Week 46

Well I'm back....so I thought I'd post a picture. Everything is pretty darn straight. The roots included. The only problem right now is the spaces on the bottom. If you look, on the top is the standard chain and on the bottom is the closing chain.

First Day

Week 46

As you can see, I've come a long way...just a little farther. I have the appointment for my adjustment later this week and may be then, I'll get a date or estimate of when I'll get these things off.

I also wanted to mention, that while cleaning out my mother's house, I found a picture of me with my retainer from the first time I had braces. I realized that the IDIOT that did the braces back then, didn't ever close the open bite. I'll have to scan and post that picture when I get a chance.

I wish, looking back, I knew then what I know now, I'd sue for malpractice.

Week 27

Well here we are! Week 27. Things are going ok. I ended up having to get the top wires clipped on Monday afternoon that is how fast the combination of the chain and the "ideal wire" have started moving those top teeth!

The pain has been ok, just low level throbbing, always worse in the morning. I think it's because I've been a little stressed this last week and I'm clenching my jaw in my sleep.

This being said, it's not even 1/2 as bad as it was last time. My jaw/teeth line is still a little bit lopsided, but, I think it might be getting a little better. I know I shouldn't even look at that right now as that is the last phase but it seems so obvious to me.

I also started to notice that the bottom is moving a little unevenly. if you look at the midlines or the line between the front teeth of each jaw, they're not quite squared/straight right now. I know this will also be tweaked later but jeeze, how crooked am I going to get before I start straightening out?

As always, the first day and most recent pictures for your "approval" :-#



First Day



Week 27












Amazing isn't it?

Week Twentysix--Happy Halloween--A Little Early

Fall is in the air, leaves are changing, the sun is lower and I've got black and orange chains on my braces! I had my adjustment yesterday and the good news is...I've got the "ideal" wire on the top! It's the heaviest gauge wire they use and it's square. It is for all the heavy-duty moving. The sort of "not-so-good" news is that A) I still needed chains both top and bottom and B) the bottom had not progressed well enough to get the ideal wire.

The ortho did say that he is impressed with the way things are looking and we are moving right on track...so that's a plus.

I had the lovely Helen yesterday. She makes me laugh. She was a little unsure if I really wanted the Halloween colors, but did them anyway. I think they're a trip. I mean really, its only for 6 weeks and I get them off 5 days after Halloween so what's the big deal? Now what colors do I want for Thanksgiving? Or not? My next appointment is November 4th, so it's prime to get them in Thanksgiving colors, except that they don't get changed again until December 16. So do I skip Thanksgiving and go for Christmas? I'm not sure I want to get Christmas colors on the 16th because I'll have those bands/chains until the end of January. Oh the decisions...LOL.

As always, here are the weekly pictures....I looked at the 25th week anniversary pictures and it just amazes me how far I've come in just 6 months....:-#

First Day

Week 26

 Now on the plus side, the pain from the new, heavy wire and new chains didn't start right away. I did keep ice on it during the day and took Advil before and after so the pain wasn't too bad but at eight last night my husband and I went to get dinner and the pain started with my very first bite of dinner. I was able to finish it but it was very uncomfortable. I took more Advil when I got home and some other medicine I have for jaw pain when I went to bed.

It's not horrible today, just uncomfortable. I can deal, heck look at how pretty my chompers are getting, it makes all the pain worthwhile.

Week Twentyfive and a Look Back

So I have arrived at my 25th week anniversary! (Yay, ME!)

If the 2 year time frame is correct I have approximately 556 days left in braces...but on the plus side, that means I have 175 down. So I'm "getting there".

I've decided that in stead of just the first week picture and this week's picture, I'll post a few so you can see how they've changed as the changes happened....

First Day

Week Five

Week Ten

Week Fifteen

Week Twenty

 



Week Twentyfive











Next week if things have progressed as expected, I'll be up to the "ideal" archwire. This is the archwire that is the thickest, square and does all the "heavy lifting" when it comes to moving teeth. I'm hopeful that I won't also need another dreaded power chain.

