OK--This was not the plan!

[klobird]

OK, so I took today off for a very long dental appt to change out some fillings that were in very bad shape to white composites (4 of them--in 3 quadrants--took 4 1/2 hrs).

So, afterward I had to do some running around and I stopped by my ortho's office to drop off some more $$$ on my down payment for the braces I was supposed to be getting on May 17th.....uuuhhhhh NOT!!!

They said when I was in there--"why don't we just start the process today?" SO THEY DID!!! I have 6 spacers in my mouth--she couldnt get 2 in on the bottom left--I don't know what that means will happen... And I will have braces at 9am on Friday!!!

A few things have gone awry as a result--although I am still really glad to be getting going...

NO LAST SUPPER!!!! MWAAAAHHHHH.... They told me spacers pain would be the worst...I am not going to eat the rib eye steaks and potato chips I just bought last night....don't think so....nor the Chips Ahoy cookies I bought....more for hubby, I guess.... I haven't told him yet about the braces on Friday--I think I will just shock him--I think I will just shock everyone...

(No spacers pain yet....I heard it hurts more when you bite down...I can only hold off eating for so long...hmmmmmm)

[AlbinoPenguin]

i hated the spacers, just befriend tapioca and or jello/pudding.also take some ibprofin or tylenol to help the pain out

[catgyrl]

klobird-

If it makes you feel any better... I had no spacer pain whatsoever. If anything, there was too much room in there, and I lost one of them. After I got that one replaced, I somehow bit into it, and ended up with only half a spacer in there, so I had to be very careful eating so that one wouldn't fall out, too. Getting the molar bands was... I'm not gonna lie... a bit painful. Apparently, my dentist did a fantabulous job on my crowns because there was virtually no space between them and the adjacent teeth, so it was a bit of a struggle to get them in there. But once they were in, I never felt them again.

Why can't you still eat your goodies? I'd go ahead and eat your steaks and cookies. And FYI - with the exception of whole apples and corn on the cob, I'm eating every single thing now that I ate pre-braces (yes, even popcorn!). You won't have to be deprived.

Good luck Friday! I'm excited for you!

-Cathy

[klobird]

Thanks you guys-- I do have jello and tapioca pudding and I just ate rice and cream of chicken soup mixed together.

The dental assistant couldnt even get the spacers in on the lower left--so how in the world will they get a molar band in?

I guess Cat that I have seen too many youtube videos, in which they all say "it really hurts when I bite down"-so that's why I am avoiding the steak and chips--and on the videos they seem to be in real bad pain... Kinda makes me afraid to try...I will just take it a little at a time--besides, with my teeth clenching and the spacers, I probably won't get a pass on the pain anyway, I'm thinking...

I fried some ham yesterday and it's calling my name....ok, here I come little piece of ham....!!---we'll see!

[klobird]

OK, Well, I still don't have any pain from the spacers. My teeth just feel crowded and it was nearly impossible to floss in the teeth one up from the spacers. And one of my front bottom teeth that was already crooked and really crowded seems to be like its poking forward and more crooked than before.

Man, I had nitrous yesterday in the morning for the 4 1/2 hr appt with the regular dentist, and that stuff seems to be really hanging on....I thought it was supposed to like completely clear up right away, and after about 20 mins, it did for the most part...but I still feel like my brain is wandering-like and I still have that "who cares" feeling.

Well, day after tomorrow...it's happening so fast, that I don't seem to have caught up with the fact that I will actually have them on so soon.

When I get them on, then I will start a permanent journal thread with the ticker thing and everything.

[bridget51992]

Hi! I think you're really lucky to only have the spacers on for such a short amount of time and get started so soon! I really really wanted to get going with my teeth, but I had to have the spacers on for three weeks since my orthodontist is so busy. I didn't try flossing or hard foods for about a week; spacers really bothered me. I hope you get to eat your cookies soon! I think it's funny you want to just surprise everybody.
Haha enjoy the nitrous feeling! XD

[klobird]

Oh, I think I will just stick with this journal...then I will have enough posts, I think to be able to start a ticker. I am really going to have to work at that--because I don't even know what a signature line is, or where it is or anything...

Well, 2nd day in spacers and still no pain at all...the original plan would have had me in spacers for 8 days...don't know why they can change it from 8 days to only 3 full days...unless they are going to have to do a lot more aggressive cramming with so little time in spacers.

Maybe I won't even have any pain from the braces---- ok, so ya I know you are all laughing your brains out about now....
I have yet to see one mention of anyone not having pain when they first got braces...

