Tobilei's Train Tracks.

[NeilH]

Looking good and only four months to go! Sorry to hear about your swelling, must have been uncomfortable for you, hope all is well now. Are you getting used to the elastics and the frequent changes? I can't begin to imagine what it's like having elastics but guess I will find out in the future as I believe they will appear sometime in my treatment plan.

[Tobilei]

Looking good and only four months to go! Sorry to hear about your swelling, must have been uncomfortable for you, hope all is well now. Are you getting used to the elastics and the frequent changes? I can't begin to imagine what it's like having elastics but guess I will find out in the future as I believe they will appear sometime in my treatment plan.

Thanks Neil I know! I'm super excited! Nope, still not getting used to the elastics. They still rub like mad Today I sort of accidentally forgot to have them in since 3pm (it's now 8pm and your post just reminded me so thank you!)

I'm sure you'll take elastics in your stride just as you have your braces (not like me who's been a neurotic whinging mess for the last 10 months ).

[SunshineRay]

wow, only 4 months? I am jealous!

[Tobilei]

wow, only 4 months? I am jealous!

Fingers crossed! He keeps telling me I'm on track but hasn't gone so far as to say they'll definitely come off in January (knowing my luck it'll get pushed back by months at the last minute ) And lol, I'm jealous of my daughter who's walking around with hers off (and more than that, eating with hers off!)

[rhibee83]

i wanty my braces off in 4 months!! lol

I am going to be brave and ask at my next adjustment (5 months!) how long i have to go! lol i am expecting a year and half! but we will see

[beckyboo0205]

LOL I have an adjustment in a few days and I am planning on asking them too how "on track" I am. Or if maybe I happen to be ahead of schedule.

[Tobilei]

Haha, I'm too scared to ask now on account of I think he got a bit annoyed with me going back in with the swelling (which he said he couldn't see but both my husband and I can still see some of it there!) I'm sure I won't be able to help myself though. He mostly tells me things are looking good or we're on track or something (and I usually have an entire list of questions in my hot little hand so I don't want to bug him *too* much!)

[TMJJill]

My uppers moved into place quickly. My lowers are another story. They have been very pokey. My Orthodontist was telling me for a while how well things were moving along, then he really stopped those statements and focused most of his comments on what we were trying next. I stopped asking as I got closer to the end of my estimated 2 year time frame. Imagine my surprise at my July appointment when he told me the brackets were coming off at the next appointment. (Unfortunately I've had to wait 2 months due to his busy schedule.)

My moral to this story: Teeth move at their own rate. We can coach them on, but there is no predicting what nature is actually going to do.

By the way, until the last 4 months, I almost always had at least one 'emergency' appointment in between the regulars because of one problem or another. This included 2 years in braces and one in a splint. I asked once if I was a 'problem' patient and they told me some people have more issues than others. I guess I was just lucky. They said never let something bother me when it could be easily addressed. The only way to really know is to have a visit.

[NeilH]

Looking good and only four months to go! Sorry to hear about your swelling, must have been uncomfortable for you, hope all is well now. Are you getting used to the elastics and the frequent changes? I can't begin to imagine what it's like having elastics but guess I will find out in the future as I believe they will appear sometime in my treatment plan.

Thanks Neil I know! I'm super excited! Nope, still not getting used to the elastics. They still rub like mad Today I sort of accidentally forgot to have them in since 3pm (it's now 8pm and your post just reminded me so thank you!)

I'm sure you'll take elastics in your stride just as you have your braces (not like me who's been a neurotic whinging mess for the last 10 months ).

Hi, how are you getting on? Are you still wearing your elastics? Love the quote "neurotic whinging mess" LOL

[Leebie3]

hey stranger!~

was wondering where you'd been! Haven't seen yoiu on the boards but you're hiding in here Just wondering how you're going my fellow aussie??

[Bikerchick85]

Hey Girl! I was wondering where you had been as well! I hope you get yours off soon like they anticipate! I'm so jealous!! I have another year!

[Dee17]

I haven't been on this board in ages. Have just been really busy. But I was in to see my orthodontist last week for my 8th (count 'em) adjustment and I asked him if he thought I was still on track to get my braces off in a year. I had them put on October 25, 2012. He said, "Well, we may go over by three or four months, some of your teeth are being very stubborn." Arrrgh! I really so want them off NOW! My teeth may be stubborn but I am impatient!

[Tobilei]

Hi all It's been forever since I've been here! To those of you who checked in, thank you! I apologize for my absence. In November I had an IV iron infusion due to non existent iron stores and had a really severe reaction to it. I was violently ill for 8 weeks straight and am still trying to get things back on track now. Due to have a whole heap of testing done. My braces kind of paled in comparison to how sick I was. A few of my adjustments I dragged myself there, didn't ask a single question and dragged myself home without even caring what was being done.

And I guess like most, you just hit a point where your braces still annoy you every day but they're not giving you horrendous mouth ulcers, they're not hurting as much as they used to and you've gotten used to the annoyance of it all.

But I didn't want to just disappear and leave my thread unfinished, it's always nice to see the beginning and the end and I am finally almost at the end of my journey I have a debrace date of April 2nd set for 11:40am. Unfortunately my ortho who has been with me since the beginning is going away for a while in that time so he's not available for the finale which is a bit sad. And we'll be 3 months overdue (grr!)

When they come off I will have permanent retainers placed top and bottom behind the teeth and removable clear one's also top and bottom which I will get a week after the braces are off.

So just for an updated pic:

Here we are at the start:

And now:


I still have some work to be done. I need to decide if I want an implant in the gap which I honestly don't think I can afford right now so I'll probably be looking at a different option and I need some bonding and levelling done across the front top teeth as my vampire teeth are right next to my 2 front one's. Last but not least a little filing of my 2 bottom teeth.

Thank you to you all for the support during my time here. I'll try not to be such a stranger from now on!

[Dee17]

Oh, my God!! Your teeth look amazing!! Tobelie. What a difference!!! You must be thrilled. So I guess the whole horrible ride was really worth it after all. I can't wait to see your full face photo once you get them off. It will be a pleasure to finally be able to see all of you! Yay for you!!!

[Tobilei]

Oh, my God!! Your teeth look amazing!! Tobelie. What a difference!!! You must be thrilled. So I guess the whole horrible ride was really worth it after all. I can't wait to see your full face photo once you get them off. It will be a pleasure to finally be able to see all of you! Yay for you!!!

Thank you Dee Don't worry you will! I'll pop one up the minute they come off and tag you in it on facebook And yes, it's worth it. I did the entire journey kicking and screaming and digging my heels in, but it's worth it!