opera^gal's story

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#61 Post by **opera^gal** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:15 pm

A nice Friday began with grilled scallops and asparagus for lunch. Afterwards, I did the usual routine of brushing, rinsing, and doing a floss. However, during the normal flossing with the Crest Glide with the hard thread attached, somehow my bottom lip snagged on a band-hook and tore...yes...I said tore as in ripped a hunk off...OMG...I'd snagged on those blasted hooks before plenty of times but without spilling blood... holy moly!! I know the tissue will heal quickly as most mouth/lip trauma does..but it certainly makes smiling, speaking, eating, brushing...just about everything..unpleasant for now.

On a humourous note, I've been noticing my green PLAX mouthwash exit-pattern in the white sink to be forming various creatures I recognize...lately it has been sting rays or manta rays...had a couple spiders and a scorpion of sorts. I'm sure much like cloud patterns, only I see them that way, but each time I hang my head in the sink, I do get a chuckle from guessing 'what will be next?'

#62 Post by **opera^gal** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:14 am

Temperature at 92 over the weekend, so thought I make a chilled cucumber/vinegar salad that I always enjoy during the summer months. Sliced them up thin, put them in the vinegar/water/sugar solution for a few hours and sat down to enjoy with a meal. Well well well, who knew that cucumbers secretly wish they were reticulated pythons ...as these blasted bits of vegetation wrapped themselves securely around any exposed bit of wire in my mouth...round and round...tiny green decorations that took HOURS to get every last traces of them found, spat out and rinsed away. What's next, some brash zucchini offering me an apple, followed by a bolt of lightning from the heavens???

#63 Post by **opera^gal** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:04 pm

Wow..three months since I began this adventure..I know it is a short amount of time to some of you out there who have been in it over 12 and even longer.....for me, it is hard to remember what smooth teeth even feel like!!
A few more days until adjustment #3. I'm hoping that the right side crew of Slowpoke et. al, can get with the program, whether it means a new wire or using more evil twisted wire ties on that side. I know it will be really REALLY uncomfortable, but the uneven-ness of the two sides of the front of my mouth, feels wacky. Might be nice to close the gaps that opened from last time around as well, but I doubt that will happen until everything is closer to 'even'.
Summer approaches and I wonder: if I smile out in the sunshine, will my lips get a tan from the reflection of all that metal???

#64 Post by **opera^gal** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:42 am

After many MANY days of rain, I looked outside this morning to a bright glowing object in the sky...is that ...can it be...the sun?? This could only mean good things to come at my 3rd adjustment.
How to begin.. I arrived early to find out they had pushed my appointment back an HOUR, so I settled in with a stack of magazines only to be called 5 mins later to go in...huh? I gave the receptionist my best Scooby-Doo ocean-head expression, and ran for the numbered doors on my golden ticket. The techie gal was one I'd seen before, and was quite nice about giving me more wax and a new toothbrush. Doc came in, took a look and was quite pleased with how the 'advancing loops' were working..so pleased that she removed the wire as I was quietly hoping for a stronger gauge thus meaning I was progressing, only to replace the same wire with the 'loops' having been both enlarged and tightened, if that makes any sense at all. Said there was still work it could do to get the uncooperative side to join the gang 'up front'. Good news/bad new: no more power chain on the bottoms!!..but the wire stayed the same. We looked at the before pictures while I held a mirror and she explained what was happening so far. Very very helpful!. Doc scooted out and the techie put on the new ligatures and answered more questions I had about those 'loops' and what was going on based on where they were placed <between the banded molars and the molar in front of them>. The 'loop' exerts force forward by not only forward pressure but also by pressure of the band not allowing it to move. Whatever however, it's working! I can already feel Slowpoke being forced forward, to which he will rebel and make me painful...but I took plenty of Aleve BEFORE the appointment, so hardee har har!!! There was talk of the evil elastics for further bite correction in my future, but it appears they are a ways off yet. Finishing up in the back, I headed to the front to empty my wallet into their coffers and get the appointment for July <as they have you book 2 appointments in advance>, only to find out my June one was not in their system. Ummm...I had the little card with the date/time much to their chagrin, so they had to wedge me in for June, but so far...July looks fine. Who knows if it will be there when I go back and try to book August.
Now, to go enjoy the ONE DAY of sunshine before several more rainy days arrive!!

#65 Post by **opera^gal** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:07 pm

p.s. thought something 'felt' funny mid-afternoon...looked carefully and one of the ligatures wasn't on all the cleats of the bracket..after a couple tries <and it coming off all the way..yikes>, I got it back on completely. Otherwise, a little achey on one side so far, but was able to brush AND floss, so ahead of the game for the moment.

#66 Post by **opera^gal** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:00 am

Pain arrived this morning, but luckily only on the right upper side...that being said...yeeOWWch!! Who knew I'd be wishing for a more generalized all-over pain rather than something very VERY specific. Forcing Slowpoke and his pals forward is taking real effort from the tweeked advancing loop..I think I can hear the wire singing when it's really quiet "tote that barge, lift that bale, shove those teeth forward or it's land in ja-a-il"...interesting that all the action is triggering sinus headaches as well...BONUS ..not!

