I had my 9th adjustment this week. It was a fairly uneventful appointment. My ortho made a few more bends in both my top and my bottom wires, and she told me to continue to wear my elastics for 12 hours a day. They took a quick Xray to see where my roots were, and that was it ... back in 4 weeks.
My ortho said that my teeth are coming along very nicely. I almost asked the, So how much longer?" question, but didn't because I wasn't sure that I wanted to hear the answer. Next month will be my 1 year anniversary of getting my braces. The initial estimate was 2 years ... I'm hoping that I am at least half way through. Perhaps I'll ask at my next appointment.
This was also the first adjustment that was virtually pain free. I'll be real happy if all of the rest of my adjustments are this easy.
Shutter's Story
Moderator: bbsadmin
One year later
I had my 10th adjustment last week - it has now been just over a year since I have been braced.
No major changes in the plan - just a few more bends into my wires to continue to adjust my bite. My ortho told me to keep wearing the same elastic configuration 12 hours a day to help keep things in place.
I did ask her the question that I have avoided asking all year long - "You originally gave me an estimate of between 24 and 30 months - Is that still a good estimate, or is it possible that I might be done sooner?"
My ortho was fairly non-commital - she told me that my teeth were moving well, so it was quite possible that I could finish sooner. But, she said that she did not like to give estimates because she didn't like to set false expectations in case things slowed down ... fair enough. I will continue to cross my fingers for an early finish.
Here are a few pictures comparing my brace day and a year later -
Front - brace day:
Front - after one year:
Bottom - brace day:
Bottom - after one year:
Top - brace day:
Top - after one year:
No major changes in the plan - just a few more bends into my wires to continue to adjust my bite. My ortho told me to keep wearing the same elastic configuration 12 hours a day to help keep things in place.
I did ask her the question that I have avoided asking all year long - "You originally gave me an estimate of between 24 and 30 months - Is that still a good estimate, or is it possible that I might be done sooner?"
My ortho was fairly non-commital - she told me that my teeth were moving well, so it was quite possible that I could finish sooner. But, she said that she did not like to give estimates because she didn't like to set false expectations in case things slowed down ... fair enough. I will continue to cross my fingers for an early finish.
Here are a few pictures comparing my brace day and a year later -
Front - brace day:
Front - after one year:
Bottom - brace day:
Bottom - after one year:
Top - brace day:
Top - after one year:
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Click on www below to see my braces story.
Had my 11th adjustment a couple of weeks ago. Not much happened ... my ortho put another small bend in my top wire and one in my bottom wire. Next adjustment in 4 weeks.
At this point, it feels as if we are adjusting my teeth one at a time ... this part of my treatment seems about as exciting as watching paint dry ....
We'll see what happens next time.
At this point, it feels as if we are adjusting my teeth one at a time ... this part of my treatment seems about as exciting as watching paint dry ....
We'll see what happens next time.
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Click on www below to see my braces story.
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PrincessPeach
- Posts: 251
- Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:18 pm
- Location: Manchester, UK
Had my 12th adjustment yesterday. Ugh ...
Well, the good news is that the bite on both of the sides is looking pretty good. The bad news is that my midline is still off. To adjust my midline without effecting the sides, my ortho had to give me this lovely elastic configuration -
I am supposed to wear this 24 hours a day. I have been really good about following my ortho's instructions to the letter, but this one is going to be hard. Can't eat with it in, can't talk well and when I do I, well it just looks silly.
I think that it is going to be a long 4 weeks.
Also got power chains to close some gaps that I have, plus a few new bends in my upper wire.
Between all of that, I am in pain today.
Last time I said that it felt like they were adjusting my mouth one tooth at a time ... Not this month.
Hopefully the fact that my sides look good mean that the end is in sight.
Well, the good news is that the bite on both of the sides is looking pretty good. The bad news is that my midline is still off. To adjust my midline without effecting the sides, my ortho had to give me this lovely elastic configuration -
I am supposed to wear this 24 hours a day. I have been really good about following my ortho's instructions to the letter, but this one is going to be hard. Can't eat with it in, can't talk well and when I do I, well it just looks silly.
I think that it is going to be a long 4 weeks.
Also got power chains to close some gaps that I have, plus a few new bends in my upper wire.
Between all of that, I am in pain today.
Last time I said that it felt like they were adjusting my mouth one tooth at a time ... Not this month.
Hopefully the fact that my sides look good mean that the end is in sight.
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Click on www below to see my braces story.
Hey Shutter,
Congrats on your progress...your teeth are looking very straight indeed. I have been in heavy elastics (box config on both sides) for several months and know how uncomfortable they can be. My midline has drifted off a little so I suspect I'll be getting a similar config at some point. I'm not sure I'll be able to wear it to the office though! Please let us know how that goes.
