Betho in Braces! New Pics 4/9 take a LOOK!

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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Betho
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Betho in Braces! New Pics 4/9 take a LOOK!

#1 Post by Betho »

*************************
I figured I would start my story here since I had started it in the bracket forum and I didn't feel it was quite the right place for it.

So, the abridged (no pun intended ha ha) version...

I'm Bethany, 24 years old, corn-fed Iowa girl on a mission to straighten her Jekyl and Hyde smile. When I say that I mean straight on one side, trainwreck on the other. I have a class 2 maloclusion (sp?) and a slight open bite on one side and a overlapping bite with the left molars. I also have TMD on both TMJ's so hopefully this will alleviate some of the tension that has tortured me for years.

Approximate treatment time - 15 to 18 months in Damon's...not too shabby

My incredibly awesome ortho was excited to work on me since she said I take such good care of my teeth. I've never had a cavity (sticking to water and not soda has made sure of that) and the shape of my teeth is good so she was happy to help me with this huge step in my life.

Got braced at 7:00 a.m. November 9th, took about 2 1/2 hours as a couple brackets decided to play escape artists a little early during the process.

First day I went back to work and wiggled my mouth around in awkward gless. Lunch was a pain as I could barely eat soup and mashed potatoes. Didn't use any wax though as I'm used to biting my cheeks due to the crowding, isn't that awful?

Second day....oooh lala the pain! Especially my front top teeth, they felt all loose and wiggly. The top left incisor felt like it was already on the move, much to my bewilderment as it doesn't need to move! Oh well, doc knows what she's doing! I kept telling my husband my mouth was sick and he offered to cut up my food for me, how sweet! Applesauce and cottage cheese and ice cream and cake....what a diet! :oops:

Third day....alot of the same, but a little more solid food. Brushing is going well but flossing...not so much. Can't get the floss threader through a few wires due to the crowing but I'm not in too bad of shape yet. Doggies found the teeny tiny incidental toothbrush and ate it, ARGH! Good thing I have a backup! My husband actually found the brush as he was picking up the poo later, GROSSS! At least I know which one did it, RIKKU! :shock: I discovered that wine and Tylenol PM are a definate ocean of sorts and will knock out a rhino, just what I needed!

Today....more irritation than anything else but a definate improvement. Still lots of pain though and a call to the ortho office later I'm told I'm not taking enough pills. I need 800 mgs of ibuprofen every 6 hours, phew! Good thing I asked! No wax yet, can you believe it?! I do need to use the salt water as KK recommended, I'm not being a good patient, argh :? The aforementioned incisor has definately moved and feels like it's being pushed back like my right incisor, nooooo! I don't need matching fangs! LOL I'm sure it will all work out in time.

The morning they went on:

Image

Thanks for reading my story!

Bethany
Last edited by Betho on Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:06 am, edited 5 times in total.

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Betho
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#2 Post by Betho »

So I'm 6 days into treatment with my Damon brackets and things are going well...very well in fact.

The pain has subsided quite a bit and I really haven't had to use many pain relievers lately which is great since I hate taking too much of that stuff anyway. I already see a bit of movement which shocked me since I haven't even been in these things a week. I took pictures but decided not to post them since the change is oh-so-slight and only I can really tell they've moved. :dance:

And now to the subject at hand. I swear my braces have given me super powers! :-* Well, I'm not quite Wonder Woman but there have been some very notable changes in my life and habits that I just couldn't help but share.

Notable Change #1 - MOOD - Since the braces have been put on my mood has changed for the better. I've struggled on and off with mild depression for many years and yes I have good days and bad days, but since I've had braces I've gotten this sense of empowerment and confidence that I haven't felt in years. I'm motivated to do things, get things done, be positive, etc. At a time where I felt that I'd be stifled in speech and embarassed because of my appliance, I feel confident! :-)o

Notable Change #2 - ORGANIZATION - My entire life I have thrived in filth. Messes never bothered me, and I was the absolute WORST housekeeper...EVER. I keep everything in my head and never write anything down and was very disorganized. :-+ After the braces went on I came home and was just disgusted at the sight of my house; the clutter, the garbage, the dirty dishes, the dust. Last night I spent 4 hours cleaning the house while my husband was away and didn't take one break til' I was done with what I intended to get done. I washed all our towels, consolidated the dished into piles and cleaned the sink, counters, fridge, cleaned all the junk out of the linen closet and organized it, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed, dusted, and even made my husband a pot of coffee for the next morning (he likes it cold). My husband came home and was just speechless, he was so happy and impressed and excited that his wife, THE SLOB, had cleaned 70% of the house in 4 hours. You could not wipe the smile from his face and I hadn't seen him that happy with me in months. I'm now making an ongoing active list of tasks and projects I want to complete so our house will begin to look like a normal house again. :jump:

Notable Change #3 - LOVE LIFE - I don't know if it's because I feel youthful (I'm only 24 anyways) in these braces or if I know I'm working to better myself or if I just have a boost of confidence from them, but the libido has skyrocketed and the boy can just not keep his hands off! :shock: I won't go into specifics here but everything just FEELS better and the snuggle factor has definately increased, YAY! :HugeGrin:

BONUS - I've stopped biting my nails simply for the fact I can't even attempt to chew them!

I am wondering if any of you have experienced a surge in any areas in a positive way like this. I just feel really good about things and hope it doesn't end.

Til next time...

Betho :banana:

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Betho
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#3 Post by Betho »

Thanks Karen! All of you on this board have been such an inspiration to me!

