Brika's in Braces - 1st adjustment photos (7 weeks)

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#1 Post by **brika** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:14 pm

Hello, everyone!

I discovered this site right around the time I had my braces applied in December. Your stories have been such an inspiration to me, and I thought it was time for me to finally share my own and begin to chronicle my progress. I just had my 1st adjustment (at 7 weeks) yesterday, so I have a few comparison pics as well. :)

My story begins around Thanksgiving of 2008, right after my 23rd birthday and when I finally worked up the courage for my first ortho consultation (at least since I was a teen, at which time we couldn't afford to have it done). I wasn't entirely happy with the way things progressed with that office, but I luckily found in a second consultation an office that seemed perfect for me! I was very excited to get the process started.

12/11: Once I chose the ortho, the next step called for extractions of all 4 first premolars. (I also need all 4 wisdom teeth removed, but I'm putting that off for a while... What? It's scary!!) That was a pretty stressful event, seeing how I've never even had a filling before and here I was getting 4 perfectly good teeth yanked out! But the dentist was wonderful talking me through it, and I was also glad to have my father along with me for moral support. Or to drive me to the morgue after I bled to death, heh. All-in-all, the experience wasn't even a fraction of the horror I was expecting. I only needed pain meds the first day. On day two I felt completely normal and even braved a bit of exercise; by day three I was back to solid foods!

12/18: One week after the extractions--and one week before Christmas--the braces went on. It was definitely an odd feeling having them on...my teeth felt like they'd doubled in size and weighed a ton. I was afraid to smile at anyone--not really because of how they looked, but moreso because the brackets felt so huge I thought they might take an eye out! But it was only a week before I hardly noticed them anymore. Except when veggies and grape skins get stuck in them, that is! :P Eww!

So far, I have to say the most painful part of the process has been wearing spacers. Made doubly worse by the fact that they were put in by the ortho I decided NOT to go with, and the ortho I DID choose didn't even use bands! I had the most excruciating Thanksgiving dinner ever for no reason at all. But the extractions were nothing much, and while there will be days the braces make my teeth sore, they tend to be few and relatively far between. And they seem to proceed movement of a tooth, so I'm kind of excited when they ARE sore!

Well, that's my adventure so far. Now a few photos, showing the change as of my first adjustment (7 weeks in).

First, my "naked" teeth, post-extractions:

Here are my week 0 / week 7 comparisons:

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As you can see, on my brace day they used wire ties on my front teeth and silver ligs on the premolars & first molars. They also used that clear, stretchy tubing stuff (technical term) to tie my premolars to my canines, to start them moving back.

At my 1st adjustment, they only switched out a few wire ties, replaced the clear tubing, and wired my premolars & first molars together to stop the premolars from moving forward. Apparently I have rather stubborn canines, but hopefully this will be the encouragement they need!

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Well, I think that's about all I have to share for now. I'm really very glad I found this site...reading all your stories and advice has really helped me throughout this process! Thanks to you all for that! :)

#2 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:41 pm

Looks like you have some clear powerchains pulling your canines back. You're making awesome progress!! You have some nice white teeth to start withso your finished smile should look even more awesome!

#3 Post by **Tommm** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:10 pm

Great progress so far. Congrats!!

#4 Post by **brika** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:59 pm

Thanks for the kind replies, Miss Smiley and Tommm!

I wasn't sure if those tubes counted as powerchains, but seeing as they serve the same function, I guess it's okay to. ;) I imagine the real things will be a lot more painful, though!

#5 Post by ***tap*** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:29 pm

wow loads of progress in 7 wks i cant wait to get to week 7 not even wk one and i keep looking in the mirror

hoping somethings changed. your going to have great straight teeth!!

#6 Post by **brika** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 8:23 pm

Thanks so much, tap! Oh I definitely share your impatience: I spent most of my first few weeks staring in the mirror and taking photos daily, hehe. I want instant results! There's far too much waiting involved. :P

Well this week I've been way excited because, as of a few days ago, my two left canines can finally make contact with one another!

This probably the first time this has ever been possible! I feel like such a nerd for getting excited about it, but I'll take any proof of progress that I can get! ;)
Now I just need to get used to them bumping while I chew...

#7 Post by **mizparis11** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 8:37 pm

Awesome!
Look, feel free to be just a tad more excited about the movement! I am looking forward in your progress.

#8 Post by **PatJ** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:49 am

Wow, that is great progress in 7 weeks. I had four premolars extracted and my ortho has been using the stretchy tubing to close the gaps. He started on this particular part of the process at the beginning of June last year and all gaps are now completely closed, so it takes about 9 months or so. It seems to be a very simple but effective way of closing the gaps although he said to me that not many orthos use this method much these days. I wasn't worried, as long as it worked that was fine with me. You're going to be very happy with the way everything looks at the end of the journey.

#9 Post by **martinboyce** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 4:49 am

HI Brika,

just been looking over your pics and there is several similarities between our two treatments.

Firstly your wayward lateral incisor and lack of gap for him to pop out into,

Large canines,

criss cross lower and upper front incisors.

All similar to mine.

I even had the same spring in the same place you have yours now,

If you get chance read through my backstory over the last 11 months of my treatment, see how much change you can expect. It should bring you alot of hope and positiveness as my teeth have change hugely over these months.

Id like to think people with similar conditions at differnt points of treatment can relate to those behind them and indeed in front of them to draw from their experiences.

Good luck on the up and coming months, they will be by all account very exciting to you

M

#10 Post by **brika** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:58 am

Thanks, mizparis! I suppose if there's any place that understands my excitement, it's certainly here!

PatJ: This is the first I've heard of someone else's ortho using that tubing to close the gaps, so that makes me feel a lot better about it! Especially with how successful it was in your case. It does seem to be doing its job for me as well, slowly but surely. Thank you!

Martin: I actually noticed the similarities in our cases as well and have already begun skimming through your post! I'm supposed to be getting a thicker wire in my next (second) adjustment like you did, and from your pics it looks like that's when things really get moving. (And get painful, too. Eek!)
Thank you for your support; I really hope my smile turns out as amazing as yours has!

#11 Post by **brika** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:00 pm

Thanks, mizparis! I suppose if there's any place that understands my excitement, it's certainly here!

PatJ: This is the first I've heard of someone else's ortho using that tubing to close the gaps, so that makes me feel a lot better about it! Especially with how successful it was in your case. It does seem to be doing its job for me as well, slowly but surely. Thank you!

Martin: I actually noticed the similarities in our cases as well and have already begun skimming through your post! I'm supposed to be getting a thicker wire in my next (second) adjustment like you did, and from your pics it looks like that's when things really get moving. (And get painful, too. Eek!)
Thank you for your support; I really hope my smile turns out as amazing as yours has!

#12 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:08 pm

I'm nearing the end of my treatment and I still get excited over any little movement. My midline shifted half of a hair. My bite is just a little bit tighter. Small things can't go unnoticed, every bit of movement makes up our treatment.

#13 Post by **brika** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:06 pm

What's the status on your midline, Miss Smiley?? Good news, I hope!

Hiya everyone! I wasn't going to post photos again until my next adjustment, but this morning I took my 10-week-mark photos and I was so shocked when I compared my arches now to my Day 1 photos! Especially with my lower arch...that canine to the right is really moving! The upper ones seem a little less eager to get out of the way for the other teeth, though. :P

Still a long way to go, but seeing this definitely made me happy!
Thanks for looking! :)

#14 Post by **Bekah** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:39 pm

Wow that is alot of movement! You are not a nerd for being happy!

#15 Post by **ElenaM** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:52 pm

Wow, your teeth are looking great.