quickly he placed the bracket on. Basically in one motion he brought it up and put it on my tooth. If it were me (an untrained non-orthodontist), I would have taken some time to position my hand just so and then slowly brought it toward the tooth. I guess that's why he gets $7000 for his two hours' work. I say two hours because at this rate, this will be the total time he spends with me. Of course I'm just joking about this whole thing, since I know he has to pay for overhead, materials, his bevy of CDAs and receptionists, etc. but it was interesting thinking of how much time he actually spends with each patient.
I have no idea which bracket he repositioned, but I felt like it was the lower left front first incisor. Then he mumbled to his CDA to use two 18 wires. Previously I had 16s (It was written on a little envelope with my old wires in there). The CDA had thought that with the new bracket that he might step back in wire thickness rather than go forward, but, no, it was full speed ahead.
Then the CDA asked him 6 weeks? He said, no 8 weeks. Yes, that's right. I come back in 8 weeks. At this rate of once every two months, I should have only three more appointments before I'm done in February, the projected project end. I call it a project because it seems like I'm treated like one!
An interesting thing I discussed with the CDA was that they are using the regular Ormco arch wires for me, since the Damon arch wires have a wider arch and I have a smaller jaw.
It's dinner time, six hours after the misplaced bracket was applied, and so far, no pain.
Now, for pics of my teeth.
I don't really see any significant changes since my photos done in May!!! Maybe an expert eye can see the difference.
This reflects my current attitude: I'm just tired of the braces thing. I just want them off. Most recently, I have gone from flossing every day to flossing every three days. The other two days I do the three part routine: Waterpik, soft pick, then proxybrush. The soft pick sort of replaces the floss step. I was called out on this today.
For the first time since my braces were applied seven months ago, I managed to time my ortho appointment with my dental hygiene appointment. 9:00 am: Remove wires at ortho. Stinky. 9:20 am Buy contact lens solution. 9:45 Renew driver's license. 10:00 Arrive at dentist. 10:15 Dental Hygiene appointment. 11:00 Rush off in a tizzy to pick up child. 11:20 pick up child. 12:00 Return to ortho for regular appointment.
Okay, so you didn't need to know I picked up contact lens solution and my child or got my driver's license renewed. But it was all part of the chaos of coordinating the two appointments.
My dental hygiene appointment was much faster without the wires in the way, as you can imagine. Got a nice polishing. The hygienist kept complimenting on the health of my gums, the cleanliness of my teeth. Hey, keep it coming. She asked me how often I flossed and I told her the 1 in 3, and the use of the soft pick in place. She thought it was all right. She said my teeth were very clean for a person with braces and that she'd seen some pretty dirty teeth. Then time for my dentist to take a look. She also asked me how often I flossed. Now, SHE was quite unpleased with the 1 in 3 routine. She advocated flossing daily. Yes, I know, but I have no patience any more. I was sent home with more soft picks. Yay!
On the other hand, I think they ask me every appointment how often I floss, and I've always been flossing at least once a day in the past. The follow up question I've never had the guts to ask is, "So why do you ask? Does it look like I've been flossing?"
Finally I made it to my ortho appointment, with my child sitting on the floor looking at the Guinness World Book of Records (illustrated). The CDA chatted me up while I waited to be serviced. Finally the moment had come... for the royal visit. I asked him how his summer was. He sort of mumbled something, I think. He asked me to bite down. The rest of the conversation was directed at the CDA. He told her that one of the brackets was 0.5 mm out of place.
He broke off the bracket. Now THAT really hurt. Then he sanded it off, and I watched the white "sawdust" get kicked into the air. It had a little burnt smell to it. Then he disappeared to work on another patient as the CDA put on the etchant, stuck in the hard foam rolls between my cheek/lip. When he returned, I was shocked at how quickly he placed the bracket on. Basically in one motion he brought it up and put it on my tooth. If it were me (an untrained non-orthodontist), I would have taken some time to position my hand just so and then slowly brought it toward the tooth. I guess that's why he gets $7000 for his two hours' work. I say two hours because at this rate, this will be the total time he spends with me. Of course I'm just joking about this whole thing, since I know he has to pay for overhead, materials, his bevy of CDAs and receptionists, etc. but it was interesting thinking of how much time he actually spends with each patient.
