I am the other me's Journal (2nd adj 10/13/08, new pix pg3)

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#1 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:38 am

Since I'm due to finally get braces in 8 days, and because I want to keep track of my progress, I'm starting a journal here. I hope you don't find it as boring as it sounds in my head.

My childhood dentist definitely pushed me and my parents into getting braces for me, but for lots of depressing reasons that I won't go into here, I never got them. As a young adult, I had numerous bad dental experiences that were exacerbated by the fact that I metabolize the numbing agent as if I were a hummingbird. One shot lasts 12-15 minutes, then I can start to feel the dentist working again. The dentists could not believe that I was going through the novocaine that fast and kept on working.

Fast-forward to age 31 when, after seven years, I finally visited a dentist I could trust. I got much needed work done, including a molar extraction. The topic of braces came up as a way to straighten out my crowdy teeth to keep them easier to keep clean and to fix the bite that contributed to me crushing and losing that molar. After much research (thanks to you folks) and soul-searching, here I am T-minus 8 days.

I'll post ortho details next...

#2 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:57 am

The first ortho I saw was my dentist's recommendation. The ortho was a very nice lady, which put me at ease. She mentioned most of the things I already knew (crossbite, mild to moderate crowding on both arches, midline is off), but then said I'd need 4 extractions and 2.5 to 3 years. She then noticed that I'm on anti-inflammatory medication for lupus and revised her time estimate to be closer to 3 years.

I asked if it would be possible to use the extraction spot I already had (upper right first molar), and she said no, that she wouldn't be able to pull anything back into that spot and needed 4 premolars taken out instead, and she'd reserve the space for an implant. I also asked what her experience was with adult patients, and she said that she'd had a few, but focuses mainly on teenagers.

Doing braces isn't imperative to save my teeth; I am doing it to be proactive and make things easier on myself in the future. With some creativity and work, their office could probably handle my phobias and make me, as an adult, feel more comfortable. However, three years was pushing the limits of what I was willing to do on this braces adventure, and an additional 4 additional extractions was a dealbreaker for me. I decided to get another opinion.

The next ortho I visited I found on the Web at doctoroogle.com. He's the highest rated ortho in my area. I researched him thoroughly and decided to set up a consult. I figured that his fees would be out of my range, but I decided to at least hear what he had to say.

When he entered the room and looked at the huge pictures of my teeth on the monitor, he greeted me, then said, "piece of cake. We can have you done in 12 months." I figured there must have been some gimmick to make that possible. But, he mentioned all the same problem areas that the other ortho did, and said that if he had to do any extraction in my mouth, it would have been the tooth I'd already lost, so I'd already done the hard work for him. He wouldn't say exactly what he'd be doing in the treatment (before I'd agreed to proceed with treatment), but assured me that it's all done with regular braces in a regular way.

He and his staff put me at great ease from the start. They listened carefully to my phobias and said they could schedule my appointments at quieter times and during their "adult only" blocks of time where the only patients in the office are adults. Even if I had to be in treatment longer, their willingness to address my issues and concerns was what made my decision for me.

He gave me the option of ceramics or lingual braces (really, he said he could do anything but thought I'd be happiest with those options), and I chose ceramics. The cost difference was too great when I wouldn't get complete invisibility with the linguals due to crossbite and midline elastics.

So, I'll be visiting ortho #2 for brace day on August 19. I'm nervous and excited, like I'm sure you all were or are. Fortunately, I'm confident in my decision and know I'm in good hands. Wish me luck!

#3 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:06 am

Well, I had my final filling before The Big Day tomorrow. Thanks to this site and you guys, I feel pretty well prepared for what's going to happen tomorrow and what to expect in the following days.

I'm a bit nervous because I start my vacation Friday and am going to a folk festival (read: walking around outside) for three days. I hope that braces don't make it a nuisance, but rather that the festival is a good distraction that will get me over those first few days.

#4 Post by **Temps75** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:53 am

I'll definitely be watching your story! Be sure to post pictures, especially since you are getting ceramics! I'd love to see how they look, especially so close to my brace day. I'm getting really excited! Keep us updated!

#5 Post by **lueyfufu** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:05 am

Yay! Good luck tomorrow.

What's a folk festival? It isn't like a renaissance faire, is it?

