Braced today at 48

Message

#1 Post by **timsmith** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:57 pm

Hi,

The bonding was less of an issue than I had thought after reading many stories, the most unpleasent part was when the bottom In Ovations were all fitted, there was contact between a back bracket and an unbracketed top molar. Solution was to grind the bracket a bit, it could not be moved without upsetting the treatment plan, that did not fully work so a bit of grinding took place on the offending top molar. All is well now, my bite is so bad that my top teeth have worn a little different from normal.

Top brackets are Clarity except for 2 molars on each side which are also In Ovation I think.

It all feels strange when speaking, my lips have not got used to sliding over the braces easily. Eating is a bit slow and uncomfortable at the moment, feels like the inside of my cheeks are being ripped apart, they are not thankfully!

So journey begun, no comments from work collegues, including the ones I told, my wife had a giggle and then said there was not much to see anyway.

Hopefully life will remain good, at least until the lower jaw surgery!!

Anybody out there still on the fence, go do it, stop procrastinating, I did that for 10 or more years!

Tim

#2 Post by **timsmith** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:33 pm

Hi Karen

Thanks for all your encouragement, I think you were spot on with the ceramics being more comfortable, they are more bulky but not by much but way less "prickly" than the metals below. I got a total of 10 of the ceramics, Dr. K said that ceramics do not usually last long on back teeth due to chewing forces.

A question about the salt rinse, how much salt?

The most annoying part now is that on my left side, it seems that as I close my mouth, the brackets on the molars trap my cheek and there is some damage appearing!

I assume this sort of problem will subside when my cheeks get hardened up.

Thanks again,

Tim

#3 Post by **RightMyBite** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:31 am

Congrats on getting braced, Tim! I got mine on yesterday also, so I have a feeling we'll be going through a lot of the same things over the next few days...

#4 Post by **egocidal** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:55 am

How's the inner cheek doing? Make dental wax its best friend

Just got braced this morning and I'm hearing you on the lips not closing over teeth thing.

#5 Post by **iBorg** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:06 am

Congrats at starting the journey. I know how it feels to be doing this at 48. I've been wired now for six months and have got into a routine and they're not a pain.

Here's to a successful journey. Do your best to have fun on it!

Mike

#6 Post by **CosmicMan** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:54 pm

Great Move Tim !!!

I had mine yesterday. There was this teenage girl next to me and she said she was getting hers off and also assured me the end result is just amazing.

CM (Clear Uppers, Metal Lower)

#7 Post by **timsmith** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:57 pm

Thanks again for all the encouragement, the wax has helped a lot on the biting the cheek problem at the back and also on those spiky brackets on the front lower. During the day, I guess about 24 hours after the bonding, it all feels quite comfortable, to an extent I don't know that I have braces until I talk or otherwise cause some pressure on the sensitive teeth. The teeth that are sensitive change every few hours, I guess the braces are doing what they were intended to do!

I do find that I need much more liquid more often to stop my mouth drying out, the ortho did not use any anti sylvia medications, so I guess it is my mouth reacting to all the new hardware. Also, when I ran my tongue over the lower brackets and wire yesterday, it felt razor sharp everywhere, today, much reduced sensation.

Biggest pain so far, flossing, I must have taken 30 minutes last night threading floss and trying to fish out the threader from my mouth, as you progress everything gets covered in syliva, sort of gross as well as slippery!

I need help on the flossing, any tips would be appreciated!!

Tim

#8 Post by **iBorg** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:02 pm

Flossing is a challenge. I would be lost without my Crest Glide Threader Floss. A bit pricey but my aggravation level is next to nothing with it on a good night, bearable on a bad night.

Mike

#9 Post by **timsmith** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:28 am

Hi Karen,

Last night was much better, instead of taking the threader off the floss, I left it on and flossed with a double strand of floss, I think I cut the time in half. I also find that doing the top set first makes a big difference because the floss stays drier, gets pretty wet when doing the bottoms!

Still can't chew, I thought last evening that everything was good and I tried a chicken Kiev, boy that hurt from the first chew, probably took 10 minutes for something I normally wolf down in about 3 or 4 minutes. Porridge this morning still felt bad on the back teeth, I'll stick to liquids today. My brother in law back in the UK just suggested more beer, got to get my nutrition from somewhere, problem is that I don't find Canadian beer that good, real ale from "blighty" is much better!! That comment should start a few replies!!

Still no regrets,

Tim

#10 Post by **jalapeno** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 11:32 am

timsmith wrote:I don't find Canadian beer that good, real ale from "blighty" is much better!!

Ha are you English, I am too, also living in the new world now. Down here in California they have some very good beer nowadays. Have to agree, Canadian beer I've tried seems very thin. I'm partial to American West Coast IPAs myself. Look for Rogue Brutal Bitter if you can find it!

#11 Post by **timsmith** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:26 pm

Hi Jalapeno,

Actually the best beer I have so far in my travels around NA is in a brew pub called Squatters in Salt Lake City. One of the owners is an English lady that brews a mean cask conditioned cream ale. Actually there are some good microbrewery beers here in Quebec but it's not like going down to a local UK pub!!

I'm in Texas next week, I'll see if I can find the beer you mentioned.

Tim

#12 Post by **timsmith** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:27 pm

Hi Jalapeno,

Actually the best beer I have so far in my travels around NA is in a brew pub called Squatters in Salt Lake City. One of the owners is an English lady that brews a mean cask conditioned cream ale. Actually there are some good microbrewery beers here in Quebec but it's not like going down to a local UK pub!!

I'm in Texas next week, I'll see if I can find the beer you mentioned.

Tim

#13 Post by **jalapeno** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:13 pm

Tim,

I've been to that place, was there on business about 6 years ago. What we thought was a dry town and ended up there and had what is probably the best beer I've ever had in the US. Was gobsmacked to get such a great pint in Utah of all places.

I'll bet western Canada or B.C. has some good IPAs.

Jalapeno

#14 Post by **timsmith** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:54 pm

Small world!

What line are you in Jalapeno, I am in Aerospace with Bombardier in Montreal?

It's quite amazing how many of my male collegues are currently sporting metal mouths. I had a meeting yesterday with a potential supplier and their VP Engineering was also sporting a full metal grin! I do not feel at all odd about this, should have done it years ago.

I have not tried much beer in BC but I can recommend the wines from the Okenargen valley region of which Kelowna is about the centre. Very good Merlot's and Cabernet's at good prices.

Tim

#15 Post by **jalapeno** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:34 pm

Tim,

I'm in the internet switching and routing business; I work for an equipment maker. Over the years quite a few people in my line of work show up with grillwork because a lot of us weren't born in the US so have to sort the choppers later in life. I'm 43.

Funny, I've only been to SLC once, but sussed that brewpub out by day two...

Quite liked SLC surprisingly.

-J