opera^gal's story

If you want to share the detailed saga of your braces story, this is the place to do it. You can use this forum as a braces journal, editing and updating your posts as your treatment goes on. Remember to also visit the main ArchWired.com site for additional stories from other readers!

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opera^gal
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: NYC

#331 Post by opera^gal »

THEY ARE OFF!!!

Got to the office and all the staff immediately asked if I was excited...d'oh! Of course I am!!! Taken back to the chair and the best of the tech gals I've had came in, had me bite down on some cotton and snapsnapsnapsnapclipclipsnapsnapsnapsnapclipclip..poof..the brackets/arch wires were off as off can be. Felt pressure but no pain. Then she pried off the molar bands, and that was nasty due to flying bits of bonding material and general stank. For all the brushing/flossing...you'd think there'd be no stank left but under those bands, just like under spacers..p-u! A rinse and the doc came in to grind off all the left over adhesive and polish up everything. Ended up with water spray everywhere from the polishing head, but who cares!! They took repeat pictures for their files <which I hope to get copies of to post> and then the doc came back to trial fit the hawley retainers. Top went in like a charm, and the bottom needed a few spots ground down a bit. Snap/snap and they were both in and I was on my way. Go back in 2 months for a check and repeat Xrays.

Best money every spent, and worth every minute of brushing/flossing/agonizing/whining/cankersore/tornlip nonsense!!
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

SDFD TSchott
Posts: 1680
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:36 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

#332 Post by SDFD TSchott »

Congrats can't wait to see final results.

Image

Adjustment Sept 14th, 2018
Braces back on August 06, 2018
Braces off April 02, 2008

BracketRacket
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:51 pm
Location: East Coast, USA
Contact:

#333 Post by BracketRacket »

Congrats! :D :D :D

opera^gal
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: NYC

#334 Post by opera^gal »

Thanks for the well-wishes folks!
I'm still marveling at the smooth feeling of bracket-free teeth, even with retainers in place.
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

iBorg
Posts: 1877
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:34 pm
Location: West Virgina
Contact:

#335 Post by iBorg »

It's time for pictures.

Mike
I wore braces (this time) for 1294 days or 3 years, 6 months and 17 days.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.

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DesertCat
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:31 pm
Contact:

#336 Post by DesertCat »

Congrats! :-* :D

opera^gal
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: NYC

#337 Post by opera^gal »

First real meal after de-bracing was sushi and boy was it ever delicious!
My evening dental routine has been shortened by at least 10 mins now..rinse/regular brush/floss..no proxy brush and super easy flossing has really made a difference! Could the 2012 Olympic Speed-Flossing Gold Medal be next???
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

yj207
Posts: 244
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:42 pm
Location: CO
Contact:

#338 Post by yj207 »

Congrats on finishing your braces treatment!
Braced for 23 months 1 week and 3 days!
I had 4 extractions and all my wisdom teeth removed.
I decided to get removal retainers so it will be easier to floss.

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jensceana73
Posts: 289
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:11 pm
Location: cow country
Contact:

#339 Post by jensceana73 »

Congrats on getting your braces OFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :jump:
Now...can you you do me a favor.....can you eat some popcorn...with LOTS of butter, and eat it real, real, slow. Savor every moment...and then tell me EXACTLY how it was. Minute by minute..bite by bite...and don't leave anything out!!!!!!! :crazy: :crazy:
Image
If God wanted me to have straight teeth, he would have made my parents rich..or so I was told....


Click Image to view my SAGA

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macgirl4ever
Posts: 204
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:38 pm
Location: Florida
Contact:

#340 Post by macgirl4ever »

I've been following you for so long. Mainly because you started a month or so before me but also because you've had such an awesome sense of humor about everything! Congratulations on being free!!!

One question though, and you may not know the answer: do you have to relearn any vocal techniques now that your teeth are different? I took a hiatus from community chorus and orchestra (I'm an alto and play flute) and am super anxious about my tongue and teeth not working together like they used to when my day of brace debandenment arrives. My annunciation is not at all what it used to be. I'm hoping that it's just because I have all this stuff in my mouth and not because my mouth has changed so much that I have to relearn everything.
Braced: 20 months March 2009-November 2010
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opera^gal
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: NYC

#341 Post by opera^gal »

Hey jensceana: I admit to having popcorn while in braces..yes a no-no but when done slowly, it is doable. I still haven't had my frozen Snickers or peanut brittle but I will soon!!

Hey macgirl: when the retainers are out, I haven't noticed any major differences in tongue placement nor enunciation issues. With retainers in, it's all cartoon Slyvester "thufferin thuckitash that thilly boid got away".
With time, that should get better.
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

SDFD TSchott
Posts: 1680
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:36 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

#342 Post by SDFD TSchott »

lol opera^gal you must be enjoying the braces free you :) Congrats again.

Image

Adjustment Sept 14th, 2018
Braces back on August 06, 2018
Braces off April 02, 2008

opera^gal
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: NYC

#343 Post by opera^gal »

Absolutely TSchott..and thanks again for your well wishes. Snickers in the freezer and corn on the cob in the fridge, in preparation for the 'real' celebration later today!!
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

opera^gal
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: NYC

#344 Post by opera^gal »

Ok, so the corn on the cob experiment was messy, but delicious! My teeth are still tender, like after an adjustment sorta, so chomping down on the corn took some time, but it was oh so good! And the frozen Snickers...well...it was worth the tooth pain let me tell you..<swoon>!
I'm still lisping like the kid from 'The Music Man' <opie cunningham aka ron howard from the film version>, but I'm hoping it will pass quickly. As much as I enjoy being able to floss and brush with ease and speed, the constant in/out retainer game is wearing on the fingernails. It's all worth the end game, of that I am sure!
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

opera^gal
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: NYC

#345 Post by opera^gal »

Caramel apple ... oh so good even if I did cut it with a knife first!
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

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