I noticed from you ticker that we started this journey at nearly the same time. Has your ortho mentioned anyting about your remaining timeline? Mine says I still have a ways to go to correct my bite, so nothing yet (my original estimate was 18 months). I can't wait to eat chicken wings and ribs again without having to shred them first!
Congrats on your progress...your teeth are looking very straight indeed. I have been in heavy elastics (box config on both sides) for several months and know how uncomfortable they can be. My midline has drifted off a little so I suspect I'll be getting a similar config at some point. I'm not sure I'll be able to wear it to the office though! Please let us know how that goes.
I noticed from you ticker that we started this journey at nearly the same time. Has your ortho mentioned anyting about your remaining timeline? Mine says I still have a ways to go to correct my bite, so nothing yet (my original estimate was 18 months). I can't wait to eat chicken wings and ribs again without having to shred them first!
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cheyeaitsxchelsea
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 pm
I adored reading your updates, youre moving along quite well!
It must be nice having your son going through the same thing you are, and at such a young age aswell. Hes going to thank you in the long run even if he hates them now. 11? with a 2 year sentence hes going to be at just the right age when he gets them off! Im 18, and I feel old as hell getting braces, and braces are just going to make clubbing and everything more of a hassel. But its what I wanted to do, what I needed to do.
I look forward to your updates!
It must be nice having your son going through the same thing you are, and at such a young age aswell. Hes going to thank you in the long run even if he hates them now. 11? with a 2 year sentence hes going to be at just the right age when he gets them off! Im 18, and I feel old as hell getting braces, and braces are just going to make clubbing and everything more of a hassel. But its what I wanted to do, what I needed to do.
I look forward to your updates!
Yesterday was my first day back in the office with this configuration. Wasn't too bad ... I wore the elastics for most of the day.Jethro wrote:Hey Shutter,
Congrats on your progress...your teeth are looking very straight indeed. I have been in heavy elastics (box config on both sides) for several months and know how uncomfortable they can be. My midline has drifted off a little so I suspect I'll be getting a similar config at some point. I'm not sure I'll be able to wear it to the office though! Please let us know how that goes.
I noticed from you ticker that we started this journey at nearly the same time. Has your ortho mentioned anyting about your remaining timeline? Mine says I still have a ways to go to correct my bite, so nothing yet (my original estimate was 18 months). I can't wait to eat chicken wings and ribs again without having to shred them first!
I noticed two things about this configuration
- It's pretty hard to talk loudly with them in (uncomfortable to open your mouth too wide), so I tend to talk very softly with the elastic in place. As a result, I don't open my mouth too wide, so they aren't as noticable.
- If I tilt my head down slightly, they are less noticable as well.
So, I left them in for most of the day, only taking them out when I had to do a lot of speaking.
No update on an estimated end date. My original estimate was 24 - 30 months. I asked my ortho last month if she thought that I might be done sooner ... she was very non-commital ... she said that it was certainly possible. She did say that she hates giving estimates and then missing them, because that really disappoints people, so I hope that she is just being conservative.
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Click on www below to see my braces story.
I had my 13th update last month. Uneventful and disappointing. My ortho said that my midline had not moved enough, so I had to wear the dreaded 'across the front of my mouth' elastic configuration for another 4 weeks (24 hours a day). Ugh.
Well, I survived the last month and had my 14th adjustment today. Today, my ortho told me that my midline was right where it needed to be, so I could cut back the elastics to only 12 hours a day
She did some IPR between my two top front teeth to lessen the black triangle that I have there. She told me that she can't get rid of it completely, without filing too much away ... not a problem ... doesn't really matter to me.
Then she told me that things are looking very good and that I am entering the home stretch
She told me that she is going to call my dentist and see if he wants her to do any tweaking for him. I am going to need some restoration work after my braces come off, and she said that sometimes my dentist will ask her to tweak some things to make the restoration work easier. But other than that, she said that things are looking very good.
I didn't ask her 'how long', because I don't think that she will know until she talks to my dentist, but I think that this is a very good sign that the end is near. We'll see what she says in 4 weeks.
Well, I survived the last month and had my 14th adjustment today. Today, my ortho told me that my midline was right where it needed to be, so I could cut back the elastics to only 12 hours a day
She did some IPR between my two top front teeth to lessen the black triangle that I have there. She told me that she can't get rid of it completely, without filing too much away ... not a problem ... doesn't really matter to me.
Then she told me that things are looking very good and that I am entering the home stretch
She told me that she is going to call my dentist and see if he wants her to do any tweaking for him. I am going to need some restoration work after my braces come off, and she said that sometimes my dentist will ask her to tweak some things to make the restoration work easier. But other than that, she said that things are looking very good.
