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I was debanded on 23 February. Welcome to the new, braceless me!:
You can see some of the brutalising of my gums that happened during the 2.5 hour "why is it always difficult to do things to your mouth, Mel?" debanding session. I've got generalised swelling and soreness and few ugly bumps. But oh well, they still look rather better than the 'before' shots(!). Here's what my teeth looked like after I'd had an expander for 8 months or so:
They weren't quiiiiite that terrible visually before the expander, but they were still pretty bad. I don't have proper pictures of then, but I’ll try to find one. Basically I just looked like I had a little mouth, and fangs.
Braced 20 Nov 06. Sentenced to 18-30 months. Released 23 Feb 09 (27 months and 3 days).
Uppers: 3M Clarity Ceramic. Lowers: Damon 3MX.
SARPE 21 April 06 and 7.5 months in expander (on for 2 weeks before surgery), turning to a width of 14.5mm.
Really awesome results! I am curious if you had to have a bonded retainer on your top teeth? I had the same problem with the "fangs" where they were raised up too high and I saw a couple posts on here somewhere where people were talking about that issue and how removable retainers can only stop horizontal movement but not vertical movement so the fangs started drifting up again even with constant retainer wear. I really really don't want a bonded retainer but I also don't want my fangs to move back up either... I'm getting closer to my release date so I'm just curious what they did for you. Thanks and congrats on your new beautiful smile
I've enjoyed my first couple of days of naked teeth. I haven't really got stuck into apples or anything like that as my gums are still a bit swollen and my molars are grumpy, but they are definitely on the list. Mostly I have been enjoying being able to eat strongly coloured foods and drink after over 2 years with clear brackets. Bring on the tumeric! It's funny though - I got so used to eating things sooo carefully (possibly why I never lost a bracket, popped a wire, or damaged any part of my braces at all) that now I have to try and teach myself to eat 'normally' again!
waiting2be: I don't miss the braces, no, although I still don't feel like my smile looks like my smile, if you know what I mean!
Andromeda: I actually have an Essix for both my uppers and lowers. My orthodontist didn't really raise the possibility that of vertical movement with my canines, so hopefully for whatever reason he thinks that's not going to happen. He did say that if there was minor shifting we could always move to Hawley and achieve some realignment that way.
Braced 20 Nov 06. Sentenced to 18-30 months. Released 23 Feb 09 (27 months and 3 days).
Uppers: 3M Clarity Ceramic. Lowers: Damon 3MX.
SARPE 21 April 06 and 7.5 months in expander (on for 2 weeks before surgery), turning to a width of 14.5mm.
You were braced for quite some time. I'm (I hope) about 1/2 way through the process and look forward to naked teeth like yours!
Congrats!
Mary
Feb 12 '08: Full Metal Upper & Lower
Mar 04 '08: TPA until crossbite is corrected
Feb 03 '09: TPA removed: out of crossbite!!
Feb 12 '10: Sentence 24 months give or take
Sep 21 '09: BRACES REMOVED!!
although I still don't feel like my smile looks like my smile, if you know what I mean!
omg I am so glad I'm not the only one feeling like this!! I too spend so much time in the mirror thinking, "wow your smile is huge!" lol
I love my teeth but I'm still getting used to it. I was so used to the old me and then the braced me for almost 2 years so I guess it will take time for me to be okay that this is the "new" me!!! It still just feels wierd smiling and seeing how much broader my smile has gotten.
What did your ortho tell u about retainers?? I was told 24/7 - but never given a time frame. I have to go back in 6 weeks for a retainer check and then I'm hoping to just wear them at night. Also when you take your retainers out do your teeth feel sensitive for a little while? My do. But it wears off after eating. Just feels funky to pop them out and have your teeth feel like they did when you got a brace adjustment!
Sentenced: 20-24 months
Braced May 11, 2007
Debraced Feb. 23, 2009
21 months in braces, 17 months in elastic, NO regrets!! Now in Hawley retainers!!
I think I just realized that I have the hawley retainer not the essix. I am not sure they never told me lol. It's the one you pop in with the bar across the front of the teeth?? Is that essix or hawley?
Sentenced: 20-24 months
Braced May 11, 2007
Debraced Feb. 23, 2009
21 months in braces, 17 months in elastic, NO regrets!! Now in Hawley retainers!!