#67 Post by **opera^gal** » Fri May 08, 2009 7:10 pm

Despite the achy right side, I enjoyed a nice lunch out of fried spicy calamari, salad and managed a hard crusty roll <torn into many small pieces>. This success egged me on to actually have a few kernals of popcorn at the movie and I was surpised NOT to have any wayward husks slip behind archwires or lodge between gum/bracket. Booyah!!!

#68 Post by **opera^gal** » Tue May 12, 2009 7:06 pm

I was out for a drive with the roof down today, and looked in the rear view mirror...caught a glance of my bite looking upwards a bit into mirror...WOW has it changed!!! I began with incisors, top and bottom, coming together directly on top of each other....now...the advancing loops are doing their job and my top incisors actually are out/over the bottom. I didn't notice it looking straight on in the mirror, but with the slight head tilt back, I could really see it. All the discomfort so far, has actually been doing something positive...whoowhoo!

#69 Post by **opera^gal** » Sun May 17, 2009 7:05 pm

Silly Slowpoke is continuing his valiant struggle not to be brought into place with Fleetfoot, and frankly...I'm getting concerned. Will another month go by, while he lollygags about, thumbing his microscopic nose at me in the mirror??? Oddly enough, one of his cohorts, numbah 1 molar, has become creaky and loose, as well as there are more/widening gaps...plus = flossing is a breeze minus = it all has to be closed back up eventually!!!

#70 Post by **opera^gal** » Fri May 22, 2009 6:56 pm

Just when you think your inner cheeks are all nice and used to brackets and bands....BAM!...a crater opens for no apparent reason whatsoever!!
It doesn't appear to be a canker sore, but more like that portion of toughened cheek nearest the banded tooth...just said enough is enough with the rubrubrubrubrubrubrubrubrubbing of metal on skin!!! Back to the wax yet again..good thing I got another packet at my last adjustment.

Hope everyone enjoys the holiday weekend for those that have it!!

#71 Post by **opera^gal** » Thu May 28, 2009 10:30 am

As summer approaches, all the lovely stone-fruits are coming into season. Eating cherries has been easy, as I am super careful around the pits and the skins are small enough not to become wrapped around the archwires. However, the skins on nectarines seem to have some odd magnetic attraction to the archwires and not only get stuck, but wrap around and around them, making them tough to untangle. Almost a repeat of the cucumber salad incident a few posts back. Suppose I'll need to not only cut them into pieces as I have been doing, but peel them as well!
As far as movement/changes, this has been a slow frustrating month. Slowpoke is still not behaving as expected, even though the process to move him along is creating gaps all over the place. Stubborn mule-tooth!
It's been just 3 wks since the last adjustment and I have a week plus a few days until the next one. I suppose the up side of the slow month, was being able to chew just about anything. Rah rah sis boom bah...did that sound the slightest bit enthusiastic?

#72 Post by **opera^gal** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:46 am

First cleaning while in braces today went swimmingly...and I do mean the wet kind!! The super power-washer dealybob thingamajig blasted water all over me, until it was running down my neck!!! What a nice way to spend a Saturday morning...nearly drowning in the dentist's chair. At least he said he's never seen such a pristine mouth in braces as mine..so all the proxybrushflossinSoniCarinsespittin rigamorole is working...yay me!!!
He also commented that Slowpoke is probably being so stubborn about moving along, as he was the on the side where all the grinding was occuring, so most likely, there is higher bone density there. Makes sense, but remains frustrating!! Hopefully the ortho will have another solution up her sleeve at the next adjustment coming up on the 8th of June.

#73 Post by **opera^gal** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:09 am

Fourth adjustment this morning was rather pedantic. Remove the old ligs, pull the upper wire and 'tweek' the advancing loops AGAIN..replace said old wire, and do nothing to the bottom wire whatsoever. And then...it got interesting! Not sure if only two loops of a power chain is still called a power chain, but I had it put across from each upper incisor to the tooth next to it...but not across the incisors themselves even though a gap has been created there, that the wire ties across them don't seem to be closing!!! Additional ligs to hold the partial power chainlettes in place and I sure did feel the new loop tweekage right away!!! Glad I took some Aleve before the appointment! Kept the silver ligs on top but was brave enough to go with a wild purple on the bottom. They are bright at the moment, and will tone down over time I have no doubt. Only other news was the first mention of 'elastics' and how they are nearing than expected. Best guess, when I'm done with the advancing loops, ye olde rubber bands will be the next treat on the 'Wheel of Orthodontic Agony"

#74 Post by **opera^gal** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:55 pm

evening update: I believe Slowpoke has thrown up the white flag...or at least he's getting his pain-o-vision time in early this go around...sure feels like he's been forcibly moved and taken one of his cohorts along for the ride. Go power chainlettes GO!

#75 Post by **opera^gal** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 10:05 am

the morning after: ow ow ow ow ow!!!!! I am continually amazed at how much teeth shift while sleeping. The entire 'social six' on top are competing to see which of them can throb the most...and here I thought Fleetfoot was done being shifted!! I can really feel the difference on the backside of the arch...it's not all the way even-steven yet...but it is closer!