A gift to myself - at 37. All sorts of crazy inside.

[emily0709]

Day 1 and Day 30.

I can tell some space closure on the bottom where the tooth was removed, and the tooth next to that is no longer overlapping the canine (?) tooth. I am bad with tooth names.

Does it look any different to you, random strangers?

And, sorry, up close cell phone shots of teeth are super gross.

I have really light wires on right now and I have had to fix one myself and go in for another fix from eating ... dun dun dunnnnn ... polenta. Which is soft. He did say that it was totally due to the light wires, and next time they will go heavier, but the tooth next to the gap is really starting to lean and they want to slow down to movement til it settled.

[TheProfessor]

The gap definitely looks smaller Don't worry too much about wire sizes--my bottom teeth needed a lot of movement and it felt like I was in really thin wires forever, but eventually those teeth straightened out and then I went up in wire sizes pretty quickly.

[emily0709]

The gap definitely looks smaller Don't worry too much about wire sizes--my bottom teeth needed a lot of movement and it felt like I was in really thin wires forever, but eventually those teeth straightened out and then I went up in wire sizes pretty quickly.

Ooooh I saw your ticker and you just got yours off! How's it feel??

[emily0709]

Less than 2 months in ...




Had my 2nd adjustment today. Ouch! I guess I should not complain because next time he is putting a c chain on the bottom to actively close the gap all the way and he said that would feel ... and I quote ... "delightful"

Little bit of a thicker wire this time, which I am excited about because he said with it being less flexible it won't pop out of the back brackets as easily. My sig other and I have become at-home ortho pros with getting the wires back in.

[emily0709]

Tomorrow I am getting the dreaded power chain. He said to take motrin before the appointment and to eat. I have the rest of the gap to close on the bottom and he said that will close rapidly and be done in less than 30 days.

I am trying to decide if I am going to go with the off white tooth colored bands or the neon green (my son's choice)

[LisainTX]

Wow, your post made me cry but mostly it is because I am so very proud of you.
I am so very sorry about your BFF but the beauty of that is the gifts she gave you. The strength she gave you to do things for yourself and be happy in this world! In so many ways she is still here as you move through this life and inspire others. Do you have any idea how much light you will spread and how much of an inspiration you are and will continue to be? Its BEAUTIFUL!!
Please hang in there with the braces. I have had mine since mid-Feb and it gets better as the weeks go by. You'll continue to see changes!
Bless you!!! ((HUGS))

[emily0709]

Wow, your post made me cry but mostly it is because I am so very proud of you.
I am so very sorry about your BFF but the beauty of that is the gifts she gave you. The strength she gave you to do things for yourself and be happy in this world! In so many ways she is still here as you move through this life and inspire others. Do you have any idea how much light you will spread and how much of an inspiration you are and will continue to be? Its BEAUTIFUL!!
Please hang in there with the braces. I have had mine since mid-Feb and it gets better as the weeks go by. You'll continue to see changes!
Bless you!!! ((HUGS))

Thank you. Your kind words mean a lot. I miss her every day, yet know she is still with me somehow. She is my inspiration to be a better me. Soooo ... I got an adjustment and power chain put on at 8 this morning. It is now nearly 11 am and my teeth are starting to feel it. I got my braces put on March 21st. It is June 8th. Not even 3 months and day 1 and today:

[LisainTX]