I have no idea which bracket he repositioned, but I felt like it was the lower left front first incisor. Then he mumbled to his CDA to use two 18 wires. Previously I had 16s (It was written on a little envelope with my old wires in there). The CDA had thought that with the new bracket that he might step back in wire thickness rather than go forward, but, no, it was full speed ahead.
Then the CDA asked him 6 weeks? He said, no 8 weeks. Yes, that's right. I come back in 8 weeks. At this rate of once every two months, I should have only three more appointments before I'm done in February, the projected project end. I call it a project because it seems like I'm treated like one!
An interesting thing I discussed with the CDA was that they are using the regular Ormco arch wires for me, since the Damon arch wires have a wider arch and I have a smaller jaw.
It's dinner time, six hours after the misplaced bracket was applied, and so far, no pain.
Now, for pics of my teeth.
I don't really see any significant changes since my photos done in May!!! Maybe an expert eye can see the difference.
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
Wax On
The removal and reapplication of the 0.5 mm out of place bracket resulted in a sore spot inside my lower lip. After a few days of pain I decided to wax the bracket, but was too lazy to go down to the main floor of my home to get the wax. Two nights passed of laziness, and the soreness had gone away!
With the new 18 wires, my teeth were definitely sore again. Chewing hurt. It was a reminder of my newly braced days. The soreness lasted several days, but as a veteran of tooth pain, it didn't phase me or have an effect on what I ate. It was business as normal, but in slow motion. Chewed slowly to deal with the pain, but still conquered my chunks of meat and sushi.
After my teeth cleaning (same day as my adjustment), I was extra well behaved for... two days, flossing daily.
With the new 18 wires, my teeth were definitely sore again. Chewing hurt. It was a reminder of my newly braced days. The soreness lasted several days, but as a veteran of tooth pain, it didn't phase me or have an effect on what I ate. It was business as normal, but in slow motion. Chewed slowly to deal with the pain, but still conquered my chunks of meat and sushi.
After my teeth cleaning (same day as my adjustment), I was extra well behaved for... two days, flossing daily.
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
The "7"s: Involving the Molars
Ever had something that you really wanted dangled in front of you, then snatched away, then replaced with something not so good? Yeah, sorry, the free gift that comes with your purchase is not the pair of Tiffany diamond earrings, it's this nail polish. Well, folks, that is what happened to me today on my nth adjustment. I call it "n" because n stands for the unknown number, and I still can't be bothered to figure out how many adjustments I've had.
This morning's appointment didn't go as normal. The CDA didn't get to remove the wire for me, with the familiar stench routine. The ortho came nearly right away. He gave a series of cryptic instructions. Change the upper wire to a 19-25, change lower wire to 18-25, springs 2-2, elastics on 4-7, or something like that which sounded like a football play. HIKE! The CDA scribbled furiously on a piece of white paper on the tray in front of me with her big black permanent marker, recording his list of instructions. As he blathered on with the numbers and instructions, I got excited, thinking that we are in the finishing stages. I could see me running acrosss the finish line in my mind, the tape stretching across the inflated balloon arch, the time in big digital display stopped at 12 months as I raised my arms in elation, my braces gleaming in the sun.
Then, as he was about to go, he started looking like he was having DEEP THOUGHTS. He kept asking me to bite down and used his little dental mirror to look repeatedly at my bite from every possible angle, multiple times. Right side. Left side uppers, right side uppers. Back to left side back molars. You get the picture. I don't remember exactly what he said, but what he did was more significant. He stopped the CDA, grabbed the big black permanent marker and made big scribbling gestures, crossing out everything she had already written. Then he only wrote "upper 18-25 7-7" or something like that (brain foggy, old age you know).
Here is what this meant. He was torn and undecided if he should deal with the upper molars now or later. He was concerned that if we fixed it later, it might take the central teeth with them as it straightened. Or at least this is how I understood it. This is one of the times in my life that I felt stupid, because although I asked the CDA to explain it to me again, I still don't quite understand what the problem was. She said my upper molars were far out of the arch, and that they would be trying to bring them in before finishing the teeth. The upper wire would be changed down a strength, and he would put brackets on the 7s, the furthest back molars, which until now had blissfully been metal free. There would be no elastics, no springs, and no ticker tape parades. Oh, except he would "piggy back" elastics either under or over the wires.
