OK--This was not the plan!

[klobird]

Well, in a few hours it will be 24hrs with 2nd set of spacers--and again--no pain at all... If anyone wants to at least try what I have done, if you're reading this and don't have braces yet--I have taken 800mg Ibuprofen every 8 hrs and I took one before I went in. I am not biting down at all on the molars where the spacers are--I am eating with my front teeth
only (funny thing, food tastes better that way). I can't say at all if this is contributing to no pain, but from what I have heard about the pain, I am doing what it takes to bypass it. And for me, it seems to be working. So far anyway....

So far, except for pokeys and rubber bands that rub on the inside of the cheeks once in a while, braces are relatively easy---so far....I have my 1st adjustment next Tuesday...maybe that's when the real "fun" will start...

Oh ya, and when I talked to the office mgr. she said that I can try the non-latex rubber bands--that they might cause less rubbing and make me feel less thirsty (weird)...Ya, I think the rubber makes me feel like I need water all the time. So, anyway, I totally forgot to ask about the non-latex before I left, but I will ask for them next week.

[Beauty is Pain]

Hey klobird, I envy you, I really do - no spacers' pain. It is so good that you have sort things out with the ortho office no more annoying offensive assistants and rude receptionists hahah braces have caused me to drink lots of water, probably a good thing from this perspective. Good luck with your adjustment!

[klobird]

12 weeks down--92 to go...

Well, the spacers have been in since Tuesday (it's Friday today)--no pain at all--but I have been eating with my front teeth and not biting down. And tonight I am trying out biting down and it seems to be OK.

I get more pics on Tuesday at the ortho--then I will try to post the comparison pics from before to now. My before pics are awful and really embarrasing and it is very obvious why I got braces! I really hope I see changes....

[jensceana73]

92 weeks huh? Ya....well mines 92 MORE YEARS!!!!! I'll probably just go from braces....to dentures.

And I also, had no spacer pain. None. Zippo. Zero. Zilch. Nadda.

[klobird]

Well, Jen, I'm thinking that's why are braces aren't working--we have SERIOUSLY tough teeth and gums--and spacers and braces--ya, our teeth are just sayin "c'mon, is that the best you can do!!?" I can hear my teeth laughing as I type.

OK, so temps are going to be around 80 today and tomorrow. And I have to work today, which means I am going to miss half of summer!!! It just seems so hard to believe that it is SO hot all over the country and we are having the most rainy, 60 degree, not fun summer ever!! If I had little kids, I wouldn't even let them go swimming for fear that they might catch a cold--but I doubt they would even want to go swimming anyway--the water must be freezing!

--My first adjustment is in 4 days (on Tuesday)--and I'm getting nervous!! Even my teeth are beginning to shake in their boots...

[klobird]

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL 80 degree day in the Pacific NW. (yes, we are back down to the cloudy, grey, possible rain again today-- ) So, two nice days this summer--better than none I guess....surely better than constant temps over 100!!!

Well, yesterday while I was in the shower, I thought "why don't I just give my teeth a shower too!". So, I did--and it felt really great--better even than the waterpik!

Ok, I am really getting tired of these spacers!! They still don't hurt at all-but I am working so hard to make sure that they don't. I am not biting down at all when I eat. I'm getting enough to eat, but yesterday I decided that I am just ready for these to be gone.

Which brings me to the following...my 1st adjustment ever is tomorrow!!! I have noooooo idea what that will be like for me...and yes, I am really nervous. Since I have never had pain except for pokeys and elastics---which seems pretty minor--- I am biding my time before I get hit with it!

Yesterday, I went hiking with a friend around a beautiful wooded lake and we passed a couple about my age. And we smiled at each other--and what do you know!!--the other lady had braces and elastics just like mine!! I was so encouraged to actually see someone MY age with them--and she looked cool with them!! So, as we were walking away in the opposite directions, I looked back at her--and as I did, she looked back at me--it was sort of like--ya, let's stop and chat!!! But, we both just went our own ways...

So, as far as the hike---this was with the same person I went hiking with at Mt. Rainier, when we talked so much that I got sores in my mouth from the elastics rubbing on the inside of my cheek...it happened again yesterday!! Last night was filled with oragel, Rincinol, Ibuprofen, and a whole mouthful of wax!!! I'm not talking to anyone today!! I am on vacation for a week, and since the weather is crummy, I might just go shopping by myself or something!!