I just Crest strip whitened my teeth-the final result was pretty good--and now in one day, I will have to say good-bye to my white teeth for 2yrs....I am so worried about my first look at the braces on my teeth.....and I am going straight to work, which is across the street from the ortho office, right after so that I can get some work done before the pain kicks in.
I guess my co-workers and myself will all be in shock together!!!

[klobird]

11 hours and counting......no spacer pain at all....I guess I really lucked out on that one...

OK--no turning back...here we go.........EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[klobird]

Well, just over 2 hours to go....I am really apprehensive about what the day will bring...ok, so in 2 years it will all be worth it...

I really hope I'm not a person who looks dreadful in braces!! And it would be nice if the archwire is pretty straight--I bet everyone wishes that......

And I hear the first look in the mirror can be frightening!

Well..........ok then..............I am really glad my sister is coming with me.....

[klobird]

I am fully braced and ready to go!!!! Yippeeeee!!! My braces are sooo cool, and they even look cool!! I am so happy with the result!!

Well, it's been 4 hours...we went out for chicken yakisoba for lunch--no problems at all..

These Damon Q braces are small and have rounded edges--so far, they are not bugging me at all. I can tell though that I will end up putting wax on the appliance hooks on the molar bands--they stick out, but no too bad at all. And I have elastics. The dentist said if these dont do the job, then I will have to have the forsus..but I get a pass until the end of July.
I can't even tell the elastics are there!

And my dentist's office gave me an electric toothbrush with a special braces brush, and 2 each of toothpaste,wax,pics (2 different kinds), manual tooth brushes, one carrying mirror, lots of super floss and elastics, proxabrushes, lots of tubes of chap stick...cant think of anything else...

Now if I can have the miracle of no braces pain, then I will be one of the incredibly lucky ones!!!!

So far, I am very, very happy!!!

I will certainly be back later with an update one way or the other--right now I am going to get some "Rincinol"--the dentist said that rinsing with that would help with any pain...and also I'm going to get a waterpik...

[bridget51992]

Yay, congratulations!! It's wonderful you're so happy about your braces - I wish I looked cool in mine
My teeth didn't start to ache until a couple hours after I got mine on, and now I just take ibuprofin every few hours when they do.
If they do start to ache, I found that drinking tons of ice water helped a lot to numb my teeth when they hurt so much from the spacers!
Good luck

[klobird]

Thanks Bridget!

Well it has been almost 9 hrs since the braces were put on...no pain...hmmmmm....I should be having some pain right?

[Beauty is Pain]

Now, this is the right one Finally

I only had spacers for 3 full days though. Sometimes, depending on your teeth, they shorten or lengthen the days. GOod to hear that you are not in too much pain at the moment. Wow, you dental office is very generous! That is a LOT of stuff for a goodie bag

Keep us updated, post some pictures soon! Oh and the image/signature thing, you need to go to www.tickerfactory.com and then you select things and then in the end there will be a BBCode which you paste into the signature in the control panel (remember to select BBCode though)

[klobird]

Sorry BiP--Didn't mean to confuse you!!! (Now that makes 2 of us!)

Ok, so 10 hours in and still no pain--I went to a retirement party tonight and had chicken, rice, and beans--of course, all cut up really small. No problems--however; I will tell you my main pain in the butt problem is cleaning them when eating in public!!! When we were done eating, I went into the bathroom and spent about 15 mins picking stuff out of my braces, rinsing, proxabrushing, picking again (those curvy pics are the best--I need to buy a huge bag of those--I only have now what the ortho gave me...)

And I need a carry bag and little cup (this bathroom had paper cups). OK, so I put my elastics on and go back upstairs and they are serving chocolate cake--I threw in the towel at this point and just asked if I could take some home. I love, love, love chocolate cake, but I wasnt going thru the cleanup again!!

And those elastics--I have to get a system. I forget they are there and start eating and realize, while I have food in my mouth, that I'm having trouble--oh damn--the elastics are still on!!! And I also have to figure out a system with those elastics, because at this rate I will have gone through about 1000 of them in a week!!!

So far, though, it has been really pretty easy--if I can make it through about 24 more hours without pain, then I will say that I really dodged a ton of bullets!! Only time will tell....

I am thrilled that I have braces!!! I really am........

[Beauty is Pain]

Ah you are soo lucky! I am craving a block of dark chocolate right now, but the pain makes it impossible to bite down on the chocolate :/ So looks like I'll have to just wait. You got elastics?? How do they feel? I am getting them in 6 monthes, NOT looking forward to them. Oh and I must ask you this question, do you floss with just regular floss or do you use those special ones? I don't know whether to just stick with regular or buy the stiff ended ones, not too keen on the threaders though. THanks!!