GRILLZ braces saga

GRILLZ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 9:28 am

WE ARE BRACED!!! :tingrin:

i slept fitfully off and on.....but my idea of loading up on decongestants worked!! i wasn't sniffling much at all, and i could breathe when i arrived for me appointment. got there a few minutes early, plopped down my $$ and we got started....

it went really really well!! i had a tech who had 19 years of experience, so i was really blessed! i was given self ligating brackets, (all metal) but i wanted the colored rubber bands which she said i could have for show but they weren't necessary for function. i got sappahire blue, a really pretty color, just the color i wanted!!

it took about and hour and a half from start to finish, the worst part was over in about 45 minutes (i consider that the part where they have that mouth apparatus in, with the drain and all that. ) i had heard about some really nasty tasting stuff they put on, but i've tasted alot worse than what i tasted today....didn't bother me that much at all. they used trays, so they applied the top and bottom separately but all the brackets went on at once, for the top and then the bottom, rather than putting each bracket on each tooth separately. i think that's what made it go so fast. plus i was a model patient, acc to the tech

the fellow next to me didn't fair so well, he was gagging and struggling and they had to start over with him at least two times....i think that bother me the most hearing him say how he couldn't breathe and all that.....but i tried to block it out.

there was no videos, no music, nothing cool to look at...i didnt' bring an mp3 player or anything....but it went fast enough. the ortho had to come and do something, one of my back brackets didn't go on quite right so had to redo it...but it was effortless and without pain. he also removed some enamel between some of my front teeth to give them more room to space out, no pain, it went fine. i'll go back in 8 weeks, at that time they will add the brackets to all of my last teeth (crowns) in the very back, top and bottom.

i really couldn't have asked for a better experience.....i guess praying does help! :lol:

my take home kit wasn't much to speak about, no electric tooth brush, glad i got one of those myself....., one tiny little container of wax, regular tooth brush and portable tooth brush, a tiny container of regular floss and one of those floss threaders. something to put on my frig about what i can and can't eat, a tube of that RX toothpaste which they recommended i use once a day. they said the tube should last me 3-4 months. i was supposed to get a 'shirt' but they were out of them

i took pictures when i got home of the braces, but then my camera ran out of juice, so i have to recharge before i can transfer them onto my computer!! ugh!!

my daughter who has had braces ran out to look at them and asked me how it went and she said they looked really cool!!!

i'm so glad i didn't cancel....i had my doubts about whether i should go thru with it.....as i do feel pretty sick....but i just couldn't do yet a second cancellation!!! so glad i was able to do it! it's done! i feel pressure in my mouth and have a headache, but it's nothing unbearable (yet?) i took advil an hour before i left for the appointment and i took some when i got home.

i was thinking of eating my 'last meal' this morning of toast and eggs (love crispy toast) but i was too tired to have to think about taking the time to floss and brush again.....so i had a smoothie and brushed good but didnt' floss again....i had flossed real good last night, and there were no pieces at all in the smoothie, so i think i'm ok with that.!!

will post the pix as soon as my camera is recharged, and will post updates on how i'm feeling.....thanks everyone for your awesome support!!! i could not have done it without this forum and your support!!!

xxxooo

drgnchsr36 · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:26 am **Posts:** 670

Glad it went well!!! :jump:

Hopefully it won't be too uncomfortable and hope you're feeling better! I highly recommend getting the floss that is like a threader on one end - that will save you so much time of tying floss to a floss threader. I still use it from time to time.. but sometimes, ugh.. I just hate tying the floss and then cutting it off the threader.

My only other recommendation is to get more wax! But, remember, you don't need a whole lot to cover the bracket. Course, you may be lucky and the brackets may not bother you - hope that's the case! I'm finally wax free, but not sure how long it'll last.

My only question is.. you stated they put them on all at once and not each separately? I thought they had to do each bracket.. or is that not the case with self ligating brackets? Just curious, never heard of that

Anyways, congrats and can't wait to see pictures!

Ellebraced · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 9:47 am

Hey GRILLZ

CONGRATS on getting braced. :jump:

Anxiety is the worst part right?

The next few days might be uncomfortable but I was eating normal by day 3 and very normal about 10 days later.

Can't wait to see your pics.

Get some rest and get better!!

