Sim's Story - The Nightmare is Over! Naked pics!

[SimInsomniac]

I think I've been rushing into decisions here. This is one of the things I'm so grateful about this site for.

Linda and Meryaten, thank you for the opinions. They've really made me think about this and reconsider.
It had occurred to me about the bite impacts which are definitely more important than aesthetics. I'll see what my ortho thinks, but you're right. It's not that bad, and it's probably only me that notices the triangle.
As for the lowers, I think you're 100% right. The last thing I want is a smile that looks like veneers. I want people to know my teeth are natural! I get very fooled by what is the "ideal" look of teeth, but I realise now that there isn't one; everyone's teeth, straightened or not, are different.

This has really put my mind at rest over the matter. Much appreciated for everyone's views!

Sim

[SimInsomniac]

Thanks Meryaten!
I'm very much looking forward to seeing your naked pics soon as well.

On a different note...
My braces are 21 months old today!


Sim

[SimInsomniac]

Thanks Karen and Ken!

Adjustment in a few hours time, and I'm so excited, even though I'm having to travel for an hour on a bus when I should be revising for exams!
I may be shooting myself in the foot here, but I have a very good feeling that by the time I leave that building, I should know when I'll be debraced. My ortho hinted at talking about debanding last time, and although I'm no expert, I can tell there's little left to do with my teeth.
My bite's probably as good as it will get, it feels comfortable and seems to all meet now, and even if not, I'd hope that a few more weeks will be ample.
I'll be interested to see what sort of retainer I'd get as well, maybe I'll ask...

Anyway, haven't done photos for a few weeks and I wanted to get some in before the adjustment, in case there are any changes.







Those powerchains stain twice as much where the elastics are placed!

Anyway, I'll write some more later today when I know my fate. *prays*

Sim

[SimInsomniac]

Well here goes...

10th and FINAL adjustment!

I'll keep this quite short and concise. We did the usual open/bite procedure and my ortho is pleased with the bite progress. We both agree that the front teeth overlapping is better but not quite there. So it was decided that he'd adjust the wire again to hopefully fix this. I will also be carrying on with the elastics as before.

The best part of the adjustment:
I have my removal date!
At 8:40am on Friday 13th (damn...) July, I will be getting debonded at long last, after over 22 months of treatment. The following week, on Thursday 19th July, I get my retainer fitted.

I feel so happy right now. Everything is at last coming to an end, even if it's 4-7 months over my original prediction.
I just hope the front teeth sort themselves out and everything's good for removal.

Thank you to everyone who's supported me along the way. I don't know where I'd be without this site!

Sim

[joney]

Many congratulations Sim.

It looks like 13 is lucky for you.

Regards
Joney

[alexa]

Great news! Your teeth look great...enjoy basking in the announcement of your impending debanding appt.!

[Granola]

Sim, I'm so excited for you that you will be brace free so soon! Your teeth look fantastic. You must be SO happy!

[Al]

Great news and great looking smile, Sim!

[SimInsomniac]

Thanks Karen, Joney, Meryaten, alexa, Granola, Al, rage31, Ken and Linda!
So many people, wow!

I'm pretty devastated this morning... I think my debanding is in jeopardy! My front teeth have relapsed somehow overnight and they seem to be overlapping as badly as they were near the beginning of treatment... I just don't understand how this happened in the space of 8 hours when they had been improving so much.
I will make an emergency appointment, hopefully for this week. I fear this is too major a setback to keep my debanding in 4 weeks time, but I can pray. This could push it back to August or later as available debanding appointments seem to be few and far between with my ortho.
So generally, I'm pretty gutted even though I don't know the full extent yet.

Sim

[SimInsomniac]

Thanks Karen,
Within the past couple of hours I think I've found the problem, and it's going to have to stay as it is until at least Thursday I'm sure... My bite hurts so much as the straying tooth is hitting my lowers!