I'm beginning to count the hours until 10am tomorrow, Tuesday. I have no idea what will be in my mouth by 11am!!!
YIKKKKEEEEESSSSSS!!!!

[klobird]

OK! So, I just got back from my 1st adjustment....no pics this time--not until Sept 12--my next appt.

Anyway, I got bugar face assistant again, but I kept her very engaged in converstion, and him too, and it was waaaayyy better this time.

So, the changes are--14/25 archwire, wire ties on two upper front teeth--when I heard that I nearly freaked out (in my mind). But I just said ewwwww and the assistant said "Don't worry, they will be underneath the archwire and barely visible."
She was right...I have to look really hard to see them. OK, and they switched me to the "Angelfish" elastics. The 1st ones I had were 2 oz and these are 4 1/2 oz. And they are situated slightly different. The bottom hooks further back--yipppeee
they won't be tearing up the inside corners of my lips anymore!! They are thicker but longer--I think this will be a better round with the elastics--I hope!!

OK, so yes, the new archwire is tight. He said this should hurt much more than when the braces were put on, and would probably start hurting by tonight. I told him I have had no pain so far--he said that some people are just lucky that way, but dump the Ibuprofen in anyway.

Well, I found out why there hasnt been any visible changes--to me anyway...He wasnt working on the overjet and the crooked front teeth!! He was working on my bite in the back, and leveling my bite...I knew my mouth was lopsided!!!

This time he IS working on the overjet and the crooked front teeth, and said that I WILL see changes this time around.
Yippeeee!!!

So, the assistant did push on 2 teeth really, really, really hard today, for whatever reason, and that did hurt but very briefly.

My next visit is Sept. 12. He said it would be a long appt.. He will be taking pictures and x-rays and looking at the root positions etc. He said that they will probably have to reposition some brackets.

Well, right now I am heading to McDonald's to get a Big Mac before the sh*t hits the fan!!

Oh ya, and now they are beginning to say this might be one of the worst summers we have ever had here in the Pacific NW.
Meaning NO summer!!! Not yet anyway, and it's almost August!!

[Beauty is Pain]

Hey klobird, I have had wireties since my first adjustment :/ almost every single teeth, ah. Is the 14/25 wire still 'light'? wow your adjustments seem to be very far apart! Keep dumping those ibuprofen and hopefully you will feel zilch pain

[klobird]

Hey Bip--I don't know how big a 14/25 wire is relatively, but it's thicker and tighter than the baby wire I started with that's for sure!! I only feel tightness--no pressure--no pain...

5 hrs and no pain ...at all.....hmmmm

OK--so I have another appt in an hr!!! I got home, and the thing that has been poking me all weekend is not the hook, as it is occasionally, that I just wax it until things shift. It is a big pokey!! Not a new one--and they asked me why I didn't get it fixed at my appt. this morning...I hadn't even looked close enough to see it was a big ole pokey until this afternoon. I was like "wow, this hook is REALLY jabbing into the inside of my upper lip"...and saw that it wasnt the elastics hook! That's good though because I think bugar face assistant missed a spot when she was crimping one of the new metal bands--so maybe they can fix that too....

Ya BIP--3 months to the 1st adjustment, 7 weeks til the next--but I guess that isnt too unusual, is it? I mean the 7 weeks part....

And I have a regular dental check-up in 3 weeks, so the ortho will be taking the wire out beforehand, and putting it back in after...and I'm telling "super dentist" (I love her, loooovvvveeee her!) that if I have a cavity, it's because I brushed a whole right into my tooth!!!

[VancouverJude]

So, the assistant did push on 2 teeth really, really, really hard today, for whatever reason, and that did hurt but very briefly.

That was probably when the wire was going around those two brackets. They've got to really use some muscles to get it tight. Often my Ortho's assistants will gives me a heads up, otherwise it's like "What the what?!" is goin' on.

A McDonalds run after an Ortho's appointment is a terrific reward.

[klobird]

Hey Jude!! How are you?!! It's been ages!!! (The ortho said I don't get my Forsus for another 4-5 months...how is your experience going?)

So, OK--I do have some discomfort mostly on the bottom. On a scale of 1-10--ten being the worst--I would say my pain/discomfort is about a 4. Not too bad, and not exactly pain. More like soreness...but really not that bad.

These elastics, well for the last 11 hrs have been way better than the last set--and I did ask for latex free this time (the rubber was really bugging me--like drying me out or something--it was an "I want to tear these out of my mouth" feeling.
And the latex free has been way, way better so far. Waaaay Better...

