Bikerchick85's Quest for a Perfect Smile *With Pics!*

[Anna5]

Hello Bickerchick,

Thanks for your update, I love to see your progress and pictures! I think you made great progress, there is a huge difference between your 5 months and 11 months pictures, so keep us the good work! Your smile looks very good already!
I can see the slant in your arches. I have the same, and I think mine is from thumbsucking. I hope your ortho can fix it!
And that is also good news that you made good progress in closing your bilateral open bite!
Good luck and keep us updated!

[Bikerchick85]

Hello Bickerchick,

Thanks for your update, I love to see your progress and pictures! I think you made great progress, there is a huge difference between your 5 months and 11 months pictures, so keep us the good work! Your smile looks very good already!
I can see the slant in your arches. I have the same, and I think mine is from thumbsucking. I hope your ortho can fix it!
And that is also good news that you made good progress in closing your bilateral open bite!
Good luck and keep us updated!

Thanks, Anna! I hadn't really noticed the slant until now. I'm going to ask about it when I go in January. I was also a thumbsucker for 12 years, so mine may be caused by that as well. My ortho said if the stronger elastics she gave me to close the open bite didn't make a lot of progress by my next adjustment she was going to try something else. Not sure what, but I figure a reverse curve wire for the top like I have on the bottom.
You've made awesome progress too! Can't wait to see your next pics. I really think you'll be pleased with your result without surgery!

[Anna5]

Hello!

I also wouldn't have notices your slant, I just noticed it because you pointed it out, so it is defnitely not bad!
I think my slant is a bit more obvious, the distance between my upper and lower jaw is the biggest where my thumb fitted in my mouth, so in my case I am pretty sure it is from thumbsucking
I hope the stronger elastics will do a great job to close your lateral open bite. Did you have the lateral open bite when you started your treatment or did it develop during your treatment? Mine developed during the treatment. I used to have an anterior open bite, but now the open bite has moved to the lateral region.
I also think your black triangle is not too bad or obvious, because normally when you smile you won't show so much of your lower teeth, but I hope this can be fixed as well!
Thanks for your encouragement about my progress, fingers crossed that I will get a good result without surgery!

[mariawong86]

PICTURE TIME!

wow you look amazing ! you give me some hope i cant wait until my gaps start closing and i see they dont take long to do so ... thank you for the pictures i have the same going on on my upper teeth you look great

[Bikerchick85]

Here is a picture showing my lip strain progression. I didn't realize I had not been documenting this! Sorry
By the way, I do not want these pictures to scare anyone from extractions. I realize my face looks super thin right now compared to before. Keep in mind when you view these pictures that in my before picture I was about 130 lbs. At 6 months I was probably around 120 and my now picture (taken 20 minutes ago) I am 115 lbs. The slim face is not an extraction result, I've always had a slim face requiring me to buy kids sunglasses and it getting thinner is a weight loss result. Between the braces themselves and stress I've lost some weight. Just wanted to clarify that before anyone freaked out!

6 Days from today will be my one year brace anniversary! I cannot believe how many changes have taken place! My upper extractions spaces are closed and my lowers are just about closed (Have maybe 1 mm on the right side and a half a mm on the left). As you can see from this picture my lips are just as full as they were before I started treatment. My previous pictures show I have had no negative profile changes.
January 9th is my next appointment. Hopefully it will be a productive one! I'd really like to not have these braces the full two years they were estimating.
As some of you know, my Daddy passed away Sept. 27th. He was my world. I have always been Daddy's Girl. Losing him was the hardest thing I've ever gone through and I miss him more than I could ever explain to anyone.
My fiancé and I had been planning on moving to Florida in the future but I wasn't going to leave my Dad with him being sick. His passing was really unexpected even though he had COPD for the last couple of years. Then Monday of this week my fiancé was laid off because the company he works for is closing. So now were are planning on definitely relocating. I guess I feel like there's nothing keeping me here now and I am so ready for a fresh start somewhere. Of course I cannot do this until my braces are off. . We shall see what happens. .

[djspeece]

First, so sorry for the loss of your wonderful father. You are a good daughter, and he is looking down on you with great pride, I am certain. Best of luck with your upcoming marriage. Here's to many good employment opportunities in Florida!
And congratulations on a superb outcome with the braces. You look great. Best of luck.

[Timetoshine]

Life has so many twists and turns...

Just popped on here to check out your progress, and wow - your teeth look really good. I see you have just passed your year brace-a-versary! Congrats!

[Anna5]

I am very sorry to hear that your very beloved father has died, Bickerchick.... I wish you all the love, comfort and strenght in this very difficult period of missing and grief..... As djspeece also wrote, I am sure he is very proud of you as his daughter and he is looking down from heaven upon you now, so you will always keep connected to each other....

Congratulations with your brace anniversary! You have made huge improvement in the past year!

