Catgyrl's (Cathy's) Journey at age 42...

[catgyrl]

HeyBuckey - I will welcome the pain of a double-chain right about now, if it will close the gaps!! I will say that I think the gap has closed a weeeeeeeee bit (either that, or I need to floss better!), but there's still a ways to go. I cannot see one thing that would prevent you from being debraced right now. They look PERFECT! I may be using your teeth as a guide, and am disappointed that no matter how long I have these things in, they will never look as good as yours. But we're completely different people...with completely different teeth... and I must learn to move past this, and accept it. My teeth are now lined up in the middle of my face, where they belong, and I am now able to bite into a sandwich without the contents falling into my lap.

Snowglobe32 - Pull up a chair, sister, and we can commiserate. I can somewhat "disguise" the off-ness of my bite when I'm smiling normally, and when I just "bite down" it feels pretty good; however, when I open my mouth, it looks so uneven. Can you believe how we walked around for so long with bad bites, crooked teeth, etc. and didn't care much? And now, we're (well, I am, anyway) so nit-picky about every little thing.

WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS!!!!

[klobird]

Hey, I want to co-miserate too!! I am MISERABLE!! I got these d*mn Forsus springs last week. I will never eat normal again!! That's what it feels like. I swear, I don't even like Cap'n Crunch, but I am going to gorge myself on it when I get these braces off!! (which feels like NEVER!).

Maybe I need braces therapy right now!!

Even though I think you guys are sooo lucky to be so far along, I KNOW that you earned every minute of it--and your teeth are looking great!

[opera^gal]

Hey there..take it from a fellow box elastic veteran ...they work!! I bet it won't be too long before you get similar news to Bucky!

[catgyrl]

Thank you, opera^gal! I will take your word for it that they work. I can barely feel the elastics in my mouth, so I tend to associate no pain with no movement. I also must learn to differentiate between "bite" and "tooth shape". I know some of my teeth are a bit worn down due to my previous bite issues, so I'm trying to overlook that for now. I'm sure things can be greatly improved with shaping and, if needed, bonding. He seems to be pleased with the bite progress, though.

Oh, one new thing: I'm due for my semiannual teeth cleaning, but wanted to hold off until after debracing. Since I now have no idea when that will be, I decided to get it done in April. I called up my dentist and asked how much it would cost for me to get an additional cleaning after my braces were taken off. (I'm only entitled to 2 free cleanings per year, and I still need one at the end of the year, according to my insurance). She said it would only be $72. I was so stoked! So I plan to schedule that for the same day as debracing. Something to look forward to.

[catgyrl]

Klobird

Pull up a chair, girlfriend! If you can handle the elastics for this long, you can handle the Forsus. I have faith in you!

I was just talking to my sis about Cap'n Crunch yesterday. I loooooove that stuff, but it just sticks EVERYWHERE in your braces. I make sure I'm at home with my Waterpik.

Thank you for your encouragement.

[Noni]

Hi Cathy ,
I went through your story , and the progress is amazing . your tooth are perfect and you have a nice smile .

this is very encouraging , I'm shy cuz i have the braces on , and didnt even think of having a colored ligs ( i liked the purple and the light blue that you had ).

did you feel that the ceramic brackets are too big on the tooth ?? i like that they are not very noticable but when i smile they look big

looking farward to see your tooth debraced ,, good luck

[catgyrl]

Hi Cathy ,
I went through your story , and the progress is amazing . your tooth are perfect and you have a nice smile .

this is very encouraging , I'm shy cuz i have the braces on , and didnt even think of having a colored ligs ( i liked the purple and the light blue that you had ).

did you feel that the ceramic brackets are too big on the tooth ?? i like that they are not very noticable but when i smile they look big

looking farward to see your tooth debraced ,, good luck

Thank you for your kind words, Noni! My teeth are far from perfect, but I will admit that I smile much more than I ever did before because my teeth are now centered on my face instead of wandering off to one side...

