Jenn's Braces Saga: THEY'RE OFF! Cavity issues. :(

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#106 Post by **lionfish** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:22 pm

Mmmm....that cross bite elastic sounds interesting. Glad to hear some details, as I suspect it may be in my future as well. Look fwd to seeing some pics.

#107 Post by **jennandtonic** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:17 pm

Okay guys, this is not a picture update.

It's an I'M UNCOMFORTABLE vent session, haha.

I am just finding this elastic very awkward. It's hard to rest my teeth together at all because of this elastic, every position I try is uncomfortable. The elastic is also restricting how wide I can open my mouth, so I'm going back to a soft food diet, which I haven't done in quite awhile! I'm going to have to brush up on how to cook soups and whatnot. I forsee lots of macaroni and lots of applesauce in my future for the next three weeks. It's all for a good cause though, so I'm in a good-natured uncomfortable mood.

I can only open my mouth for about half an inch with these elastics in, so pictures WILL come, I promise, but right now it's DEFINITELY not possible.

#108 Post by **jennandtonic** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:46 pm

linda21 said:

Ooh, not good jennandtonnic but you'll be right

Everytime my ortho changes an elastic configuration, there's a day or two of "adjusting" to the feel and tension of it. I can't wait for the "v^v^" configuration I'll be up for . Don't be too hard on yourself. Stick to a soft diet until you're comfortable in the elastic. Once that elastic starts working its magic on correcting your crossbite, it'll be easier to open your mouth and chew your food. Will be interesting to see a pic of the type of elastic you're in.

Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humour

Take care J&T

Yes, I remember my first few days in the other elastic configuration...not fun, but a CAKE WALK compared to this! However, I updated to say that I'm a lot better. I can now successfully close my teeth together without wanting to yelp in pain, haha. I've attempted chewing without much success, but like you said linda, that will come soon enough. For now, I'm looking up recipes for different types of soup.

Okay, I'm off to study, I've got a test tomorrow.

#109 Post by **jennandtonic** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:09 pm

Meryaten I am unsure as to how long I'll have to have this...I'll just wait 'till my next adjustment and see. I think it all depends on if it corrects the bite or not.

Today is my THIRTEEN month anniversary. I was going to post pics earlier when my jaw quit aching, but I got loaded with homework, then once the load lightened enough this past week, out of the blue it started hurting again! I think I must have bitten wrong when I fell asleep last sunday night, because it really hurt for about four days afterward. It started easing up today, so maybe I'll get pics in tomorrow...just in time for my adjustment on MONDAY.

Anyhow, 13 down, hopefully 7 to go!

#110 Post by **jennandtonic** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:51 pm

Thank you KK! I'll mention it to my ortho, but I really think it was because I accidentally bit wrong one night or something, nothing major. But you're right, it is pretty annoying to go through that much discomfort! Ah well, what will be, will be.

ANYWAY, I finally got time to snap off a few pictures of how my elastic configuration goes.

and this one:

Tomorrow's my appointment, so I'll work on posting progress pics and such then, for now I've gotta go to bed.

#111 Post by **jennandtonic** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:51 pm

double post!

#112 Post by **jennandtonic** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:07 pm

Gah! I just had this post almost all typed out and then it got deleted! Here I go again.

I went in today and we (meaning me and my ortho assistant) decided on St. Patrick's day colors, as I don't have any green colored clothes and wouldn't want to be caught not wearing green on St. Patrick's day.

This time, Dr. Greer said a lot of 'hmms,' asked me to bite repeatedly and had the ortho assistant read my treatment plan back to her, as well as what was supposed to be done today, which she decided to scrap, other than getting a new, tighter archwire...which I feel. Ouch!

So then they changed the powerchain connected to my cleat (I wrote about that awhile back, the cleat on the inside of my left canine has a powerchain attached to it somehow...), then Dr. G said no crossbite elastics anymore, I have a new configuration now. She called these elastics "3 F" sized, I'm not sure what that means, but they are definitely different from the ones I've had before.

On the left side, I have a triangle that goes from my top premolar (only have one, remember, the other was extracted), to my bottom second molar, and stretching to my bottom canine. Observe:

On the right side, the elastic just goes from my top canine to my bottom second molar. This picture isn't that great, but I can't open my mouth wide.

And, as I couldn't open my mouth wide, here's the best I could do with my top and bottom teeth:

And, of course, my smile:

#113 Post by **jennandtonic** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:56 pm

Hi guys!

I have been SO busy these past three weeks. I had Spring Break, but spent the whole time doing spring cleaning, organizing, et cetera, and got on the computer even less than I did during school.

Today is my fourteen month anniversary and I also had an adjustment!

All she had on the agenda for today was retying the wires on my upper, and putting powerchains to close gaps.

So, she did that. The retying was no big deal, but the powerchains I got are heavy duty! I got both on the top right and left sides and they only go from tooth to tooth. And the powerchain that connects to my cleat on the inside was changed too. Apparently sometime during the last few weeks it broke without me noticing.

She said it was no big deal, though.

These new powerchains are definitely heavy duty! I'd better see some progress!

Here's a good pic that I got of one on the left, going from my incisor to canine:

And the one on the right. It's the darker blue hooking around that loop. Yes, it's only over one tooth. I think they're trying to pull the tooth where it's more even with the loop, but I forgot to ask about it.