The CDA prepared my 7s for the brackets. Wow, it was painful. I knew I was in trouble when she whipped out the dreaded sharp cardboard to shield the teeth from the wet repulsive mucosa of my cheeks. She used the horrid tasting blue etchant, rinsed and dried. It was the instruments that she used to jam in there that caught the side of my mouth, pinching it against the cardboard. I said nothing as my eyes watered. There isn't much you can say with cardboard in your mouth. I didn't even say ouch and hoped it would be over quickly so I wouldn't have to say anything.
And most traumatizing of all was what came next. The ortho put on one bracket then realized that the 6's bracket (the tooth beside it) would have to be moved as well, or so he said, because I don't remember him doing that during the appointment. He started taking out the upper wire, thus exposing him to the toxic fumes of stink directly. What a man. I was mortified. The CDA had smelled it before, but never this close, because he removed the wire and continued to work in my mouth. The rest of the visit was not memorable. He placed the second bracket, then the CDA put the new wire in. I saw my good friend, the phallus shaped blue light machine, which cured the adhesive for the new bracket.
Another fun moment resulted from the CDA's request for me to move my lower jaw toward her. This caused the too long wire to poke straight into my cheek on the side opposite to the one she was working on. Again, I didn't say anything because my mouth was full and I figured the pain would be over soon.
Six hours later, I feel tension and pressure across my upper front teeth. Already the roots are getting sore.
Neptune, thanks for checking in with me. I didn't see your message until today. I don't look at my blog unless I'm actually writing in it or I've just written in it and I'm checking whether others are commenting (there were no comments after the most recent entry). I suppose everything is progressing as it should. To my eyes, my teeth haven't changed much in the past month. The gaps are still there, and the crooked tooth that mostly was the cause of my wanting to change my teeth is still slightly crooked. I haven't yet asked the ortho about why it hasn't been brought into line yet. I would guess that the adjacent "1" needs to be shaved down so it can fit in?!!
Took a series of pictures, but I was unable to show the 7s, no matter how hard I pulled at the corners of my mouth! I can see in the mirror that they are really out of line with the other teeth. The wire is very crooked going to those back teeth, tilting upward.
In this one picture you can see how the 7s are out of line, but that's all I could show. Couldn't show the brackets and side views. You can also see the clear elastics behind the 1s and 2s.
This morning's appointment didn't go as normal. The CDA didn't get to remove the wire for me, with the familiar stench routine. The ortho came nearly right away. He gave a series of cryptic instructions. Change the upper wire to a 19-25, change lower wire to 18-25, springs 2-2, elastics on 4-7, or something like that which sounded like a football play. HIKE! The CDA scribbled furiously on a piece of white paper on the tray in front of me with her big black permanent marker, recording his list of instructions. As he blathered on with the numbers and instructions, I got excited, thinking that we are in the finishing stages. I could see me running acrosss the finish line in my mind, the tape stretching across the inflated balloon arch, the time in big digital display stopped at 12 months as I raised my arms in elation, my braces gleaming in the sun.
Then, as he was about to go, he started looking like he was having DEEP THOUGHTS. He kept asking me to bite down and used his little dental mirror to look repeatedly at my bite from every possible angle, multiple times. Right side. Left side uppers, right side uppers. Back to left side back molars. You get the picture. I don't remember exactly what he said, but what he did was more significant. He stopped the CDA, grabbed the big black permanent marker and made big scribbling gestures, crossing out everything she had already written. Then he only wrote "upper 18-25 7-7" or something like that (brain foggy, old age you know).
Here is what this meant. He was torn and undecided if he should deal with the upper molars now or later. He was concerned that if we fixed it later, it might take the central teeth with them as it straightened. Or at least this is how I understood it. This is one of the times in my life that I felt stupid, because although I asked the CDA to explain it to me again, I still don't quite understand what the problem was. She said my upper molars were far out of the arch, and that they would be trying to bring them in before finishing the teeth. The upper wire would be changed down a strength, and he would put brackets on the 7s, the furthest back molars, which until now had blissfully been metal free. There would be no elastics, no springs, and no ticker tape parades. Oh, except he would "piggy back" elastics either under or over the wires.