For the most part, I've stuck to clear ligs, but once in a while I get adventurous and try colors. The purple, lavendar and blue ones were my faves, too.

I don't see much of a difference between the size of the clear brackets and the metal ones. They all feel the same in my mouth after a while.

I won't be getting debraced according to my ticker below, but hopefully it won't be much longer!

[klobird]

Hey Cat!! Wow!! You are sooo close to 2yrs!! That has got to feel amazing!! So, when you do finally get your braces off, what is the first thing you're going to eat? (Think of something besides popcorn--cuz I know you already cheated with it!)

[klobird]

HAPPY 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!

Wow!!! Congratulations Cat!!!!

[catgyrl]

Thank you, Klo!!! Would you believe I'd completely forgotten? Looking at that LYING ticker is fairly depressing, as I'm obviously not getting debraced today. Going to make a new one later that shows when I should've been debraced.

As for your last question about what food I'm going to eat immediately post-debracing... hmmm... I hadn't really thought about it, because I've pretty much cheated and eaten everything I wasn't supposed to (and YES, even popcorn!! LOL!) I think what I'll enjoy more is not constantly fishing around my mouth for food stuck in brackets. That habit will be hard to break, I think.

[Roboto]

You're so close to being done!!

I told the ortho assistant last week that one of the first things I'm going to do post-braces is floss. As far as foods, I also still eat everything, including popcorn (it just takes FOREVER to fish out). I might have to have something like a caramel apple though. I still eat that stuff now but I have to cut it up... or maybe eat all the foods that take forever to brush and pick out of my braces (broccoli, salad, bread, pasta, rice, popcorn, etc..) and NOT brush my teeth! lol! Just thought I'd throw some ideas out there

[HeyBuckey!]

Happy belated 2nd year Cathy!!! Don't worry! I've passed the baton to you, and they will be off soon!!!

[catgyrl]

Thanks, Nolongerbuckey, for the baton! I may be carrying it around in my purse for a long time. And, if he doesn't take these things off by summer, I may hit him with it.

Roboto - Hmmm... You know what I'm MOST looking forward to? Not having to run to the bathroom mirror to check or brush my teeth immediately after eating. Oh, and yes, FLOSSING like a normal person! Considering I flossed little-to-never pre-braces, I'm going to make that a priority from now on.

I've decided that at my next visit, I'm going to tell my ortho that if the overjet can't be fixed by the next visit (which it probably can't), then I can live with it. I measured it, and it may only be about 2mm. The wee gaps I have remaining can probably be taken care of with a trusty, handy-dandy double powerchain like Buckey had. My bite is good (my teeth have never met properly at rest, and now they're just about perfect); they're aligned, and in the middle of my face. The main thing I'm having issues with now is my left lateral incisor, which is noticeably shorter than it should be. I know that it won't grow any longer (LOL!) So, if he can't bring it down with a bend in the wire, then I may try to get that bonded to match up with the length of the other teeth. After that, I will be satisfied.

[ashesgap]

You know, when we first get braces we think of "perfect" teeth. But, when it comes down to it, we just want normal. Normal bite, normal midline and teeth where they're supposed to be. Debrace day is not being put off by something minor, not after two years.
I will say, retainers are not better...lol. In and out, making sure your teeth are totally clean prior to putting them back in. It's kind of a pain, and I seriously can't wait for my Hawleys. Essix are like having cheap plastic in my mouth, and my tongue is all cut up on one side. I bought nail files just to fix the pokey spots.
BUT I flossed five minutes after walking in the door...and it was awesome.
You'll get yours off soon Cat, and it'll be great.

[catgyrl]

Hi Ashesgap!

You always make me feel better! I wouldn't mind getting Hawleys, except that I don't want the visible wire across my teeth. It would be like having braces again, since my brackets are already clear to begin with. I guess I'm more concerned about aesthetics than I thought. However, the thought of trying to take out the Essix ones... all slobbery and gooey... and brushing them all the time makes my skin crawl. I wonder which ones my ortho prefers? Maybe, if I'm brave, I'll ask him next week.