If you want to share the detailed saga of your braces story, this is the place to do it. You can use this forum as a braces journal, editing and updating your posts as your treatment goes on. Remember to also visit the main ArchWired.com site for additional stories from other readers!
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Progress Post
---------------------- Appointments: May 17, 2007. 10am- First Ortho Consultation May 18, 2007 10:30am. -Dental May 24, 2007 10am - Records! May 25, 2007 - 1:15pm - Deep Clean (Dental) May 31, 2007 - 9:30am - Deep Clean (2nd half) June 7, 2007 - B DAY!!!!!!!!!! July 10, 2007 - 11:00am - I got spacers July 26, 2007 - 11:00am - appliances installed. August 31, 2007 - 1pm - Perio Maint/checkup September 6, 2007 - 9:30am - 2nd Adjustment - New Wire! October 22, 2007 - 10:30am - Consult/Canine Discussion + Lig Change. No Adjustment November 29, 2007 - 10:30am - 3rd Adjustment. Addition of Elastics. January 10, 2008 - 10:45 am - 4th Adjustment, evaluation of expander (final adjustment or removal possible) March 5, 2008 - 10:00am - Adjustment. April 28, 2008 - 9:30am - removal of lingual arch (lower). added cleats to three teeth lingual side (lower) for new elastic config. discuss removal of expander.... next time maybe!
June 16, 2008 - 9AM - Adjustment, powerchains, wireties AND stringties. Still got the QH... for now. Still same elastics. Shaved down a tooth for better fit/alignment.
ONE YEAR ONE TO GO!!!!!!
Photos:
Before:
Current:
Last edited by Pixel Witch on Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:04 pm, edited 50 times in total.
The consultation went well. I LOVE the Office Manager/Treatment coordinator.
The Ortho is pretty awesome too.
I have ALWAYS been petrified at ANY dental appointments, and I was nauseous the entire time I was sitting in the waiting room, but K, the Treatment Coordinator was amazing and I was completely comfortable and at ease the entire time I was in the office.
I read all of the horror stories here about getting impressions and I was nervous, but they were honestly a snap. I have an extremely sensitive gag reflex (I gag when I brush my back teeth, tongue, etc) and I didn't even bat an eye with the stuff in my mouth
I asked for no flavor because I was afraid of salivating excessively and the tech commented on how much homework I must have done before my appointment hehe.
They'd never heard of ArchWired.com, and now they know. They have a ton of informative printouts and stuff so hopefully they will add this site. I actually forgot to bring a flier with me, but I promised to bring one next time.
Anyway, I am unfortunately NOT a candidate for invisalign. They told me that I could get it if I really wanted to, but that I would need to get brackets after the initial invisalign treatment anyway and that it would nearly double treatment time and cost.
He strongly prefers to use all metal brackets as opposed to any ceramic though I do have the option. I do not have the option to put them on my bottom teeth though. Due to cost, I will just go with all metal.
I have a few more issues than I realized, and I will need a fixed expander, (springed) which would be installed at my first adjustment after getting braced. The expander is NOT covered under Delta unfortunately, and will tack on a nice chunk to my final bill.
I will have bonded upper and lower retainers and an essix upper for night wear.
All in all, treatment is estimated at 24 months, though he said he would be shocked if it took much more than 18.
My grand total cost was given at $4820, which is my Delta Co-Pay plus the expander. Not as bad as I thought. Before I left this morning I was researching the average cost of orthodontic treatment in Orange County, CA where I live and it runs between $6500 and $7500, and slightly more for adults so I was REALLY scared. $5000 seems like a huge chunk of change to me right now, but it's better than almost $8000!
They will finance me at 800 down (split in half over two months, first payment at b-day) and then $168 a month, 0 interest.
I also have the option of getting 5% off to pay the entire chunk upfront.
Final option is care credit or a regular loan, which both have financing fees/interest and a longer term but a lower monthly payment.
My husband should be home soon, so we'll see what we can do financially.
If he's okay with adding this to our monthly spending, I will be braced on June 7.
I called two more Orthos this morning before my appointment, and I did not get a good vibe from either office.
Office #1 seemed really disorganized, and the coordinator was really snippy with me when I was asking about making a consultation appointment. She also sighed, LOUDLY when she realized that the appointment was for me and that I was 28. She informed me that the results of my treatment might not be as nice due to my age. What the heck? I did not make an appointment.