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Betho
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#4 Post by Betho »

Hello all! Sooooo, it's been a long time since I've visited AW! I've been braced for nearly 5 months now and it's amazing how much progress my teeth have made. It's been a crazy ride so far but I've been doing great! I've only had 2 adjustments (including one wire change) so far, and during my visit last week they put a hook on one of my top rear molars and I now wear a rubber band connecting top to bottom to correct my crossbite. It's probably been the most unpleasant experience so far as it's been difficult to chew on my right side due to the pain. I went in for a checkup this morning and thankfully there is no infection but they did change the band size to a larger one to reduce the tension.

And now...for the pics! Here's my progress over the last 4 months. A description is below the collage.

Image

First Row
1. They day they went on, 11/9/07
2. At 4 days
3. 5 Weeks
4. 9 Weeks

Second Row
1. 17 Weeks
2. Bottow Arch 4 days
3. 5 Weeks
4. 9 Weeks

Third Row
1 17 Weeks
2. Top Arch 5 Weeks
3. 9 Weeks
4. 17 Weeks

The most recent pics are about a month old so I'll have to take more pics and put them up so we can see if my crossbite has changed much since this rubber band has been on.

Until next time!

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Bekah
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#5 Post by Bekah »

There is alot of movement! I can't wait to see how they turn out!
2 Years 4 months 3 weeks and 4 days in full metal braces!

Image




Click on "WWW" for my braces story!

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Betho
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#6 Post by Betho »

Hey Bekah, thanks! I'm excited about how quickly they've been moving around but I'm sure the best is yet to come, only 10-13 more months, yay!

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Betho
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#7 Post by Betho »

Ok, I'm in some serious pain today. My upper right molar has a bracket with a hook on it (even though I don't have a rubber band on it yet) and it has torn up my cheek so bad it started bleeding this morning. I don't have any wax and I need to get some, though I'm not sure how much it will help. Has anyone else ever had a problem with something like this. I can barely chew anything without wincing from the hook scraping against the wound. OUCH! :oops:

I'll be taking my 5 month pictures tomorrow morning and I think there will be some noticeable progress from last month, yay!

jenny101101
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#8 Post by jenny101101 »

Hi Betho,

I noticed that you posted on another journal and that you have Damon's so I thought I'd check out your story. I have Damon 3mx's too with the Damon 3's on the front six :D .

Wow, you're teeth look amazing! We have similar crowding issues on the lower arch and I really love seeing your progress! I look forward to following your journal :computer: .
Keep smilin'! :)
Jenny
Image

Braced for 18 months: Damon 3mx all around with Damon 3's on "social six". Now is Essix retainers for 10 hours/night.

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Betho
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#9 Post by Betho »

Hey Jen, thanks for the compliments! I have been blessed with healthy teeth and I have my parents to thank for that. No soda allowed as a kid really benefitted me I think.

Nice to have a Damon friend! They are few and far between! I love mine and especially love that I don't have to wear ligs! Nice and neutral is where I like to be. I'm scared of the colors and sticking to just one for 6-8 weeks at a time, lol.

So how does it feel to be fully braced now?

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Betho
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Progress Pics Month #5

#10 Post by Betho »

OK, I took some pics this morning of my progress over March's pics and unfortunately I only had a couple minutes to get the snaps since my camera was about to die but here they are!

Image

This is my favorite! My two front teeth have FINALLY aligned and are no longer overlapping! The black thing you see on the right molar is my rubber band hook.
:jokerlaugh:

Image

The crowding is still prominent on the bottom teeth but hey, slow and steady wins the race! There's alot of teeth to move, especially since I had no extractions.

Image
If you're wondering why I have a bump on my tongue...that's extra tastebuds that I was born with! Crazy huh? They drive me nuts!

For the most part my story has been kinda boring since I haven't had to have anything major done to my teeth. I hope as I show more progress things will be more interesting. :-)

I finally figured out what has been ripping my cheek to shreds the past few days. My arch wire has already moved so much since my adjustment two weeks ago that it is poking out the back of my right rear molar and scraping my cheek. OUCH! No wonder! I may have to run to the doc to have it shaved down or clipped as I don't think wax will cut it.

All in all though I'm VERY happy! :-*

jfcortez83
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I get mine next week!

#11 Post by jfcortez83 »

Hey everyone, my name is Maria and am so excited and nervous bout gettin my braces :oops: I will also get the Hawley appliance for my tongue thrusting. Has anyone else gotten one of these? I am more nervouos bout the appliance than the braces themselves!

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Betho
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#12 Post by Betho »

Hi Maria! I never had a Hawley appliance so I can't help you there. Congrats on getting the braces though. They will definately leave you with lots of stories to tell and experiences you won't forget, but rarely any regrets. Keep us posted on your progress! :wink:

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Betho
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#13 Post by Betho »

Yesterday I was able to get to the ortho for an emergency visit to get a wire clipped that was poking me and ripping up my cheek. There was just one gal on staff today since they normally close down during Wednesdays. She got my top and bottom wires clipped up nicely and ah, sweet relief! She also replenished my supply of pick brushes and wax, sweet! Now I can begin to heal a bit. It's so gross, I have like this huge clump of scar tissue building up on my cheek now. Oh well, it's been worse.

Today ALREADY the wire on the top in the same spot is starting to protrude again, sheesh! My teeth must really be moving! :evil: Ouchie!

spacey
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#14 Post by spacey »

Kind of a catch 22 huh? Wire always poking and tearing up your cheek but, it's also a sign of progress! I'm so not looking forward to the wires. :roll:
.•*¨¨*·-:¦:-·*SPACEY'S *·-:¦:-·*¨¨*•. updated braces story: http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=25311

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