Fast forward 20 years and here I am, 34 and have been rebraced now for about 6 weeks. I current treatment started last year with my first new acrylic retainer to help treat my TMJ pain. That didn't work and led to a harder, thicker splint with some buildups. that helped, but not enough. This past January I had a Herbst installed. I LOVED the effect it had. Wearing it was even easier on me that the splint had been. It was installed for 4 months, then disconnected to see what lasting cure it offered. After being out for a month, the "arms" were reattached. While it was in and active, the herbst relieved nearly all my issues, but leaving it in forever isn't an option it seems. So in August it was removed, and I was braced top and bottom. (metal again)
My treatment time is planned for 12 months. We need to create space on my lower front to correct overcrowding, then address a mismatched mid-line. During all this we hope to fine tune my bite and relieve the joint pain.
Today was my first adjustment. I now sport two springs on the archwire in the lower front.
I'm going into this very excited about the whole process. I promised myself to follow all the rules to the letter this time (as opposed to being braced as a teenager, and eating and doing whatever I liked at the time)
I'm religious about brushing, and plan to follow the prescriptions for elastics and anything else needed.
Maybe its because I'm paying for this myself this time, I don't know, but I figured heck, why not?
Tin Grins Unite!
"Comedy is tragedy happening to someone else" —W.C. Fields