Office #2 The first girl I spoke to was nice, but didn't really seem to know what she was doing. Additionally they could not fit me in for a consult until the end of JULY. I was then transferred to the office manager to go over the appointment, and she was very rude. I could hear someone text messaging (it sounded EXACTLY like my phone when I text) in the background and she kept telling me to hang on, and in the gaps when I was hanging on I could hear giggling and the texting noises. I really hate to assume, but I turned out to be right when I heard her talking to another girl about trying to text and take appointments at the same time being too hard. Um, sweetie, might want to put me on hold properly before texting and taking about it, lol. Did NOT make an appointment there either.
I am REALLY happy with the Ortho I visited today. I talked to a few of the other adult patients who were in there (and one 15 year old) and they all absolutely adore him. He's very friendly and all the staff greets everyone by name the second they walk in the door. I am quite certain not to find another office where I feel this much at ease (I am picky) and I usually trust my gut on these things. When I don't, I end up disappointed.
What do you all think?
Last edited by Pixel Witch on Thu May 17, 2007 1:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sounds like you have found the Ortho for you. Glad everything went as well as it did for you. Good Luck and keep us posted on what you decide (i just love that guy)
Are you serious?? Ortho #2's receptionist texting while talking on the phone with potential patients?? Well, I just hope the doctor/s know what kind of people they've hired because they sure are shooing away customers. *snickers* I personally expect the staff at these professional offices I visit to be "professional", even if they are young. I mean I'm not just calling up some retail store with 18 year olds working there.
With that said, I'm glad you found a great doctor! The staff at my ortho's is exactly like yours from what I've picked up, so you should have a great time there. I was lucky enough to find a great doctor on my very first ortho consultation; since I liked everything about her practice and her staff (I'm very picky as well), I decided why look at others when you feel good about the one you just went to? I actually get excited about going to their office every time, funny as that may seem.
Glad you've found an ortho that you like. I'm the same- I love mine, and when I moved I still stuck with him (so I travel 6 hours return to visit him but it's worth it!).
Best of luck with your journey!
Jennifer
Banded 22 June 2006.
Debanded 24 July 2007.
Loving it!
I went for my dental today, and I do have beginning stages of periodontal disease. The abscess I was worried about behind my front bottom tooth was about a 6mm and had started to pus. Ugh.
I have always been a meticulous brusher and flosser, but my lack of dental visits over the past few years have kicked me directly in the butt. On the plus side, I am still cavity free and everything else is healthy. Heh.
I was irrigated today, which felt extremely odd and only hurt on the abscess. It wasn't horrible, but it did make my toes curl.
She also applied Arestin into the recession site, sent me home with prescription mouth wash and told me that my Sonic Care and devoted hygiene regimen has been the only thing saving my mouth from being much worse than it is.
My gumline is already less red, and the spot where the Arestin was injected is puffier than normal but the hole is tighter against my tooth, no longer oozy and has faded into a healthier looking pink. Within a month she says the puffy part should shrink, the gum will get pinker and the pocket will close up nearly to a healthy but not quite perfect tightness.
I have another appointment for a deep clean and polish on May 25.
Now, this isn't something that should push back getting braced at all according to the Perio, Hygentist and Dentist. In fact, the perio was encouraging me to stay on schedule with getting braced on June 7.
Unfortunately, the Arestin is $65 per shot. I had two today, and there are a few other sites they are interested in inserting it, but want me to continue with the mouthwash first and see how I progress over the next two deep cleans. With the future possible Arestin, this will bring the total out of pocket expense for this treatment will be about $800.
This is fine. It needs to be done, and I am going to do it. However, that is the $800 I had reserved for the down payment on my braces. I cannot pay for both right now, and in fact I was to split that $800 for my braces between two months before I started regular payments.
My husband, ever worried about money has decided that we should push back braces for a month. I know a month isn't so very long, but it still makes me feel crappy, lol. I was SO PSYCHED UP for June 7, and when we discussed money today it was such a huge let down, I overreacted and cried.
I can't believe as a teenager, I cried about the prospect of getting braces.
15 years later, I cried at the possibility of NOT getting them.
Today was such a crappy day for me, so I rescheduled my maxo x-rays for the ortho, and I'm calling my ortho on Monday to talk about pushing back B-Day and the payment plan for a month.