So, I guess I would describe this discomfort as sort of like a dull toothache type of feeling that comes and goes. And the itchy feeling that drives me nuts is lurking in the background just waiting to pounce.

And the discomfort is sort of like a good feeling too--I mean it's an indicator to me that I might really see some changes now. And my bite---what bite!!???

Oh, Oh...as I am sitting here typing, the discomfort is increasing a little ---hmmm---I've been visiting with friends all afternoon (we went on a short hike) and my mind was really distracted...not so much now. Maybe up to a 5 now--and still just a soreness/discomfort thing.

Oh ya, and I got bugar face assistant again this afternoon--we are actually beginning to get along now--she adjusted one pokey wire (that was not in a snippable place) and then used this grinder dental tool to sand down some of the pokey sharp points on one of the metal bands that was placed this morning. So, it's all good.....and I'm really happy that I am so close to the 3 month mark!!! I am on my way!!!

Sure glad I got my McD's hamburger when I did!!!

[Beauty is Pain]

Hey klobird, haha I agree...if I get a cavity when I get my braces off, I don't know what I am going to do out of frustration.
Yeh the 7 weeks sound good (4-8 weeks generally, that is what my ortho told me), but he might just be correcting your bite, so it takes longer??? How is the pain? Still none?? Ouch, pokeys, hate them
What?! I have to wait another 3 months till your photos?! ah

[klobird]

OK, so the pain is down to 1-2--not bad at all. So, it's all good!

[VancouverJude]

Hi K,

Compared to what I envisioned the Forsus has been a cakewalk.

My biggest fear was having holes gouged into my cheeks and lower lip area and thankfully zero problems in that department SO FAR (thanks to my plastic protectors.) The protectors, alas, have become really discolored (curry/ketchup main culprits) but a small price to pay.

My second concern has been pain, and so far, frankly there's been no discomfort in the lower right jaw area -- for readers: I'm only wearing the Forsus on my right side -- so either it's not working or it works slowly.

I am very pleased with how discreet the Forsus it as well. There's a bit of a puffed out bump on my lower side of lip/mouth, but as far as being noiticeable when I'm talking it's not so bad.

Unfortunately, I am quite lispy. We're talking Sylvester the Cat, "suffering succotash" lispiness and I believe people think I have food in my mouth when talking on the phone. I think it will even out in time. I just deal with this by cheerfully going, "Oh boy, my braces are acting up today." or the like, to whomever I'm speaking with.

The TPA is a bit icky, and sometimes food gets caught in it. Getting food out of a TPA is akin to the old tying a knot into a cherry stem trick (ha ha) using a certain amount of dexterity.

I definitely have a list of items to discuss with the Ortho when I see him in early August for 1st checkup post Forsus.

I'm going to do another writeup on bracesreview.com on the subject real soon.

[klobird]

Hi Jude again!!

I look forward to your post on bracesreview.com about the Forsus. I took a copy of the internet info about the comfort caps to my ortho--they don't have them, but the office mgr. said she would order them. I am going to hound her about it!!

And I had read some stuff that Dr. Tam wrote about the KX module, and took a copy of that too to my ortho. He was surprisingly cooperative about it, and while I was there he e-mailed an ortho he knows about the KX module. My ortho said the other ortho was a "Forsus expert". So, on that we'll see what happens...

Sooooo, I had my 1st adjustment on Tues. at 10am. It is now almost 7pm on Thursday. So, how has it been???...

Well, ok, so if 1 is not uncomfortable at all, and 5 is extremely uncomfortable, I would have to give the last couple of days a 4 for very uncomfortable. As in not too much fun. As in hmmmm, this kinda really sucks...

I took a lot of Ibuprofen, and then switched to Naproxen because the Ibuprofen was killing my stomach...Unfortunately, the Naproxen did too. So, my next adjustment is Sept 12, and I made a regular dr. appt for Sept 1st to talk about pain med options...I suppose I could get something from the drs I work with, but I really hate to do that---pain meds are a difficult issue nowadays...and I want something that WORKS!!!!! As in Percocet or something!!!

So ya, I finally got my day...and now it better be worth it!!! MOVE TEETH MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And one more thing, my ticker says, I think, 2 months, 4 weeks, 1 day....so does it have to get to 2 months 5 weeks or some dumb thing to equal 3 months!!!??? How weird is that!.......

I NEED YOU 3 MONTHS, I NEED YOU!!