MsTee's Orthodontic Journey (8/6 In need of input - p. 7)

[MsTee]

That's what I love about this place!

[MsTee]

Well guys, I get my spacers in tomorrow at 3 PM! I can't believe my braces date is right around the corner! Here are a few pics to give you all an idea of what work needs to be done during my treatment. Please forgive me, I'm a little shy about posting my grill online in such an up-close manner... I feel like I'm coming out of a closet or something!









Compared to some of the other posters' testimonies, I realize that what I need done may be minimal...but needed nonetheless if I want to achieve that "perfect" smile.

Will I need some pain relievers after the spacers are put in tomorrow? If so, what should I take? Tylenol and Advil does nothing for me; I usually take Aleve if it's not that time of month and I'm not using Midol.

[Joanna20]

Hey gurl! I think your teeth will be ready in very little time. Comparing to some of us that need a lot of time and work done in our mouth! Ur case should be easy I think!
I wish u the best of luck and let of know what it's going !

Joanna

[juf_84]

Hi MsTee!

I would definitely have some pain killers close by to use when you need them. I took some immediately after getting the spacers in, but that was because I had an exam that afternoon and didn't want to get half way through and suddenly be in pain. I didn't have any problems that afternoon or evening. The pain really kicks in the next day, when you wake up. I found I was waking up on the dot at 6am every morning, clenching my teeth, and that it was time for some paracetamol.

Good luck, I hope I haven't scared you! Remember, if it does hurt, it's only a small, short part of the journey.

Take Care

[jennandtonic]

Ms Tee, how are you adjusting to the spacers?

Also, many of us have posted up close and personal pics of our teeth too, we know how you feel.

Those are some great pics!

[MsTee]

So I got my spacers/separators on Friday:



I have 8 total: 4 top and 4 bottom (on each side of my molars). On the bottom left is the filling for the only cavity I've had for quite some time now.

I haven't been in too much pain. It's more irritating than anything to me. I told my bf I feel like I have pieces of paper stuck between my teeth. When the pressure gets too bad (usually after attempting to eat), I'll take an Aleve and that helps.

That things that pisses me off the most is that the dental assistant did not warn me of not being able to eat like normal. I was questioning her about pain and discomfort, and the only thing she told me was not to chew gum or anything sticky to avoid risking the spacers being pulled out. I felt uncomfortable trying to eat certain things anyway, but it's the fact that I had to learn the hard way! I went to O'Charley's and ate half of my chicken tenders (that I cut up in small pieces), maybe 1/4 of my salad, yet all of my mashed potatoes. The rest of the weekend, I've eaten soft food items like oatmeal and pasta. It's just too uncomfortable and painful to try chewing more solid foods.

Both spacers that were in the top left of my molar have popped out...

I guess since I go back Tue. to get braced, I will call them tomorrow to see about coming back in to get more put in. I don't want them to have any trouble putting my brackets and bands on any more than they normally would.

As for Tuesday, I plan to make it very clear w/ my ortho and his asst. that I will ask 50 million questions...but b/c I am new to this, it's impossible to think of everything I need to ask and would therefore appreciate it if they help me become as knowledgeable about this whole process as best they can.

Anyway, I like the color of my spacers (purple) and will try purple ligs one day...but the first color I want is some type of teal/turquoise!

[MsTee]

I called my ortho's office this morning. They said to not worry about coming in today to have the upper left spacers put back in. If Dr. Scott needs to put them in in order to fit the braces, he'll do it tomorrow. I'm still on for getting braced tomorrow...I just hope not having those spacers in won't make the process more difficult for him or painful for me!

I know one thing...I'm ready to take these spacers out! They really get on my nerves. I've been in a bad mood all day...LOL

[Dramagyrl]

Good Luck tomorrow MsTee.
I never had spacers myself, but I hear if you could handle them like you did, the braces will be a breeze.

You're getting braced on my three-week anniversary too.

All the best!

[MsTee]

Thanks for your kind words...I will definitely be thinking of you, and will be sure to post pics and write about my experience before the night is out!

[MsTee]

The last pic I took before being braced:



I never felt butterflies as I counted down to my appointment. I was actually rushing the last day of my students' summer school session to be over so that I could get this taken care of!

When I arrived, I was more than ready to get those yucky spacers taken out...boy, did they help me to realize how easy it was to take the ability to chew for granted!

I waited maybe 10 minutes before one of the assistants called my name. When I came back, she went right to work and removed the spacers. Then she began the process of fitting the 4 molar bands. It wasn't until then that I began to think "WTH am I doing??!?" That was the most irritating part of today's appointment. Too much pressure and biting down on that hard instrument for me. I made sure to keep my tongue out of the way when she finally glued them on.

After fitting the bands, taking them off, gluing them, and re-fitting them on, I went to rinse my mouth out, let the glue set for a few minutes, and the asst. cleaned my teeth. Dr. Scott finally came over and began the process of gluing the brackets on. I knew that he was tampering with my teeth, but I didn't feel a thing! Next thing I knew, he was finished. The asst. came back and put on the arch wires. I picked a light teal (with hints of gold) color for my ligs.