Hubby wants to discuss a budget plan tonight though, so maybe we can fit it in. We'll see, by Monday I will have the answers.
PS:
They found my adult tooth! I still have a babytooth (Right Upper Canine -still firmly attached), and I was told by every dentist since I was young and it should have descended that I didn't have an adult tooth up there.
The dentist found it today, way up in my palate somewhere above my two front teeth and under my right nostril, haha.
The dentist said it could be cut open and pulled into place with a chain, but because of where it is, it could quite possibly seriously damage my other roots and I am better off getting a crown or veneer, and in the future if my baby tooth decides its time to go, a bridge.
They're emailing me the xray of the adult tooth way up there, it looks really funky.
So, I guess the Arestin treatment I received on Friday morning went well as my abscess looks nearly gone. The gum is no longer red, and is almost as pale pink as the rest of my gum and it has definitely tightened up quite a bit already. The puffy swollen part is about 99% gone and my gumline is nearly as flat as the healthy side.
I switched my routine from flossing before brushing, to flossing AFTER brushing after reading KK's older posts (hope ya don't mind!) and rinsing with saltwater after I eat as I will once I am braced. Partially to get in the habit, and partially for the healing aspects.
I am brushing in the morning and before bed with my Sonicare, and at mealtimes a gentle brush with a child's extra soft. At the suggestion of my hygenist, I am also using a Q-Tip to gently clean my last wisdom tooth that's half grown in with some peroxide in order to keep the environment under the flap healthy as it continues to grow out.
I finally gave in and inspected my gums tonight, and everything already looks about 10 times better. I didn't realize how much my gums were inflamed and red as they were until today when I saw how pale pink and tight they could be! And they are tight, I could feel the difference when I flossed in how low and easily the floss slid down the gumline before as compared to how it is now, only two days later.
The prescription mouthwash is slightly raunchy, but at least the taste fades after awhile.
I know this isn't over yet, not nearly - but I am impressed at how quickly the Arestin hit that targeted area. It's a shame it's so expensive! ($65 a pop!)
I am ready for my next cleaning... and..
And my husband sat down and reworked our budget to include the braces downpayment, so that is no longer on hold. I am excited
The abscess behind my bottom front tooth is gone, and the swelling is non-existant.
In fact, it looks exactly like the gum behind the adjacent tooth which was infection free. I realize that I'm not magical and all of my perio problems didn't magically go away, but it still feels good to see the gum get pale and tighten up.
I was not expecting it to look that good in less than a week.
I am hoping that this is indicative of my body's ability to heal in combination with treatment and that I will not need further Arestin treatments. (please, $65 a pop is a bit much!)
My husband has decided it would be amusing to describe how painful his braces were. He also told me that he got spacers the day he was braced and then the bands were integrated in on the first adjustment. So now I am paranoid about the pain and pressure of spacers AND new braces on B-Day. Ugh, maybe I still won't get them.
Thursday - X-Rays.
Friday - Deep Clean (owwie)
Two Weeks! (and a day) til braces.
I am wishing that I hadn't insisted on getting braced on a day off from work, because I could have gotten in sooner hah. I work at home, on my computer, so it wouldn't have been much of an issue.
I agree, but I'd be slapping him with something more painful than a wet kipper!
I think this two weeks will find me getting antsier and antsier (um, is that a word?) until B-Day.
I am so hyper aware of my teeth right now, that I keep thinking I feel stuff that's not actually happening. Like I was reading about Eleni's Canine, and I swear I felt mine poking around my root/nostril. I'm so insane.
Actually, It just feels really good to know that I am finally getting rid of the teeth I have loathed my entire life.
Today I got my "Records" done, which consisted of a ton of different X-Rays and photos.
Pretty boring and uneventful, but I did speak with my treatment coordinator today who told me if they get everything early enough, she'll try to re-schedule my B-Day a little sooner than June 7!
So yay, I might get Braced a bit early - but if not - exactly two weeks from today I will be about 5 hours into Braces and posting here to tell ya'll about it.
Tomorrow = Deepclean Day.
Not looking forward to the root scaling, but I am pleased with the changes in my gums.
(i just love that guy)
*snickers* I personally expect the staff at these professional offices I visit to be "professional", even if they are young. I mean I'm not just calling up some retail store with 18 year olds working there. 