With it being close to Halloween (my next adjustment is the week after Halloween) if I do not need a power chain, I think I'm going to pick black and orange bands. If I need a powerchain...well, I don't know. I'd have to think some more about that. Black may make it look as if all my teeth are rotting...lol.

I look back at the pictures above and am so impress at how far I've come in such a short time. I've bitten my tongue for the first time, can actually bite off bread with my front teeth....they are already starting to look so good. I haven't had any major TMJ issues either so I'm very happy with my results so far.

Achy Breaky Teeth

Well not really breaky but definately achy. *sighs* I'm tired of achy teeth. They've been sore all weekend. I think my sinus infection is putting pressure on the top row and the bottom is really moving in response to the power chaing going all the way back to the molars.

I JUST happened to notice that the gap that formed on the bottom left has begun to close so the power chain must be working and that would explain the pain...but it's going to drive me nuts.

I'm just a mess today. *sighs* And even Advil is not working. *pouts*

Week Twenty

Well, it's Week Twenty. I had my adjustment yesterday and my dreams of getting rid of the dreaded power chain were dashed. Not only did I get a new power chain, but it has now been extended all the way back to my molars, top and bottom! The last link of the chain is looped over the hooks on the bands.

Can you say ouch?!

To add a little salt to the wound, they said I might need them a few more times. Blech! They upped the gauge of the wire as well.

On the plus side, they said that next time, I'll be getting the "ideal wire" or the heaviest gauge wire that is square-shaped that does the "heavy moving" so....

I really like my orthodontist and all the ladies that work there. If it wasn't that my mouth was so sore when I left I'd really love visiting, ha, ha, ha.

Since it wasn't too long after my appointment, I was able to eat chicken fingers for dinner. By morning, I'm back on my MPMSY diet, mashed potatoes, Milk Shake and Yogurt.

As always,

First Day


Week Twenty

Like the lavender?

Week Nineteen

Again with the late post....so sorry. My mother had another operation on Thursday, the last one, thank goodness. She doesn't have Internet so I was very limited. I did take the obligatory picture, however.

Teeth-wise, it's been a good week (except for one incident which I'll outline later.) The pain is gone and while there's been some popping and moving, it's all very manageable. The incident was that my husband and I went for a drive on Sunday and he decided to take a dirt road...a very rutted dirt road. At one point the Jeep hit a very big pothole and I wasn't expecting it and the jolt rammed my teeth together. Boy did I see stars! Luckily it passed in a few moments.

Changes this week? I happened to notice that on the left side of my mouth, that my front teeth have moved down and they are actually beginning to over lap the bottom, almost like a normal bite! It's quite exciting! If you consider it's only been 19 weeks, it's even more amazing. The only down side is that the right side isn't coming down as quickly and my mouth is getting to look very lopsided--at least to me. Most people probably wouldn't notice.

I also noticed that the bottom teeth are much more straight from just two weeks ago, I've included that picture as well. If you look at week seventeen, you can see how the blue power chain accentuates how bowed-looking my bottom teeth are, whereas this week, it's nearly straight.

These things are amazing!


First Day

Week Seventeen

Week Nineteen

So Thursday, I'll have my next adjustment. I'm not sure what color bands to pick. If I have to go with a power chain again and I really hope not since I'll be going away for the weekend and I don't' want to be miserable, I might go with something more subtle, like the plum. If it's just bands, no power chain, then maybe I'll go with screaming pink...who knows? I won't know until I sit in the chair.

Any suggestions? LOL!

Week Seventeen

Finally a post on the right day! Yay for me! I do not notice much difference since last week but to me, the difference since I've started this journey is amazing! The proof is in the pictures:

First Day


Week Seventeen


Quite Stunning, don't you think? I wonder how amazing they'll look in another 612 days(approximate). May be I'll be able to be a "Teeth Model" and get jobs selling toothpaste? HA!

The pain has subsided for the most part since week sixteen. I can bite now, which is nice and I was able to eat steak (double nice) if I cut it in small pieces. They are still hypersensitive to hot/cold but since I can chew solid food, I'm not going to complain.

