JUST ABOUT TO GET BRACES, HI EVERYONE!

[martinboyce]

Firstly hi everyone, my name is Martin, im 27 years old from the UK.

I wont lie i have good teeth, but crooked teeth. As an adult iv proactively decided despite the cost, pain and dscomfort i want my teeth sorted once and for all via permo brace treatment.

I have symmetrically crooked teeth, a semi dracula type setup across the top

I have had my consultation, xrays, treatment plan and am in the middle of extractions (4 x molars ) and then finally fitting my brace.

I wanted to come in here and make some friends, similarly minded people male and female that can share there thoughts throughout.

Cheers guys look forward to hearing from you

[Andantae]

Welcome Martin!

You have come to the right place !!! Good for you for being proactive in your oral health---you will be SO GLAD you did!

Keep us updated on your progress

[martinboyce]

First extraction was my lower left molar, bit of a troublesome fellow, 30 mins, tuggin and pulling, apparently strong deep roots are not so good for extracted teeth. got 2 more appointments with the dentist for 3 more equally sized teeth to be removed, boo! then its a mere week or so after til brace day!

I will ask, others that have had extraction pre treatment, doesnt the gaps left from tooth removal look large, how long does it take for gaps to narrow?

Stage 1

[FITeach]

Welcome!!!!

[gingerprince]

Hi Martin.

Firstly congratualtions on taking one of the best decisions in your life.

Your story sounds similar to mine.
I am also from this side of the pond, male, 31 (until tomorrow), and after years fo indecision took the plunge last January (2007).

I also had 4 pre-molars removed, though I got them all done in the one sitting!
I actually found the mental impact of the extractions to be worse than the physical pain. It's hard to get your head around the fact that you let someone pull 4 good teeth out of your head.

After that, you're over the worst bit.

You'll get used to the metal in your mouth pretty quickly, though I experience a lot of discomfort in the early months.... good for weight loss, as you're inclined to eat soup... a lot!

Personally, my teeth were straight within 4 months, and since then I've been in the "gap closing" period. This is the longest part, as I had 4 sizable gaps.

I'm about 4 months away from being debraced, and the last year has flown by. I don't mind the braces at all, and the don't have the stigma they once had. I see adults with braces all the time, and I get more of a "good for you" reaction from strangers, than I do a "poor you" reaction.

I'm treating myself to a whitening session after I get these off, can't wait.

Good luck m8, keep everyone posted.

[martinboyce]

Thanks very much

A small update, i had a bit of infection after the first extraction was in pain for 8 days after, jaw ache etc, so was issued the antibiotics, going back in tomorrow to have further extractions.

Im actually having the big molars out not my pre molars so extractions are more technical and expensive not to mention bigger gaps. This was a dicision by my ortho and dentist as it was decided i needed one of them teeth out anyways, and wanting to remain symmetrical though that this would be the better. I have extreme over crowding at the front as you can see so have space further back to push teeth into is great.

Im not a big fan of the gaps, especially when eating. I guess dropping a few lbs couldnt hurt, not that im fat! Iv stocked up on soups and softer foods, preparing myself for baby feeding myself for a while. Im actually excited about getting my braces, i wish i could skip all this extraction business and get straight on with it.

11th March is my big day, all booked in ready. hehe

[BobKitten]

Wow... loving the pic of the extraction (does that make me a weirdo!!?) - I didn't ever take pics of my own and recently wished I could remember how it looked!

I had four teeth pulled (you can probably see from my avatar), the lowers seemed to close quite quickly, but I'm *still* waiting up my upper left - it (and one other gap beside my front two) is what's holding up my finishing time now!

It's funny reading that you wish you could skip all the extraction and healing and get on with the braces 'cause that's *exactly* how I felt! It felt brilliant actually getting the braces on, though, 'cause I knew that my teeth were finally heading towards perfection and this was the last I'd have to see the old overcrowding.

The big molars sound really hard to pull! Hope the next ones are pulled infection-free - see if the dentist can beat half an hour!

What type of braces are you hoping to get when the extractions are all done and healed?

[breal87]

Wasssssup Martin! Welcome, im sure you will find this site interesting and helpful down the road. Make sure to upload pics, i love pics!

-Bridget

[Britlaw]

As lots of people say, the extractions are probably the worst bit. Some people can have the extractions part way along the route and this makes accepting the appearance thing easier, as they only get the gaps just before they are ready to take the teeth back. However, a lot of us have to have them first. With mine, there is simply not enough room to straighten the top ones prior to closing the gaps (not without pushing the front ones out so far that I would be walking a minute behind them!