Hi Again!' That is funny to hear because I had the same thing happen last week! I got some power chains too.
Wow, up until then I was thinking to myself "well....this isn't that bad. What is everyone talking about all this pain??" I had only been there so far for my original fitting and a changed the wire so I thought that was it. Ignorant fool, I am! LOL
So last week I go strolling in there all jolly happy and I hear "power chains". Hmmm. They ask me what color of those ligature things I want and I am thinking "what the heck color does an old lady pick??" I go with mint green because the gal thinks it is pretty and it is actually my favorite color.
And then my favorite tech does her thing and I am like OMG!!!! What is this HELL??? I can only compare it to feeling like someone is trying to pull your teeth out of your head with no Novocain. Holy Mother of God.
So I have all that "stuff" I have read about here now. Wow. Now getting used to the new discomfort of even more hardware on my teeth but I have to admit that the ache only lasted a day. I hope yours didn't last long.
I go back on July 21st. I will be nervous then.
On the UP side - I can already see shifting since last week! They told me that my canines would shift back to where they had previously pulled teeth out and that is already happening. So that is making new gaps where the doc explained that my front teeth will be pulled back into later (and to not freak when I see new gaps).
I feel like my teeth are changing every single day. When I get frustrated or uncomfortable, I look at the pictures I have taken since the first day and the change is already amazing. Its like I have someone else's teeth now.
I don't think I have posted enough here yet to be allowed to post pics or a ticker yet, but I will share when I can.
How bout an update on YOU?!

[LisainTX]

OH!! Right after I posted I could see your pics! I couldn't see anything before then. I can see the difference!! Isn't it exciting?!!?
Way to go!!

[parsleysage]

The gap in my upper teeth closed so, so, so fast. It was totally gone within 4 months! So yes, definitely, I see some progress! Congratulations on taking a positive step to invest in YOURSELF after giving of yourself to others for so long. Can't wait to see where this braces journey takes you!

[emily0709]

Thanks guys

The pain hung around for 5 days or so, I am good now. I go back on 7/13. The bottom gap must be closing more, as I am actually getting food stuck in it. LOL. Exciting!

I am good! My kids are out of school for the summer so they are happy ... my significant other and I (feels weird to call him a boyfriend when I am 38, is that weird?) went to a Barenaked Ladies concert over the weekend. Not expecting any of you all to know/care who they are but they were my FAV band in the 90's and still are. He surprised me with front row seats AND we met them afterward! Squeeeeeee! They were super cool and so laid back and I felt like a teenager. It was really, really nice to get out and do something for me.

[emily0709]

Haven't been on in awhile ... had my appointment today and x-rays. Power chained top and bottom. OMG ow. But, I am super impressed with the progress!!

He said in 4 weeks they will reposition some of the brackets. It is just baffling to be that they can move teeth with such precision. I have about 8 more months to of ... give or take a couple months.

[miluti]

[quote="buffon85"][quote="emily0709"]

It felt weird when they took the wires off! Almost like taking off your bra at the end of a long day (lol, sorry!) [/quote]

I woudn´t compare the two situations. the above situation is the most relieving part of the day (taking off the shoes is next)
When he takes the wires off i feel like my teeth have no support, no relieving part here! i wonder if that is the feeling when the braces are off and how long it lasts.[/quote]


That's actually something I've been wondering (I get mine on in 8 days!) - do your teeth ever feel loose/unsupported when they're doing some pretty heavy-duty shifting? When they pulled my bottom-left canine years back I had some nerve damage - the two surrounding teeth have always felt loose to me (subconsciously I guess) and I desperately don't want a full mouth of that feeling as things are moving!

[emily0709]

They can feel a little loose. Mine also "pop" when I move my tongue against them after an adjustment. It is kind of scary. I just remind myself of the x-rays and just how deep teeth are into the gums and they wont just fall out.

I had braces as a teen, and I remember them also feeling loose and unsupported when I got them off.

[miluti]

[quote="emily0709"] They can feel a little loose. Mine also "pop" when I move my tongue against them after an adjustment. It is kind of scary. I just remind myself of the x-rays and just how deep teeth are into the gums and they wont just fall out.

I had braces as a teen, and I remember them also feeling loose and unsupported when I got them off. [/quote]

(Sidenote: I can't figure out why in heck I can't quote someone on this board...I don't see it as a restriction for new members, but it never works )


I'm so worried about that feeling.... I have anxiety disorder and things like this really bother me. I hope they're not too bad. :S