The CDA prepared my 7s for the brackets. Wow, it was painful. I knew I was in trouble when she whipped out the dreaded sharp cardboard to shield the teeth from the wet repulsive mucosa of my cheeks. She used the horrid tasting blue etchant, rinsed and dried. It was the instruments that she used to jam in there that caught the side of my mouth, pinching it against the cardboard. I said nothing as my eyes watered. There isn't much you can say with cardboard in your mouth. I didn't even say ouch and hoped it would be over quickly so I wouldn't have to say anything.
And most traumatizing of all was what came next. The ortho put on one bracket then realized that the 6's bracket (the tooth beside it) would have to be moved as well, or so he said, because I don't remember him doing that during the appointment. He started taking out the upper wire, thus exposing him to the toxic fumes of stink directly. What a man. I was mortified. The CDA had smelled it before, but never this close, because he removed the wire and continued to work in my mouth. The rest of the visit was not memorable. He placed the second bracket, then the CDA put the new wire in. I saw my good friend, the phallus shaped blue light machine, which cured the adhesive for the new bracket.
Another fun moment resulted from the CDA's request for me to move my lower jaw toward her. This caused the too long wire to poke straight into my cheek on the side opposite to the one she was working on. Again, I didn't say anything because my mouth was full and I figured the pain would be over soon.
Six hours later, I feel tension and pressure across my upper front teeth. Already the roots are getting sore.
Neptune, thanks for checking in with me. I didn't see your message until today. I don't look at my blog unless I'm actually writing in it or I've just written in it and I'm checking whether others are commenting (there were no comments after the most recent entry). I suppose everything is progressing as it should. To my eyes, my teeth haven't changed much in the past month. The gaps are still there, and the crooked tooth that mostly was the cause of my wanting to change my teeth is still slightly crooked. I haven't yet asked the ortho about why it hasn't been brought into line yet. I would guess that the adjacent "1" needs to be shaved down so it can fit in?!!
Took a series of pictures, but I was unable to show the 7s, no matter how hard I pulled at the corners of my mouth! I can see in the mirror that they are really out of line with the other teeth. The wire is very crooked going to those back teeth, tilting upward.
In this one picture you can see how the 7s are out of line, but that's all I could show. Couldn't show the brackets and side views. You can also see the clear elastics behind the 1s and 2s.
I feel for you, I do. My '7's' are also out of line, but lucky me, I got banded for those little puppies. Your Damon's may have monthly stench, but if I am correct, you are minus the joy that is spacers/molar bands. If I am incorrect, well...my bad! Hope you get to the ticker-tape parade sooner than later..good luck!
2/2/09: metal braces T/B
8/20/10: braced removed (18mons, 18days), hawley retainers T/B
9/16/10: LR central incisor extracted (failed root canal)
2/23/11: implant/bone graft
9/15/11: implant crown placed, lower lingual bonding corrected
9/21/11: upper bonding on lateral gaps from upper arch forward advancement
10/17/11: new hawley retainers w/plastic tubing over the 'social six' wire, both T/B
8/20/10: braced removed (18mons, 18days), hawley retainers T/B
9/16/10: LR central incisor extracted (failed root canal)
2/23/11: implant/bone graft
9/15/11: implant crown placed, lower lingual bonding corrected
9/21/11: upper bonding on lateral gaps from upper arch forward advancement
10/17/11: new hawley retainers w/plastic tubing over the 'social six' wire, both T/B
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
Molar Bands
Hi Opera^gal,
True, I didn't have to get my molars banded... today, but I have had my lower molars banded for a lingual arch. So let's just say that I have "enjoyed" spacers in the past. I wonder if others at the finishing line have molar bands applied instead of brackets, or it it's unusual to wait until the end to put brackets on the 7s.