[rhibee83]

Hi Bikerchick!

You have made me feel better about my extractions, days go by and I think nah my face is ok it’s alright, then other times I get freaked and think it is thin and saggy. But your pics look really good and your teeth look amazing!! And we have had the same extractions! I am at 9 months and a few gaps are nearly closed but two are being a pain and not really doing anything! But they have not started closing the top one yet, but the bottom one isn’t really do much but hopefully it moves more soon.

I have my 9th adjustment tonight so see how we go !

Looking great!

[Bikerchick85]

I had an adjustment this morning and man my teeth are killing me!! We did alot of work today! Here's what my torture consisted of today:
* upper wire changed to a stainless steel finishing wire.
* lower wire changed to a stainless steel finishing wire.
* power chains upper and lower to finish closing extraction gaps and gaps created from reverse curve archwire.
* elastics size stayed the same. Diameter of a pencil eraser ultra heavy in a modified class II from upper canine to bottom premolar back to last molar. (Funky triangle shape) They hurt like hell!
I mentioned to my ortho that I may be moving by this coming fall and that I needed to speed things up. She was pretty confident that she could finish me up hopefully this summer which would be 18 months if they come off in June. She was thrilled with my progress and my impression was that I am ahead of schedule regardless of the possible move. That makes me really happy. I'm going to wear the crap out of these elastics. I hope I get used to them soon. They hurt so bad! I am miserable! Hopefully my bite will cooperate and fix itself quickly! I'll post pics when I have some noticeable movement.

[rhibee83]

I had an adjustment this morning and man my teeth are killing me!! We did alot of work today! Here's what my torture consisted of today:
* upper wire changed to a stainless steel finishing wire.
* lower wire changed to a stainless steel finishing wire.
* power chains upper and lower to finish closing extraction gaps and gaps created from reverse curve archwire.
* elastics size stayed the same. Diameter of a pencil eraser ultra heavy in a modified class II from upper canine to bottom premolar back to last molar. (Funky triangle shape) They hurt like hell!
I mentioned to my ortho that I may be moving by this coming fall and that I needed to speed things up. She was pretty confident that she could finish me up hopefully this summer which would be 18 months if they come off in June. She was thrilled with my progress and my impression was that I am ahead of schedule regardless of the possible move. That makes me really happy. I'm going to wear the crap out of these elastics. I hope I get used to them soon. They hurt so bad! I am miserable! Hopefully my bite will cooperate and fix itself quickly! I'll post pics when I have some noticeable movement.

woah! that is a lot of work done in one session but EXCITING!! all means progress and pain is progress lol.

wow, to have them off by June would be so good for you, that is awesome cant wait to see some pics!!!

[Bikerchick85]

I had an adjustment this morning and man my teeth are killing me!! We did alot of work today! Here's what my torture consisted of today:
* upper wire changed to a stainless steel finishing wire.
* lower wire changed to a stainless steel finishing wire.
* power chains upper and lower to finish closing extraction gaps and gaps created from reverse curve archwire.
* elastics size stayed the same. Diameter of a pencil eraser ultra heavy in a modified class II from upper canine to bottom premolar back to last molar. (Funky triangle shape) They hurt like hell!
I mentioned to my ortho that I may be moving by this coming fall and that I needed to speed things up. She was pretty confident that she could finish me up hopefully this summer which would be 18 months if they come off in June. She was thrilled with my progress and my impression was that I am ahead of schedule regardless of the possible move. That makes me really happy. I'm going to wear the crap out of these elastics. I hope I get used to them soon. They hurt so bad! I am miserable! Hopefully my bite will cooperate and fix itself quickly! I'll post pics when I have some noticeable movement.

woah! that is a lot of work done in one session but EXCITING!! all means progress and pain is progress lol.

wow, to have them off by June would be so good for you, that is awesome cant wait to see some pics!!!

Thanks Twinnie!! Mother of God my teeth hurt so bad today! They feel like they are going to fall out!! I could barely eat the spaghetti I made last nite. For lunch I ate scalloped 'tators which hurt like hell too!! I may starve to death before my teeth quit hurting. I moved down to my previous elastics (Japans) from the super tiny Thailands I was prescribed. I can't tolerate the Thailands right now... definitely need to work up to those! I have to admit I am not the best about wearing rubber bands, but I'm going to try harder this time to get these things off ASAP!
I still think my right canine needs to be rotated more. Ortho thought it looked good, but I'm not happy with it. I'll mention that at my next appt. Current Pics coming shortly.

[Bikerchick85]

Picture time!!!

[Bikerchick85]

Continued....

[Anna5]

WOW Bickerchick, your teeth look almost perfect already! I only see a small gap between your lowers, but that's it.
I am so happy that you will be going to get them off in June, I am sure your teeth are PERFECT by then!
Good luck with the last half a year of your treatment!