#6 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:29 am

Thanks for visiting, Katie and Luey! I'm gonna try hard to get some clear, non-nasal pics tonight and after my appointment tomorrow.

The folk festival I'm going to (http://www.americanfolkfestival.com) is about folk music. But it's not just the barefoot hippy guitar music sort of music; there's salsa, cajun, bluegrass, Franco-American fidddling, Japanese drummers, gospel singers, Native American throat singers, all kinds of really amazing performers. Invariably, I discover a type of music I'd never heard of. It's also really hard to beat the people-watching and all the fantastic food.

Fortunately, I don't think braces will interfere too much with the food I like to eat there: strawberry/blueberry shortcake, baked beans, baked potatoes, ice cream, whoopie pies...oh man! I'm making myself hungry!

#7 Post by **Temps75** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 12:45 pm

Oooh! Cool! They had one of those up in DC when I was there earlier this summer. It was really cool. Too bad it was blazing hot outside, I probably would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't so freaking hot, but it was really cool to walk around and hear all the different music/eating food. Have fun!

#8 Post by **catfish** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:48 pm

Hi iamtheotherme, and congrats on making the decision to get braced! It's sooooo great that you found a dentist and an ortho that you're comfortable with. I finally found a team that I really like, and it makes all the difference in the world! We're placing a lot of faith in these people to take care of our bites, looks, and ability to speak and chew properly - it is so important to trust them.

So tomorrow is your big day - I'll be thinking about you and sending "good vibes" your way!

#9 Post by **lueyfufu** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:45 am

Woo, that festival sounds fun!

Happy brace day!

#10 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:53 am

Awww, thanks everyone! I enjoyed a steak dinner last night with my husband, then went to bed early. I've been so busy with work and school and family stuff lately that I'm totally exhausted. I slept like a log!

I leave in an hour for my appointment. I feel exactly like I did on the day of my wedding (well, not EXACTLY

). I'm at peace because I'm 100% sure I'm doing the right thing, all the planning and prep is over, and there's not a darned thing I can do about any of it except enjoy the day.

Off to write up my list of 1.3 bazillion questions for the ortho. See you on the other side!

#11 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:23 pm

Well, I'm all braced up! I'm going to do a decent write-up tonight, but I wanted to just say I made it through and

I popped my first bracket!

I've had the braces a whopping 4 hours and I'm sitting here trying to work and I hear FWANG! I check my mouth where I felt it, and sure enough, upper left lateral's bracket is loose. Is that a record or something? I hope I get a prize. I didn't even get to loosen it on something fun or deliciously naughty!

#12 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 6:50 pm

Here's some quick snaps that DH took for me. I'll work on linking them correctly to the larger versions tomorrow. Right now, I need to head to bed!

#13 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:11 pm

wow, those ceramics look great, I can hardly see them!

good luck with your braces!

#14 Post by ***melissa*** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:48 pm

congrats on getting braced...they look soo good, you cant even see them!!!!

#15 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:06 am

BracedVeryLate and melissa, I'm so glad you think they're not as noticeable. Of course, right now they look huge to me, but I'm sure I'll get used to them.

So Brace Day went very smoothly. They took me in only a few minutes late and set me way in the back, where it's more private. I was going to wear my iPod, but the girl doing most of the work was very quiet and had a thick accent, so I decided against it so I could hear her instructions.

It went pretty much as I expected from all the stories here. The lip spreaders (which weren't so bad, these were smaller than the ones I've seen pics of here), the prepping of the teeth, the placing of the brackets, the checking of the placement by the ortho, the curing, then the wire and ligs.

There were a few things that surprised me or are worth noting. First, I have one porcelain crown and one temporary crown. Both of those took longer to prepare, with much smellier stuff than the other teeth. As you'll see in my next post, it didn't help with the temporary crown so much.

Second, I was pleasantly surprised at how meticulous the staff is. The assistant took about 10 minutes to wipe around every single bracket to get the excess glue off. She said they take the time now to save me coming in for an appointment later to take it off. She also checked the end of each wire to make sure it was clipped as closely as it could be, then had me check it with my tongue (my wires end on the first molars, not the second molars). Finally, she took a wee bit of nail polish remover to wipe off the color dots on the brackets. I was thrilled with all the thoughtfulness that they probably just consider efficiency.

And that was that! A primer on hygiene and wax usage and I was on my way. Totally painless and completely boring!