I do love my ortho for his intelligent and innovative approach to his work, (although I do not have the hots for him the way a fellow poster wrote of his undying lust for his female ortho). I'm sure he knows what he's doing, even if and especially if his approach is not the well trodden path. I do wish he explained what he was doing, instead of having his CDA do this for him. At times I feel like a set of plaster teeth in a study group! It also reminds me of when I get my hair cut by a master hairdresser who flits from client to client, but at least they explain what they're doing!
True, I didn't have to get my molars banded... today, but I have had my lower molars banded for a lingual arch. So let's just say that I have "enjoyed" spacers in the past. I wonder if others at the finishing line have molar bands applied instead of brackets, or it it's unusual to wait until the end to put brackets on the 7s.
I do love my ortho for his intelligent and innovative approach to his work, (although I do not have the hots for him the way a fellow poster wrote of his undying lust for his female ortho). I'm sure he knows what he's doing, even if and especially if his approach is not the well trodden path. I do wish he explained what he was doing, instead of having his CDA do this for him. At times I feel like a set of plaster teeth in a study group! It also reminds me of when I get my hair cut by a master hairdresser who flits from client to client, but at least they explain what they're doing!
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
Poking Wires and Headaches
I was going to post yesterday. The post was going to say, "Ow. Ow ow ow." And that was it.
Then I got used to the pain.
I have more to write about today. I just came back from my ortho's office. Emergency appointment to clip off the wire ends from my 7s. You see, they were poking into my cheek enough to cause blood clots to form.
I tried brushing my teeth before I went in to my 4 pm appointment, and all I saw was pink. My toothbrush and everything I spat out was pink, even after every rinse. Couldn't believe how much blood was coming out of the left side cheek near the 7. Then I gobbed some wax on the brackets and poking wire.
The appointment was fast. It was a CDA who I'd never seen before because she works on a day that my ortho doesn't normally work (Fridays). She first used pliers to try to shift the entire upper wire to the right. Then she clipped off wire from both my right and left. She said that there was an injury on my right as well as the left. I suppose the pain of the right side was overshadowed by the horrendous situation on the left side.
She also said that the type of wire I had in my uppers tends to shift. Great. Just GREAT.
What's really funny is that if I hadn't started bleeding, I would have just taken the pain like a man. Done nothing. I thought I had learned that if you tough it out at first, the pain eventually goes away faster. Not so in this case. If I didn't at least wax the wire, it would have gotten worse with no chance to heal.
In fact, two days ago I rinsed out a blood clot. As I saw it in the sink, I just couldn't believe it was a blood clot. But now that I had a much bigger one today, I know that it was indeed a blood clot.
Another new thing that is really noticeable today is a raging headache. As I've written before in my blog, I don't EVER get headaches, except from listening to hard rock music. Or from singing too high for too long. There must be some major movement going on for me to have a headache. The last time I had a headache not cause by music it was when I first had braces put on.
Then I got used to the pain.
I have more to write about today. I just came back from my ortho's office. Emergency appointment to clip off the wire ends from my 7s. You see, they were poking into my cheek enough to cause blood clots to form.
I tried brushing my teeth before I went in to my 4 pm appointment, and all I saw was pink. My toothbrush and everything I spat out was pink, even after every rinse. Couldn't believe how much blood was coming out of the left side cheek near the 7. Then I gobbed some wax on the brackets and poking wire.
The appointment was fast. It was a CDA who I'd never seen before because she works on a day that my ortho doesn't normally work (Fridays). She first used pliers to try to shift the entire upper wire to the right. Then she clipped off wire from both my right and left. She said that there was an injury on my right as well as the left. I suppose the pain of the right side was overshadowed by the horrendous situation on the left side.
She also said that the type of wire I had in my uppers tends to shift. Great. Just GREAT.
What's really funny is that if I hadn't started bleeding, I would have just taken the pain like a man. Done nothing. I thought I had learned that if you tough it out at first, the pain eventually goes away faster. Not so in this case. If I didn't at least wax the wire, it would have gotten worse with no chance to heal.
In fact, two days ago I rinsed out a blood clot. As I saw it in the sink, I just couldn't believe it was a blood clot. But now that I had a much bigger one today, I know that it was indeed a blood clot.
Another new thing that is really noticeable today is a raging headache. As I've written before in my blog, I don't EVER get headaches, except from listening to hard rock music. Or from singing too high for too long. There must be some major movement going on for me to have a headache. The last time I had a headache not cause by music it was when I first had braces put on.
