Thank you to all and questions from yet another "newbie

[Koalagirl]

Hello everyone!

Before anything else, I would like to thank all of you for contributing to this wonderful website as it has been very informative as well as *reassuring* to me being that I just got my (top) braces on only four days ago. I have been reading all of the "newbie" postings about the feelings of "...and to think, I actually wanted this?" and wholeheartedly agree! ;P Thank you all for your advice and shared experiences because at 37 going on 38, I feel like such a total "wimp" when I think that teenagers do this everyday and it doesn't seem to hurt them very much and here I was feeling alone in this process until I read some of your postings on this forum.

I do have a couple of questions: I am currently trying to get away with only wearing ceramic braces on top to try to fix a crossbite (I may or may not get braces on the bottom as I was told that it might be quite "involved" with extractions and possibly jaw surgery to correct the slight underbite...) and during the first 24 hours, the one tooth that was behind the bottom tooth actually moved to the point where now both of the tops of said teeth "hit"/ meet when I try to close my mouth. Unless I jut my bottom jaw out unnaturally, the top tooth has not cleared the bottom tooth and this, especially initially, equaled *excrutiating* pain if the teeth collided. Now that the intensity of the pain (of the colliding teeth) has abated with the passing of days, my "major malfunction" is that I cannot close my mouth entirely nor chew because of those teeth hitting each other. Can anyone who has experienced the movement of teeth while correcting a crossbite share how long (from your own experience) I can expect to not be able to close my mouth? My jaw aches terribly from fatigue, but at least Ibuprofen provides temporary relief! (Thank goodness for that!)

Just sharing here, but I also had to go back to my orthodontist the very next day after getting "braced" due to a wire that had cut up my entire left cheek. Ouch!

On a lighter note, soup and McDonald's chocolate shakes have been my best friends these past days! )

Thanks in advance for your support. I'm sure I'll be posting here very now and again!

[Koalagirl]

Hello there!

Thank you for such a quick reply. I'm totally new to this whole process and didn't think I would even be a candidate for braces until this past month. (I didn't choose braces for cosmetic reasons as they would appear to be very straight. I am, however, trying to correct the alignment so that I preserve my lower teeth (from uneven wear and tear) and to stop chipping my front teeth from the "malocclusion".) I had specifically asked the ortho about how I would be able to chew if the teeth did begin "knocking"/ "hitting each other", but he didn't think it would be a problem. Perhaps he was just trying to assuage my fears? (I was really nervous about getting braces the day I went in!) If this does continue, I will ask about those appliances you mention because as it is, my jaw aches from trying to stay open 24 hours a day and from trying to chew. Do you have any idea how quickly the tooth will move to the front of the bottom tooth? I realize this would be different for everyone, but what is the average time people have experienced this movement?

On a different subject, I have been reading and looking at more pictures of braces on this website and notice that there are different types of arch wires. I will be sure to ask what mine is the next time I go in, but would you happen to know what it is? Mine is a dark silverish wire (with no shine) that looks almost like a twisted chain. I had always thought that the arch wires were slick, shiny and silvery.

Thanks again in advance for your reply!

[Koalagirl]

Hi there!

Thanks again for the help. You are absolutely right. That is the type of wire I see. I thought "all wires were created equal" until I started looking at some of the pictures on this great website. I notice what you mean about needing the wire to be flexible. Some of the wire between my teeth brackets is actually "zig zaggy". I guess my teeth were more crooked than I had thought!

I haven't had the chance to click on your personal link, but I was just wondering how you know so much about these things? I am going to call my ortho this morning and see what they recommend regarding putting on what you mention on my molars (temporarily) until my front tooth clears the bottom one. I get up several times a night hitting my teeth together and I'm afraid I'll crack one tooth or the other! I'll let you know if they decide to do anything or not.

Thank you again for your help! I really appreciate it.

[Koalagirl]

Hello again!