During my last adjustment, when changing the wire, the door of the concerned tooth's bracket was stuck and with force it was opened, which also broke off the clear half of the bracket. This was really yanking at it! My ortho told me it would still work fine without it as long as the wire stays in, which I can understand.
Now, my guess is that the bonding of the bracket to the tooth was weakened by this. Looking and feeling in the mirror, half of the whole bracket has come off, yet the rest still stays on somehow. Clearly this has let the tooth revert to its old position.
The bad thing is, I had no idea about this until this morning's movement. Such relapse would surely take several days of not being glued down, not a few hours as I'd thought. No one will ever know how long this has been going on, but I just hope it won't have a big impact. I've had more than enough delays over the months. If this is down to him, then I'm NOT impressed. He should have replaced the bracket in the first place!


The extent of the movement last night.

Sim

[Laurie]

Oh no that's awful! Have you been able to contact your ortho's office?

[SimInsomniac]

Thanks for the reassurance. Unfortunately thing's aren't quite as fast moving as we'd hoped. I don't quite understand how the practice can be so booked up for an entire week, but the earliest I can get is next Monday!!!
My ortho is away for the next few weeks, another ortho is this week, and the receptionists wouldn't consider other orthos or even just assistants/technicians... I stressed how urgent this is but I don't think the receptionist was bothered. Not best pleased by the service, but maybe it isn't their faults. It wouldn't be fair to blame them for what is ultimately my ortho's doing.
The good thing is, I don't think the tooth will move any more now, seeing as it is slightly anchored by the remaining glue. I will ask for the other ortho's opinion on going ahead with the removal date when it has been fixed. If he thinks it won't move enough in time, I may as well postpone the date to save wasting the staff's time. But who knows, at the moment I don't know how things will be in a weeks time.
In the meantime, I'm stuck feeling pretty demoralised and with no bite at all!

Sim

[Granola]

Sim, I am so sorry that you are experiencing the disappointment and down feelings that come with this kind of mishap right at the end of your treatment. I am so sorry -- having to wait an entire week to get in is just too long -- grrrrr. I do think it seems to be harder to get appointments in the summer time though.

I hope that when you are seen, a new bracket will move that tooth right back to where it should be, and not delay your debanding too much. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this!

[SimInsomniac]

Granola, Linda and Karen: Thanks a lot for this support, it's made things a lot better by just venting my anger out on here, perhaps uncharacteristic as you said Linda! I was actually pretty hysterical on Saturday when I discovered it, and looking back it was silly of me to act as I did!

Now, I'm over the anger and sadness. There's no point in being stressed over it now I've done all I can, and it's out of my power.
I was mostly in disbelief that the end of the tunnel suddenly moved away in my mind, but I know I will get out eventually, and if worse comes to worst another month isn't really going to hurt when I've had 21 already!

Linda, I really appreciate the advice and would make a bigger fuss, but for a couple of reasons I think it's best I stick to their ideas. The last thing I want is to start a war with the practice and get into their bad books, especially at this point. I also don't have the excuse that I'm a paying customer, plus I'm a minor.
I'm pleased now that I am able to see a proper orthodontist rather than an assistant. I can properly inform this one of what my usual ortho was trying to achieve with the front teeth before the breakage and hopefully it can get back on track easily. It will also be interesting to get another ortho's thoughts on my treatment.

Anyway, probably not much left to say until this is fixed.
Thanks again!

(A much more positive) Sim

[SimInsomniac]

Let's start with some good news: 13th July is still on!
I went in to get my repair today after quite a long wait. She seems very nice, and it's likely she will remove my braces as well when the time comes!
A new bracket has been fixed onto the offending tooth, but due to the tilting, the wire couldn't be put in with the door shut, without downgrading the wire. So what's been done is that the wire is in place but being held in by the powerchain elastic across my uppers, so fingers crossed this works.
Already the tooth is going back to where it was: I have a bite again!
The only slight complaint is that the tooth is looking as if it will stay lower than the other incisors, again because of the relapse the bracket had to go in a slightly higher position to the previous. This doesn't bother me though, and I can live with it definitely, it wouldn't be worth the trouble of correcting now.

We'll have to see how this progresses over the final(?) 2 weeks, but it's looking promising *touch wood*!

Sim