I didn't ask her 'how long', because I don't think that she will know until she talks to my dentist, but I think that this is a very good sign that the end is near. We'll see what she says in 4 weeks.
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Click on www below to see my braces story.
My 15th adjustment
Had my 15th adjustment this week. Things are progressing well.
My ortho made a few small bends to my upper wire and told me to cut back on wearing my elastics to only 6 hours per day (for the last month I had been wearing them 12 hours per day). She told me that we need to cut back on wearing elastics gradually, or else the teeth can shift back.
Then yesterday, I broke a bracket while eating lunch - the first one in the 17 months that I have been wearing braces. I called the office and they got me in today to get it fixed. The bracket was on my left lower second molar. My ortho looked at it and said that the tooth was in perfect postion, so that we could just leave it off. She clipped the wire and polished off the cement on the tooth.
So I guess that I can look at it as if I've had one of my braces removed. Just 30 more to go. Now that my teeth are basically in position, I can wait to get the rest of them off. We'll see what my ortho says when I go back in 3 weeks.
Here are the latest pics:
Front:
Bottom:
Top:
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My ortho made a few small bends to my upper wire and told me to cut back on wearing my elastics to only 6 hours per day (for the last month I had been wearing them 12 hours per day). She told me that we need to cut back on wearing elastics gradually, or else the teeth can shift back.
Then yesterday, I broke a bracket while eating lunch - the first one in the 17 months that I have been wearing braces. I called the office and they got me in today to get it fixed. The bracket was on my left lower second molar. My ortho looked at it and said that the tooth was in perfect postion, so that we could just leave it off. She clipped the wire and polished off the cement on the tooth.
So I guess that I can look at it as if I've had one of my braces removed. Just 30 more to go. Now that my teeth are basically in position, I can wait to get the rest of them off. We'll see what my ortho says when I go back in 3 weeks.
Here are the latest pics:
Front:
Bottom:
Top:
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Click on www below to see my braces story.
My 16th adjustment
I had my 16th adjustment last week.
My ortho said that my teeth are looking very good. Basically at this point we are just waiting to make sure that my bite is stable. She made a couple of very minor tweaks to one of my wires and told me to stop wearing the elastics all together.
I asked her how much longer until I got my braces off ... all that she said was, 'Soon'.
Afterwards, the tech told me that she thinks that it could be as early as next month. At this point I can only hope that she's right.
My ortho said that my teeth are looking very good. Basically at this point we are just waiting to make sure that my bite is stable. She made a couple of very minor tweaks to one of my wires and told me to stop wearing the elastics all together.
I asked her how much longer until I got my braces off ... all that she said was, 'Soon'.
Afterwards, the tech told me that she thinks that it could be as early as next month. At this point I can only hope that she's right.
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Click on www below to see my braces story.
your teeth are looking good!
I've got crowded lower teeth like yours and I sure hope mine can look as nice without extractions too. =)
Hope your ortho gives you good news soon!
I've got crowded lower teeth like yours and I sure hope mine can look as nice without extractions too. =)
Hope your ortho gives you good news soon!
My teeth were sentenced on 7th May 2010 to be imprisoned for 2 years.
What they did behind bars: My braces story
Finishing wire on since 4th October
Debraced June 2011!!
What they did behind bars: My braces story
Finishing wire on since 4th October
Debraced June 2011!!
I got the magic words!!
I went for my 17th adjustment this week and I got the magic words .... "your braces are ready to come off!!" Total time will have been just over 19 months, which is about 5 months less than my original estimate of 24 months.
My debanding day is June 21st, and then I get my retainers the next day.
My ortho said that I will be getting a permanent bonded retainer on the bottom and an essix retainer for both the top and bottom as well. I will have to wear the essix 24 hours a day for 6 months, and then I can cut it back to 12 hours a day.
I'm so excited ... can't wait to have smooth teeth again!!!
Total time will have been just over 19 months, which is about 5 months less than my original estimate of 24 months. My debanding day is June 21st, and then I get my retainers the next day.
My ortho said that I will be getting a permanent bonded retainer on the bottom and an essix retainer for both the top and bottom as well. I will have to wear the essix 24 hours a day for 6 months, and then I can cut it back to 12 hours a day.
I'm so excited ... can't wait to have smooth teeth again!!!
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Click on www below to see my braces story.
Woohoo! congrats!
How come you gotta use the essix for the bottom even though you're gonna have bonded retainers there?
How come you gotta use the essix for the bottom even though you're gonna have bonded retainers there?
My teeth were sentenced on 7th May 2010 to be imprisoned for 2 years.
What they did behind bars: My braces story
Finishing wire on since 4th October
Debraced June 2011!!
What they did behind bars: My braces story
Finishing wire on since 4th October
Debraced June 2011!!