I just wanted to thank you again for your support and to give you my update. I actually went to the ortho yesterday and he gave me two options. The first option was to change my arch wire to a heavier gauge to get that top tooth to pull forward faster (OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUCH!!!) and the second option was to indeed get those molar "build ups" you suggested to me which I definitely brought up and pursued. I can say that upon completion of installing those blue blobs of dental cement (or whatever they use), I got immediate relief!! Granted, as you mentioned to me earlier, it is a bit odd getting used to eating with those things and it is even harder to talk with my mouth opened the way it is, but I am not complaining and can't even begin to describe the instant relief I felt to not have to maintain my own jaw open 24 hours a day in order to prevent my teeth from painfully knocking. It is day 8 now and I have to say that this week was pretty miserable, but compared to what it seems you've gone through, I shouldn't even complain! That having been said though, wimpy me wants to know: When does the feeling of wanting to rip off your brackets by the end of the day wear off though?! I can stand them for most of the day (in fact, I'm more cut up in different places this week, weirdly enough), but by the time I come home, I'm about to run around screaming just from the overall discomfort. I normally don't complain this much, but I guess I had no idea what to expect. In fact, when my ortho saw me apologizing so much for bothering him for the 2nd time after getting braces in the same week, he was the one to apologize when he saw what I had tried to endure on my own without coming in sooner for those molar build-ups, so I guess my discomfort was legitimate!

Again, thank you. That was wonderful advice you gave me and that's great that you are so interested in all of this! It is quite fascinating and such a learning experience as we go through this journey, isn't it? I'm still hoping that I myself won't have to have orthognathic surgery to correct my underbite (as I'm hoping that the top braces will do the trick), but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Thanks for all of your sharing and empathy. It is so reassuring to know that others have gone through this (and worse!) too!!

[Koalagirl]

Hi again,

I finally got relogged into my account and once again, thank you for your sound advice. I'm a teacher, thus, I end up talking for a great part of the day, so that advice about keeping hydrated is invaluable. Often, I forget this as I get busy though it makes *perfect sense* to keep hydrated in order to reduce chafing.

Just to give you an update, by Thursday of this past week (day 9 of being braced), I had a terrible canker sore and ran out to the store to get some "Oralbase". That did give me relief, but really, I'm all for prevention! I showed the huge sore to my mom and she actually was alarmed enough to insist that I call my ortho, yet again, to be sure that I didn't need antibiotics (I normally take them before my regular dental appointments for a heart condition). He did call me back and said that unless there was bleeding and wires continuously opening the wound, that I should expect those things to happen and that antibiotics weren't necessary. I have since been liberally using wax, as you suggest, and that has been of great help in allowing the sore to heal. Also, I thought I would share that as of last evening, I made a breakthrough-- I didn't take Ibuprofen nor have a half glass of wine (and I'm not normally a drinker!) by the late afternoon when I usually would take both things to "take the edge off" (of the discomfort)!

Thank you for helping me get through this experience. I'm sure I'll keep posting as different things come up...

[Koalagirl]

Thanks again "Meryaten" for your post. I'm on day 18 of being braced now and yesterday was the first day that my teeth didn't actually "hurt" even when eating! I'm so happy about this and am trying not to even think about my first adjustment... on October 15. I maintain that I am just so happy that I don't have upper and lower braces on at the moment!

Ha ha! I know what you mean about keeping hydrated and having to use the bathroom often!

Thank you for your advice again re: advocating for myself. I felt badly about how many visits I had made to the ortho that first week, but I realized that I was putting myself through unnecessary suffering (whether it be mental or physical) and you are right, it does just take a few minutes for the doctor or his staff to give you relief, so I shouldn't hesitate to kindly request their expertise/ intervention when necessary. I have also taken note of your suggestion to put a "Tums" on the canker sores. I am happy to report that the wax helped immensely and the sore was healed in very little time. In fact, since then, I have not used any wax and so that's a step in the right direction on all fronts! I also will be less stressed about the antibiotics as well. I heard what you did too regarding less dentists prescribing them, so I won't worry so much about them in the future.

As an update, my crossbite is not yet clearing that bottom tooth that it needs to (I can tell even if I still have those molar build ups), but I'm in no hurry! It's still a feat to speak clearly (without sounding like Humphrey Bogart at times) and eating is very difficult when basically there are only 2 points of contact being made in your mouth, but I am not complaining. I will take the molar build ups over pain any day!

By the way, are you still braced?

Thanks again for all of your support!