On one side, my elastic is staying the same, class II, from my top canine to my bottom second molar. Observe:

On the other, I have a triangle of a different sort than last time, it's stretching from the loop, located between my incisor and cuspid, to a hook in front of the cuspid. In other words, it's right in front of that powerchain I got. PLUS that cleat I keep talking about is on the inside of both of those teeth as well. So my mouth is not happy right now. Here's a picture of my unhappy teeth WITH the elastic on:

And of course, got to show my smile, top, and bottom teeth.

What I am most happy about is that on the left side, my open bite has changed dramatically. It's a LOT better than it was last time. Also, I've noticed more gap closure on the left side, too. So anyway, there's my update.

#114 Post by **smallbutmighty** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:17 pm

jennandtonic,
you sure seem to be in for some happy changes with those power chains and elastics. Great detailed pictures. Hope it goes a lot easier than today is. Amazing what we can get used to, isn't it?

#115 Post by **jennandtonic** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:43 am

smallbutmighty: I have to say I simply adore your avatar! And thank you, yes, it is amazing what we get used to. My first day in braces I thought I would never adjust to them!

As to how it's going, well, I'm still on a soft food diet.

I'm not in pain or anything, but opening my mouth wide enough to chew is just not an option. However, this is all for a good cause (so I tell myself when I'm eating soup for the umpteenth time, lol!)

KK: I am totally stoked! It's neat to see how much it has changed and how much it has left to change, it's going to be fun to see that happen. And I hope you see progress with your elastics and powerchain.

#116 Post by **smallbutmighty** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:36 pm

Thanks, I think this avatar is very cool, too, but I can't take credit for it. It is a gift from braced again. Thanks KEN.
Hope you are doing good today, jenn.

#117 Post by **jennandtonic** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:37 am

Meryaten--oh, mine too! However, I don't take them out because I am positive I would forget to put them back in after I finish eating.

SBM: Thank you!

Ken: I hope it will mean some good progress! It does hurt a lot less now, however, still can't chew much. That's all right though, because I just got a new recipe for soup I'm going to try out.

Now, to the point of this post. I was laying in bed this morning, dozing still, when I felt something *pop* in my mouth. I thought it might have been one of my elastics, NOPE!

It's the darned powerchain that I mentioned broke last time.

It's Sunday, and Easter Sunday at that today, so I can't call the ortho, but I plan on calling her tomorrow morning to see if I need to go in and get that replaced or not.

It's weird, I wasn't biting down or anything when it broke...it just randomly snapped.

#118 Post by **jennandtonic** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:04 pm

It has been positively frigid outside these past few days, Ken, it's awful! And not normal for this time of year. Oi!

Anyhow, I called Dr. Greer's office this morning about the broken powerchain, and they set up an "emergency" appointment at 1:30 this afternoon. So I went in. They put in a string type thing rather than a powerchain. And it really is a string, it's a lot like fishing line but with a bit more elasticity, and obviously softer, too.

Then Dr. G came over to take a look, make sure the assistant put it in the right way, did the adjustment...then she took a look at my mouth overall and said 'it's really working missy!' And, because it's 'really working' she put in another powerchain, on my top left side, haven't looked to see which teeth yet. And she also put me on tighter elastics, too. They're 3/16", 6-1/2 oz size. They're not too bad, though.

She said she still wants to see me in two weeks and to call if I have any problems with the string.

#119 Post by **jennandtonic** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:09 pm

Meryaten: Yes, I enjoyed it immensely, though I didn't enjoy that powerchain breaking.

KK: Thank you so much!

Linda: I really am going there often. Good thing it's not all that out of the way, or I might be mad about the gasoline. And thank you!

I think so too, bracedagain. I think we should boycott the weathermen until we get some warmer temps. What do you say?

And, unfortunately, the elastic thread BROKE about an hour ago. I was not eating or anything, either, just like the other time I was just sitting there and felt something pop.

I don't know what it is! I, better than anyone, know that I have not chewed anything in two weeks, so it couldn't be that I'm being too rough. I'm not really upset about it, I'm just curious. Why won't anything hold lately? I don't think it's anything to do with how my ortho does her job...I have had no other problems aside from this little area of my mouth lately.

And yesterday I was just admiring how the gap on that tooth has closed. It will probably shift back without the string being there.

Anyhow, tomorrow morning I'm going to make ANOTHER call to my ortho. I'm betting this time they'll just say wait until my appointment on the 23rd, but I'm going to call just to let them know what's happened. If they can see me, fine, if they can't, I won't worry about it.

What I'm NOT looking forward to is the tenderness I'm going to start feeling when my tooth tries to shift back.

#120 Post by **jennandtonic** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:09 pm

Thanks Ken! I get a huge kick out of those smilies you use. And my boycott of the weathermen is in full swing, I refuse to turn on the news now until they can give me some good weather predictions!

Anyhow. I called my ortho's office today, and one of the assistants answered. Dr. Greer is out today, however, Anne, who is her assistant with the most experience, was in so they said I could come in. I did, and she thinks that it might be something sharp in the cleat that's making the powerchain and the string keep breaking. So she put this thing---she told me what it was, I just can't remember what she called it--over the cleat to give it some padding, then put in another powerchain. If I have another problem I am to call about it, though they may end up waiting to fix it until my appointment. Then she said that they had called and told Dr. Greer about it, so everything Anne did was Dr. approved.

So...HOPEFULLY--problem solved!