To correct my overjet, I need to take the front top teeth back by 11mm, a premolar wasnt going to be enough and there was no space for the molars to be moved back to, so like you I had to have (healthy) big molars out on the top - so BIG gaps lol but remember, they are also pretty far back so will probably be less noticable than the smaller premolars being missing anyway . I now only have the top brace back to the premolars for the straightening stage but even they are already under pressure and feel very tender, so they are on the move, which I assume is in a backwards direction to allow the front to straighten (which they have begun to after just a month - yippee).

I have my first adjustment tomorow and may get the bottom ones on. I'll post a pic and we can play spot the difference tomorow!

Hope the first one is now healing better Martin - you'll be fine, try not to worry.

[vixi]

Hi Martin

I had extractions last friday, and my brace fitted today , so 5 days later
My extraction gaps are healing very quickly and shrunk quite a lot over the last few days .

I have had 2 smaller teeth 4th one back counting from the front, so not as big as yours, but everyday I am seeing it heal

Do the usual yucky salt rinse and that should help

Good luck

[martinboyce]

I tell you what guys, i love coming into work in the morning and seeing that iv had a whole host of replies and comments all brilliant and great, i love you all.

Hi to Bobkitten Hi to Breal Hi To Vixi

And a continued Big Hi to Britlaw

Yes ill keep the pics coming, if anyone should see improvement its me. My avatar shows how much work needs to be done, all id need is black gums and id look like one of them Aliens.

I go in today for more extractions, having to see a "man" dentist this time my usual woman dentist (who took forever wiggling the last tooth into peices and cutting it up with the drill) took one look at my xrays and said "ill have to get my colleague to do the other extractions, which i translated into, you need a several bison and a mule to pull out them roots!

I when i get in later ill take pics of my bloody holes and put them up for the picture lovers. hehe

Got about 20 soups at home waiting for my slurping attention too, as soon as he takes teeth out the other side ill be limited to what i can chew. Boo. Be a case of drinking my dinners for a while.

Im so chuffed you all came in here posting. post me back some pics of your own progress id love to share.

Many Thanks

[martinboyce]

Heres an xray from my first ortho consultation, i have outlined my outed tooth in red and have highlighted the other teeth to come out in green.

[martinboyce]

OK just got back from dentist extraction number 2!all in all not too bad, had the top molar out and the remainder of the previous extraction so the left is done. The dentist had to work for his money, the tooth was massive, the detist, nurse and receptionist all thought so as i paraded it round after. Its left a big hole bit itll heal with time. Im just glad it came out in one go, if anything the little bit of root from the previous extraction hurt more than this whole tooth coming out did.

He gave me a 5 day course of Metronidazole to clear up my infection.

He also mentioned something about a partial dry socket, what does that mean and how does it effect ortho treatment?

I put the tooth on my keyboard for a bit of perspective, its a biggy for a top tooth for sure. Im still numb dribbling and slightly dizzy right now so ill cut this short. Im still certain im doing the right thing, for those who like pics heres a couple that you might like

Time to lay down now, and wait for the inevitable ache! booooo

[DireWire]

this looks scary !

But I'm sure it's the right decision in the long term. Good luck!

DireWire

[Britlaw]

OMG....I must remind myself not to come on here whilst eating! I brought my breakfast in the study and wish I hadnt now lol.

Speaking of breakfast.... 1st adjustment yesterday, nice clean ligs and the next archwire up, however, I think I am gonna forget toast for breakfast for the next couple of days and go back to porridge! Not pain but discomfort on biting and one of the laterals is really tender. He was pleased with progress. One of the reasons I started this was to get space between my teeth to clean and the initial xrays had showed a small unreachable dot of potential decay on the side of a lateral. Well this is now visible and around the next adjustment time when he can fully get to it, I'll go back to the dentist and he will make sure its clean and put a little filling in - without ortho, the dentist would have had to drill a bigger hole just to get to it.....or wouldnt have noticed it until considerably further decayed.

During conversation with ortho I told him we were off on a short holiday for 4 days today and a bit of a gastronomic one, so he asked if I wanted to leave the bottom brace until next month. My bottom teeth have a lot less work needed so he said leave it. He also said (thankfully) that most of the bottom was moving the back molars forward and that the bottom front would stay where they are, just straightened - I had worried that moving the front bottom ones back would give the top front ones even further to go back resulting in a sunken face.

Martin, have you seen Victor36's teeth on here? I just had a look under Our Braces Stories and he's updated recently. Victors teeth were very like yours. He has his 1 yr pics up there and his teeth look amazing - and he has an animated pic thing where you can see from start to now which is cool. He also has amazingly white teeth! but you said you were having this whitening after ortho, so yours could like just like his

Anyway, I must go pack a bag. Battery in camera flat so pic will have to wait til Tuesday. The movement isnt that noticeable to the eye but for just a month its quite something! I can also put 2 of my front teeth together to bite - I have never been able to do that!

Have a great weekend.