After about an hour and a half, I was done! She handed me the mirror...I paused for a second before revealing the result of their work. I cheesed and that was when I asked myself "WTH am I doing...in braces??!?"

The asst. gave a thorough overview of what I can and can not eat (bye bye Winterfresh and Lender's bagels! )...as well as the instruments that are in my Ortho Care Kit and what my daily Ortho regimen should consist of. I went to the front desk, set up my Arch Wire appt., and that was that!

How do I feel? I have a lot of mixed emotions, surprisingly. I'm glad to begin my journey and look forward to the results about a year from now. But now I feel like I have a new me to get used to. As soon as I got in my car, and from the time I got home, I've been in the mirror practicing how to smile all over again. My mouth feels BIG, like it's really protruding, and I feel like everyone will see all parts of my braces when I smile...so now I doing lots of in an attempt to not reveal them too much. It's a lot to digest in one day...I know I just need time to adjust. I'll be just fine (before anyone begins a pity party for me)! Other than that, there's no pain (yet)...quite a bit of pressure though. I think I will apply some wax and gargle just to prepare myself. I'm trying to figure out what to eat tonight.

Anyway, here are pics of me, my braces, and light teal ligs as I attempt to achieve an acceptable smile. One thing I have noticed as of late---my tongue always thrusts out when I smile...does this mean I have a large/long tongue?? I hope that hasn't been part of the cause of my underbite, and I certainly hope it doesn't mess with my treatment in any way!

My teeth & braces in all their glory:


"No..."


"Not quite..."


"Better!"


Sorry the pics aren't as close up and/or clear as I'd like them to be. These were taken w/ my camera phone, and though it has pretty good quality, it's not the same as a digicam. So I plan to get one of those very soon!

I will continue to keep yall updated on my progress...until then, I am going to chill out for a bit!

P.S.---Are we not able to center our text & images when we post and create a signature using BBCode? I've tried it and it doesn't work!

[MsTee]

Yeah, my ortho & his asst. were also good at explaining each step of the way, which was very helpful and relieved some stress that I'm sure some people endure during such a time.

You're lucky in a sense, because you already have an idea what to expect and know what to do for better dental hygiene on a daily basis. It seems a little overwhelming now, but I'm sure I'll have it down pat soon!

[juf_84]

Hi MsTee!

Glad the banding went well. My least favourite part was getting the molar bands on as well. your ligs look great, and like you said, it will be no time at all before you are used to the "new you".

Take care

[MsTee]

Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging posts!

Yesterday I brushed twice, flossed, and put wax on a couple of times. I drink at least 64 oz. of water anyway, so that was no biggie. I keep my lips moist with Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm. I ate a couple slices of pizza (no crust), but the pepperoni was kind of hard...so I threw it out and ate a small bowl of spaghetti. After that I lounged around a bit, after my mom made me get off the phone to "rest my mouth."

I took an Aleve, went to bed, and woke up feeling soooooo much better this morning! I hope that yesterday was the brunt of the pain, pressure, and discomfort. I took another Aleve with my breakfast. Today was the teachers' last day of summer school, so we convened at Shoney's. I managed to eat a couple sticks of french toast (w/ syrup I probably shouldn't have used), some hash browns, a couple soft slabs of bacon, and small pieces of pineapple! I swished my water around in my mouth a bit during each swig, and that helped to dislodge bits of food...when I went to brush and rinse, nothing was there!

No one stared into my mouth or made a mention of my braces. I've been shopping and had my work out for the day! I had a grilled cheese & turkey sandwich for lunch (minus the crust) and have brushed twice already. So today is definitely better...I'm still getting used to speaking and smiling with all this metal in my mouth!

[MsTee]

Today wasn't very eventful. However, I am having some concerns with my tongue. For as long as I've known, I've always pushed my tongue on the back of my teeth when I smile. I don't know if it formed into a habit, or it naturally occured that way. There have been mornings in the past when I wake up and have slight indentations on the tip of my tongue from my front teeth clenching down on it. I'm worried about it because I don't want it to prevent my teeth from moving in the way they should or in the time frame they should.

Also, my molar bands have started to bother my tongue a bit. The lower left one feels like it's jutting out...yesterday it was the upper right one. Is this normal? The side of my tongue actually got caught in the band for a brief moment and I had to struggle to get it out! Now it's sore, even after rinsing with warm water & salt. Is this a sign that the band is maybe too big and is coming loose? Is it ok to put wax on the backs of the molar bands?

Everything else is getting better, though...from eating to talking & smiling.

[MsTee]

MsTee I think you should tell your ortho about your tongue just in case. It may be acting like a 'tongue thrust' in which case it could affect your progress. Your ortho will know what to do!

My ortho doesn't use bands (relief), but I've read about many people having problems with them. Waxing the cleat on the inside seems to be a common practise to help the tongue cope. Also if the cleats continue to cause problems, give your ortho a call and ask if they're necessary. Sometimes the cleats can be removed, pressed against the band or have a lig put round them, so that they won't bother your tongue.

Great that everything else is getting better! Keep smiling!

I've thought about that too. But I don't have problems with swallowing normally, as a typical tongue thruster does...only when I smile and sometimes when at rest. I will still inquire about it though.