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
Fledgling Ortho
Now I've done it. I've made my ortho angry.
My wires had been dialled back thinner when my 7s were included for the first time. Now my wires have been stepped up again, to 18-25s, and the chain elastic removed.
That chain elastic looked rather pathetic on the white paper tray liner... shrunken and yellowed after removal, sort of like a used condom that you see discarded on the ground in a park. That elastic had caused me considerable pain these past weeks. Every time I "incised" something, it hurt. Despite this, I naughtily ate an apple. Whole. Gasp. Yes, I know. Verboten. But I really wanted to eat that apple. I ate steaks, my eyes watering from the pain of incising with my sore front teeth.
Good riddance.
This time the ortho told me what was going on. He said that my teeth want to rotate inward, making a V shape motion with his hands, when they should be rotating outward, the natural position. The second incisors as well also want to rotate inward, which is apparently quite rare, as is the shape of each incisor. They are triangular, and I think he said something about them being thick on the outside and thin on the inside of the teeth. In any event, they are stubbornly not rotating.
So, stronger wires are being added to try to rotate them back into position. He said he had even placed the brackets toward one side to encourage the rotation. On the next appointment, the brackets will be moved again to try to rotate the front incisors, so it will be a 45 minute appointment rather than the usual 15 minute one.
I asked the CDA about when my journey will be over. She said that each time my wires are dialled back, I am not moving forward in my journey, but standing still, or worse yet, going back in time! I have stopped keeping my eyes on the finish line, because it is getting further away, not closer. These past few weeks I have been telling everyone that I will be done in February. Alas, this will not be the case. The original estimate was 18-20 months for the full treatment. We are currently at 16 months. Unless a small miracle occurs, my guess is that we're going to be at the upper end of the cover your ass range. She also said that next the ortho will be using a diamond strip to floss between my teeth to shave down the enamel since I have quite a bit of enamel and that the shaving, or IPR, might ease the rotation of the teeth.
Next, I made a mistake. I asked the CDA whether the ortho could do the IPR now to move things along. Apparently the CDA said that it was on my record that I do not want my teeth "disked" or shaven down. Now, that was true in the beginning, but now I just want everything done ASAP. She toddled off to inform the ortho of my change in instructions, and he came back.
At this point, I said that since I will probably require IPR later because of the shovel shaped nature of my teeth and dark triangles, he said, "And now you think you're orthodontists" in a dark grumbly sort of way. Oops. I was quite embarrassed by his being peeved. He did take a look and said that disking wouldn't help the situation, or the teeth would get gaps where there shouldn't be gaps. Well, now that I've been shoved back into place, I think I'll stay there.
I wasn't trying to tell him how to do his job. Or so I thought. It is that the CDA said that next appointment disking would be done, so I figured disking could be done this appointment to move things along. My mistake, folks.
Next appointment is six weeks from now, which is the 17 month mark.
My wires had been dialled back thinner when my 7s were included for the first time. Now my wires have been stepped up again, to 18-25s, and the chain elastic removed.
That chain elastic looked rather pathetic on the white paper tray liner... shrunken and yellowed after removal, sort of like a used condom that you see discarded on the ground in a park. That elastic had caused me considerable pain these past weeks. Every time I "incised" something, it hurt. Despite this, I naughtily ate an apple. Whole. Gasp. Yes, I know. Verboten. But I really wanted to eat that apple. I ate steaks, my eyes watering from the pain of incising with my sore front teeth.
Good riddance.
This time the ortho told me what was going on. He said that my teeth want to rotate inward, making a V shape motion with his hands, when they should be rotating outward, the natural position. The second incisors as well also want to rotate inward, which is apparently quite rare, as is the shape of each incisor. They are triangular, and I think he said something about them being thick on the outside and thin on the inside of the teeth. In any event, they are stubbornly not rotating.
So, stronger wires are being added to try to rotate them back into position. He said he had even placed the brackets toward one side to encourage the rotation. On the next appointment, the brackets will be moved again to try to rotate the front incisors, so it will be a 45 minute appointment rather than the usual 15 minute one.
