Orchid's journey (lingual top, bottom ceramics)

[orchid]

Oh, and the gap that you can see to the right in my pictures ... it's closing and it's only been 8 hours. I'll probably get a not-that-fashionable gap between my front tooth and the other tooth now. Damn.

[orchid]

So I had my adjustment today! It was almost as painful as the last one. My ortho changed both wires and I'm actually on my last one in my lower arch. He filed my bottom teeth some and now they look pretty. It's weird cause I've never thought about my teeth as "pretty" before.

After the wire change in my upper arch, which hurt quite a bit, my ortho used a metal ligature on my stubborn front tooth. I still have a boat shaped upper jaw because of that tooth. It's the last one to get in line, even though the others aren't perfect yet. I guess I'll be quite sore from the metal ligature tomorrow. And I also got ELASTICS for the first time! I'm a bit worried cause it seems like a hassle putting them in and changing them all the time. Did you guys get used to them?

So overall big changes for me this time. My next adjustment is in august because of vacation times and whatnot. I'll post pictures later

[orchid]

So it's starting to hurt pretty badly from the elastics and I'm actually getting tired from the pain but here's a progress pic. The photo to the right is taken today after the adjustment. You can se the steel tie/ligatures (I don't know what it's called) on my very stubborn front tooth.

[orchid]

I'm not going to the ortho until August but I feel that something is happening. My wonky front tooth is still not in line and my bite is now open and terrible, but everything does look better! I guess I'll just have to trust the process. I've worn my elastics 24/7 except when brushing and during some meals. Here's my progress so far!



EDIT: Sorry for the up-the-nose shots.

[Viconia]

Hi Orchid,

I'm having what sounds like the same configuration as you - Lingual uppers and bottom ceramics by American Orthodontics 'radiance' - I think!

They are going on all at once on the 31st of July 2015. I've been reading through your story so far and I was curious to know if you ever asked your ortho re your face shape changes or if you are happy that it's settling now?
To be honest I've been scaring myself reading some of the posts on here and wanted to get your opinion since your configuration is similar.

It looks like you are making 'tonnes' of progress too by the way

[orchid]

Hi Orchid,

I'm having what sounds like the same configuration as you - Lingual uppers and bottom ceramics by American Orthodontics 'radiance' - I think!

They are going on all at once on the 31st of July 2015. I've been reading through your story so far and I was curious to know if you ever asked your ortho re your face shape changes or if you are happy that it's settling now?
To be honest I've been scaring myself reading some of the posts on here and wanted to get your opinion since your configuration is similar.

It looks like you are making 'tonnes' of progress too by the way

Hi Viconia! I actually never spoke to my ortho again about it. I did e-mail a professor in orthodontology though and he said it was virtually impossible for braces to cause thinning of face in the way I've experienced. Since then I kind of lost my faith in orthos in this question Every case is different though so I wouldn't worry if I was you. Talk to your ortho about your concerns and hopefully he/she will be able to answer any questions you have. People still comment on my non-existent weight loss ("you look so slim ... in your face!") but I think I've simply adjusted now. In the end, being able to express joy with smiling and laughing is worth more than a full face for me. Sure, I'll look like a skeleton if I actually lose some of the weight I want to lose, but I'll be able to express positive emotions without covering my mouth and being self-conscious all the time.

Hell, beauty is fleeting anyway.

EDIT: An by the way, I'm very happy with my configuration, linguals upper and ceramic lower. I'm so happy I didn't get ceramics on top ... well, at least after the horrible lisping subsided

[Viconia]

Oh god - the lisping... Probably the number 1 biggest giveaway of the presence of braces... I'm deliberately not telling anyone (except my husband) that I'm getting braces so will see how long it takes for people to notice.

Regarding face shape changes - I guess it is just one of those things like you say. Opinion varies dramatically but I will speak to my ortho anyway and see what he has to say for himself on the subject.

Looking forward to reading about your next adjustment, I'm enjoying reading the posts of someone with the same configuration I must say

[orchid]

Soooo. Had an adjustment yesterday. It was very uneventful and I left the ortho feeling quite unsatisfied. I was looking forward to the pain, feeling movement and knowing that my great smile is on its way ... but instead he just looked in my mouth, twisted the steel ligature some more and said everything looked good. Then he sent me on my way.

I did ask him about my midline, which is a bit off if I compare the upper arch (which is in correct position) and my lower arch (which is a tad to the right). He said that'll be adressed in a later stage and that we're now focusing on making my overbite smaller.

My stubborn front tooth is still stubborn. I'm starting a new job in september and I don't know if I can make my appointment at the ortho's as easily as I've done in the past. I'll just have to wait and see.

Uneventful is the word.

[LittleSern]

Hi Orchid,

Thank you for sharing your journey! I found your posts and this thread by searching for others who experienced the facial "thinning" effect, like me. I think it's from the muscles around the face changing in the way we use them, so the temples and cheeks thin out making the cheekbones look like they are protruding more. I'm really hoping it goes back after the braces come off.

How much longer do you have to go in your treatment?

[orchid]

So... braces are off. Not 100% happy with the results. My front tooth is still crooked and maybe 1 mm further out than the other. My ortho said he couldn't do better with the linguals. He said that he would adjust a bit more with the retainer, although I'm not sure he will. I will go in tomorrow and get fixed retainers top and bottom and also an essix type for my top to wear as much as possible during 3 months. After that I'll only have to wear it at night.

I wish I could be happier. Getting braces wasn't the "easy fix" I thought it would be. Some of my gums have receeded a bit and I still have the facial changes, albeit not as much. It has been a hassle and I wasn't that comfortable with my ortho. It's just that I've paid so much money and my front teeth aren't aligned... maybe he'll make it better with the retainer, maybe not. I'm just a bit emotional tonight. Just want to get everything braces over with

[orchid]

Update: I went in to my ortho's office. The assistant placed my lower fixed retainer and the ortho placed the upper one. The retainer I have is not an Essix, it is a Hawley. It's really uncomfortable and tastes funny Although I think I can get used to it.

I feel a bit better today. The ortho acknowledge that the front tooth isn't aligned. He's trying to move it a bit with the Hawley. I'm going back in 3 months and then 9 months later for check-up. I'm looking forward to my braces free life, even though I'll wear retainer now.

And seriously, how can anyone speak with a Hawley? Lol. I can speak like Sean Connery pretty good, but not like Orchid.

[orchid]

#retainerlife

Seriously, how do you live with this thing? Crazy.

[oldfart]

It's pretty much what I have. Mine is also pushing a front tooth back just a smidge. Although mine is really evil.

So what's your problem with it? Looks's cute.

oldfart

[jem]

If you are prepared to have the wire of a hawley across your front teeth, you could probably live with a short period of regular braces with ceramic brackets on your top teeth. There is very little difference in appearance between the two.That should sort out the remaining irregularity of your teeth and I reckon your ortho might agree to do that at no extra cost after all you will have paid for linguals.

But I must say your new smile does look lovely already.

Jem