Tomorrow....a new wire

Well by tomorrow at this time I'll have my new wire. How sore will I be? Will I be back on my mashed potatoes diet? What color bands should I pick?

So many questions, no answers. Do I stay with the purple bands? I know I like them. Should I go with patriotic blue for Memorial Day and the 4th of July? A different shade of purple? Black? Hot Pink? The choices!

I must also mention, I startled myself this morning. I glanced in the mirror and realized that the one side of my bite is almost closed already! it's so close that I can't stick the "christmas tree" brush between my jaws there! it's never been closed before...

I am so stunned with how much my teeth have moved! I'm amazed they've gone so far in such a short amount of time! If they keep moving closer like this, may be I won't need to have surgery to "realign" my jaw! I do NOT want to have my skull sawed apart if I don't have to!

I feel so much more hopeful that I did when I started this process. While I am a little hesitant about the pain I may feel after the adjustment tomorrow, who wouldn't, but may be it won't take two years after all?

:-#

Oh, one more thing, I found a product, while somewhat "wasteful" plastic wise, that is very helpful to have. They are waterless toothbrushes that have a "bead" of mouthwash in them. They do not replace regular toothpaste and a brush but are very handy to keep in your pocket for when you're out and about and don't feel like brushing in a public sink.

photo from http://www.notcot.com/

They come in little plastic and foil packs of 2 that have a brush with the mouthwash bead on one end and a rubber pick on the other. I like to keep them in my purse/pocket for use when I'm somewhere and am unable to either get to a bathroom to brush traditionally or just need a quick "once-over" to clear my braces. They're a little on the spendy side, but they are very handy to have and I'm thinking that it'll make travelling much easier.

Seven Weeks

Moving right along....to me...it seems like things are moving very fast. May be not as fast as in the beginning, but still chugging along. I was sort of down this week, feeling like not much had changed. I've begun to associate the pain with movement, so to me, pain is good. It means something's moving.


This week, very little pain. VERY LITTLE. Does it mean they've stopped? My first adjustment is next week...so even if they have stopped, it's only for a week, right? Why do I feel kind of panicked? I almost WANT them to hurt. If they are hurting they are moving, the more they move may be the sooner I can get done! (that's my warped little brain thinking that I'm sure, I know the ortho said 2 years...but still)


Here is my picture from the first day:


And here is my 7 week anniversary picture:



Here I've marked it with what I think are the biggest changes:


1. On the far left you can see how much that tooth has straightened out and started moving down.


2. This too, too, has turned more straight and is aligned. The space that was forming behind it is gone.


3. This to me is the 2nd most dramatic change. In the first picture you can see how slanted it is and how big of a difference there is between the bottom edge of this tooth and the front tooth. Now, it's very nearly level with the front tooth! It's also almost in line and no longer crooked or overlapping the front tooth.


4. The is the BIGGEST change! This tooth has been pulled down so much it is almost in the right place! I was absent-mindedly chewing on the straw to my soda yesterday at lunch and instead of being able to slide right out as it always had (since my teeth have never met in the front)...I was able to hold onto the straw! For most people, that's not a big deal but for someone who's had an open bite most/if not all of their lives, it's a big deal to be able to bite something and hold onto it.


Despite all of the pain, discomfort, blisters, all of it, I'm am so happy that I decided to do this. I can see how nice it will look, how much better I'll be able to bite and it's only been the first seven weeks. It's not easy but I KNOW it will be worth it.


Now the big question for next week...what color bands should I pick? ;-)

A Before Shot

I was messing around with the camera on my new iPhone and took a picture so you can see what I'm working with...

As you can see, my front teeth do not meet, called an open bite and on the right side (of the picture) the top totally overlaps the bottom. I also have a large space on the bottom where my lip often gets caught.


I'm excited to go to the orthodontist on Monday and start the process. I am hoping that they can get the braces on my teeth before I go on vacation. I keep thinking, "sooner on, sooner off."

The big question is, if I get rubber bands, do I go with "clear" or bright colors? Lol. You just have to have fun with it. When this is all done, I'll look better, hopefully, it will make my mouth feel better too. *crosses fingers*

In the words of the Black Eyed Peas, "Let's Get It Started"!