I feel bad for my poor husband having to listen to me whine these last three weeks. This power chain/heavy wire combo has been very painful and I'll admit I've whined the whole time. It's just hard some days and while I KNOW this is the best thing to keep me from a life of pain and bad chewing, I will admit that if I would have known it would hurt this much I would have thought a little more about this. It's the first real "crisis of conscience" I've had with my braces.

I know I'd have done the same thing, I mean the alternative was my alignment getting worse, having more difficulty chewing and my TMJ growing worse and more painful. I don't think I would have taken the decision as glibly as I did. This is a thousand times more difficult than it was when I was a kid. I really don't remember them hurting except the first week and then only for a day or so after an adjustment. Three weeks of solid pain is not fun.

They say it's worse for an adult, that the nerves and roots are established and that this is what causes the pain. I believe them.

On the plus side, I go back to the Ortho in just 3 weeks, I'm halfway done with this power chain and I'm hoping that I won't need another one. At least not right away.

Oh well, it gives me a "medical reason" for all the ice cream I've been eating, right? ;-)

Week Sixteen, Posted late

Sorry to be posting Week Sixteen a week late, but it was a big week for me. I went to the Eastern League (AA baseball) All-Star game, I took my mother to the eye surgeon to get ready for surgery and turned 38.

When I started this blog, Braces at 37, I was in shock that someone my age would need braces and didn't think about the fact that I very well could be 39 or 40 before these blasted things come off. It made me think of that 70's TV show about a teenage boy, "James at 15". When the show was renewed for a second season, they renamed it "James at 16" but kept the origional logo but crossed out the 15 and wrote 16 above it. In that vein, I offer my new logo:



On the serious side. I've had a LOT of pain ever since they put on the power chain. Headaches, hypersensitive teeth, and generally, I'm back on my soft food diet. Oh yay! More mashed potatoes and pudding! (Where the heck is that sarcasm font?)

As always, here's the comparison pictures:




Day One

Week Sixteen

Wow! Looking at the pictures side by side it really hit me how much my teeth have changed already!

I do feel like a schmuck for not posting this last week. But I guess even life can get in the way of a good posting. ;-)

The Agony of De Teeth

LORDY! The new archwire and powerchain are KILLING me! I am in more pain than I have been with anything related to my teeth. I had a tooth pulled a few years ago, I was awake and only had local anesthetic and it felt better than this.

I had mashed potatoes and a milkshake for dinner last night and was in bed by 6. SIX P.M.! I packed my face in ice and took meds and waited by 10 I was sufficiently numb....by ice and some pharmaceuticals to fall asleep.

It was just as bad this morning.

I took 2 ice packs to work and a ready-made batch of mashed potatoes. Yesterday I knew it was going to be bad when I couldn't chew tuna salad on a wrap.

I think it's going to be my M&M diet tonight again, milkshakes and mashed potatoes....unless I can get some pasta somewhere.

UGH.

Week Fourteen---On with the POWERCHAIN.

I was not expecting the powerchain. When I went in this morning for my second adjustment I had thought of getting red and blue o-rings for the Fourth of July. I sort of chickend out and went with all electric blue. They matched my sweater and frankly, it's just a cool color.


The technician took off the old o-rings and archwire and I went to brush. When I came back I saw the matching blue powerchain. I thought, "ruh-ro!" I had read that they put a lot of pressure on your teeth...so any plans I had of having a bagelwich for lunch went out the window.

They put in a thicker, stronger archwire and then on went the powerchain. When the new wire went on I went, "wow" I could feel how much stonger it was than the previous wire, right away. Then the powerchain went on and I went "double wow!"


If you're not familiar, a powerchain is a series of the o-rings that are connected, sort of like this



O-O-O-O-O-O-O



With the o part going over each bracket to hold the archwire in place.

The pressure was immediate as well as the discomfort. I have a feeling I'm going to be on the MP diet...ie Mashed Potatoes for every meal for a while. :-( So much for hotdogs for the 4th.


Le Sigh.


First day


Week 14



After they were installed, the technician told me not only are the a neat shade of blue....

THEY GLOW IN THE DARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So yes, as soon as I get home I'm going to hold a flashlight up to my mouth to "charge" them and then will try to get a picture of them glowing in the dark.


Yep. I'm a nerd.