I asked the CDA about when my journey will be over. She said that each time my wires are dialled back, I am not moving forward in my journey, but standing still, or worse yet, going back in time! I have stopped keeping my eyes on the finish line, because it is getting further away, not closer. These past few weeks I have been telling everyone that I will be done in February. Alas, this will not be the case. The original estimate was 18-20 months for the full treatment. We are currently at 16 months. Unless a small miracle occurs, my guess is that we're going to be at the upper end of the cover your ass range. She also said that next the ortho will be using a diamond strip to floss between my teeth to shave down the enamel since I have quite a bit of enamel and that the shaving, or IPR, might ease the rotation of the teeth.
Next, I made a mistake. I asked the CDA whether the ortho could do the IPR now to move things along. Apparently the CDA said that it was on my record that I do not want my teeth "disked" or shaven down. Now, that was true in the beginning, but now I just want everything done ASAP. She toddled off to inform the ortho of my change in instructions, and he came back.
At this point, I said that since I will probably require IPR later because of the shovel shaped nature of my teeth and dark triangles, he said, "And now you think you're orthodontists" in a dark grumbly sort of way. Oops. I was quite embarrassed by his being peeved. He did take a look and said that disking wouldn't help the situation, or the teeth would get gaps where there shouldn't be gaps. Well, now that I've been shoved back into place, I think I'll stay there.
I wasn't trying to tell him how to do his job. Or so I thought. It is that the CDA said that next appointment disking would be done, so I figured disking could be done this appointment to move things along. My mistake, folks.
Next appointment is six weeks from now, which is the 17 month mark.
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karencoutts
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:38 pm
The Agony without the Ectasy
Hiya Ken. Thanks for writing in and comforting me. My ortho is quite gruff and abrupt. That's his style, which I understand now, but I was a bit misled at my first appointment. He said more at his first appointment than his accumulated talking time since then. The important thing is that I still believe in his competence, and that's really what counts.
And now an update...
These last few days have been just agonizing. Mere hours after putting the 18-25 wires back on, my teeth were in pain. Every meal since the re-bracing has been painful. I went back to porridges and soups and things I can eat without chewing! Green tea infused creme brulee last night was quite satisfying.
The annoying problem is that there is no way to bite down on anything without pain. At least in the past there was some different way to bite to avoid pain. Now all ways of biting hurt: back teeth, front teeth, side... And the level of pain was incredible. So it's a matter of finding the LEAST painful way of biting down.
I am also getting headaches from the braces. I'm having terrible thoughts as well, now that I know that the end has become further away. I wonder if it was a mistake spending $7200 on my teeth. I still don't understand why orthodontics is such an expensive thing to do. How much do braces cost anyway wholesale? And how much time will I spending in the chair over the course of my treatment? Maybe 12 hours maximum? Say it costs $2000 for brackets and wires (unlikely!). Then $5200 for 12 hours is more than $400 an hour!!! If it costs $5000 for the hardware, then $2200 for 12 hours is still nearly $200 an hour. And the ortho is not working on one patient at a time for many of those hours...
And now an update...
These last few days have been just agonizing. Mere hours after putting the 18-25 wires back on, my teeth were in pain. Every meal since the re-bracing has been painful. I went back to porridges and soups and things I can eat without chewing! Green tea infused creme brulee last night was quite satisfying.
The annoying problem is that there is no way to bite down on anything without pain. At least in the past there was some different way to bite to avoid pain. Now all ways of biting hurt: back teeth, front teeth, side... And the level of pain was incredible. So it's a matter of finding the LEAST painful way of biting down.
I am also getting headaches from the braces. I'm having terrible thoughts as well, now that I know that the end has become further away. I wonder if it was a mistake spending $7200 on my teeth. I still don't understand why orthodontics is such an expensive thing to do. How much do braces cost anyway wholesale? And how much time will I spending in the chair over the course of my treatment? Maybe 12 hours maximum? Say it costs $2000 for brackets and wires (unlikely!). Then $5200 for 12 hours is more than $400 an hour!!! If it costs $5000 for the hardware, then $2200 for 12 hours is still nearly $200 an hour. And the ortho is not working on one patient at a time for many of those hours...