Elle

GRILLZ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 9:54 am

drgnchsr36

apparently that must not be the case w/ self ligating brackets, or at least the ones i got....i saw them....there was a top part and a bottom part, and each bracket was already connected to the next one.....so when she put them in, she did the bottom first and then the top.....i think they were each in a tray.....and she put them in and then pushed pretty hard and held it down for a while, then they had to stay in for 4 minutes, then she pealed away the tray, carefully, bracket by bracket, and they were in! there was a number of preparatory steps of painting different things on the tooth, including using that weird light contraption......but i think it went much faster because yes, the entire top and entire bottom went on at one time, i was surprised by this.....

it is weird to try to talk....but i really like how they look, i don't feel self conscious at all....and i'm so glad i loaded up on lip balm...my lips are pretty dry right now. guess its time to rehydrate!

drgnchsr36 · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:26 am **Posts:** 670

GRILLZ wrote:

drgnchsr36

apparently that must not be the case w/ self ligating brackets, or at least the ones i got....i saw them....there was a top part and a bottom part, and each bracket was already connected to the next one.....so when she put them in, she did the bottom first and then the top.....i think they were each in a tray.....and she put them in and then pushed pretty hard and held it down for a while, then they had to stay in for 4 minutes, then she pealed away the tray, carefully, bracket by bracket, and they were in! there was a number of preparatory steps of painting different things on the tooth, including using that weird light contraption......but i think it went much faster because yes, the entire top and entire bottom went on at one time, i was surprised by this.....

it is weird to try to talk....but i really like how they look, i don't feel self conscious at all....and i'm so glad i loaded up on lip balm...my lips are pretty dry right now. guess its time to rehydrate!

That's cool

Yeah, I don't have SL brackets and it was bracket by bracket. After the technician put them on my tooth, the ortho had to come by and position them.. so it was a tad slow process. Not super slow, but definitely not as fast as that.

Yeah, lip balm will become your friend - I've noticed I'm using it all the time.. but I guess drinking water helps with it too!

It is weird to talk at first, but you get really used to it pretty fast. Did you find it strange closing your lips? I still find it weird.. and I still find myself constantly rubbing my tongue over my braces.

GRILLZ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 10:56 am

ellebraced: yes, anxiety was definitely the worst part...it went so much better than i ever imagined.....my least favorite part was the apparatus that stretches your lips....i had to calm myself down about that, but i was able to!

drgnchsr36:

i'ts funny, it doesn't bother me as much as i thought it would re how my lips feel and how the braces feel in my mouth....though it was quite noticable, of course.

what is a royal pain, is brushing and flossing....i ate my first meal of mashed potatoes and coffee ice cream....so then i wanted to waterpik, brush/floss. the waterpik was great! though i didn't notice any large pieces of food or anything like that. brushing was ok, used my hand toothbrush not the electric, i thought it would hurt too much. flossing, oh my g-d...let's just say i did the best i could which probably wasn't very good. i felt like i had 3 left thumbs....it was impossible to get the floss under the bracket of the last teeth....so i used a proxy brush....i hope that is ok.

drgnchsr36 · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:26 am **Posts:** 670

Hope it is too, cuz I can't floss my last teeth in the back on my upper teeth.

I don't think my lower teeth will be an issue -- are those easier for you?

GRILLZ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 11:38 am

braces pix!! the rubber bands are exactly the color i was hoping for!

drgnchsr36 · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:26 am **Posts:** 670

Pretty!!

GRILLZ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 12:03 pm

my mouth doesn't feel clean...i've used the waterpik, brushed, flossed, used proxy brush and brushed again.....i just don't have a good taste in my mouth....i guess. is this typical?

drgnchsr36 · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:26 am **Posts:** 670

I didn't have an issue with taste, but after eating.. I always feel like I have food stuck between my teeth on my back molar teeth. It's kinda like that all the time when I bite though. Hoping that it doesn't feel like this all the time.

JennyLaughs · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 12:17 pm

Congrats!!! I'm so glad everything went so well for you and you didn't have to cancel due to being sick. I LOVE the color of your ligs!!! I think the next time I go, that's what I'll get. That is such a lovely blue. Love life now, 'cuz tomorrow you will definitely know for sure you're braced :tingrin:

~KMG~ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:50 pm

Congrats Grillz!!your braces look great! I concur that the anxiety and anticipation is much worse than the appointment actually is! I am almost two weeks out and I am completely comfortable with my braces. I was able to start eating more solid foods after a week and the "weirdness" in my mouth has gone away. I am sure you will adjust quickly and that crappy taste does go away!

Plumcore · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 2:29 pm

Oh hey! you have the same color i had on my first brace day! Awesome!

GRILLZ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2011 4:34 pm

i was able to fall asleep for a 2 hour nap this afternoon!! sorely needed rest! speaking of sores....those canine brackets with the hooks are starting to dig into my cheeks so i got out the silicon wax....after a few failed attempts of the area not being dry enough....i was able to get it on.....i'm getting alittle better at flossing, not much, but a little.

all this maintenance....water pik, brush & floss sure makes you think twice about eating!! my diet of mash potatoes and sugar free jello is doing just fine per my braces. also a smoothie or two for protein.

GRILLZ braces saga

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