Paul's Bogus Brace Journey

[llyolf]

Hi all,
can I join your little club? or maybe I should say I have joined the Bracket Club... I got mine on 2day around 11AM EST. Here's my blogsport:

http://bogusbracejourney.blogspot.com/

I'm 32 and have a former ortho assistant for a wife who told me this was the best way to fix my horrid crossbite that was causing some chompers to wear on each other.

here's the rundown:
Damon 3s (I Think)
Indirect Bonding (only worked on top and a couple of teeth on the bottom)
button the back of my upper right #3

Viva!
Paul

[At last]

Hey Paul!! Congrats on being braced and welcome!! I am new too but I have spent hours upon hours of reading all the info on these forums!! Good luck to ya!!

[llyolf]

rage31: yeppers that is exactly what they do. they took a 2nd set of impressions to send away to the folks that place the backets on the mold stick them onto a glob of gunk in the right place then ship back to the Dr. and bada bing bada boom he puts em on all at one time (hopefuly your mouth stays dry and they stick right

Later
Paul

[llyolf]

Well here's my self photo.... I gotta trim my stache and beard up... looking pretty grizzly...

[jennielee81]

Hi Paul,

Yep, those are Damon 3's. (I have them on the bottom) Welcome!!!

Looking forward to following your progress!!!

[llyolf]

By the way... I did in fact shape up my nasty looking goatee... actually that was the most painful part of the whole deal yesterday... the assistant pulled a couple hairs when taking out the suction..

It's the next day... and I'm doing OK... I did take some Ibuprofin... was a little ouchy.... but the biggest thing I notice is oh so nasty bad morning breath.... so methinks me needs some breath spray or those listerine tonguey dissolving things...

Later,
Paul

[llyolf]

Well Day 3 is here and the novelty has started to wear off...
yesterday I learned how to get the wax in there where I needed it.... and I shredded a piece of floss last night and got it stuck in a bracket... had to cut it (the floss) apart...
now I know why my wife took so long in the bathroom every night when she had her braces...

toofers have been pretty tender.... not OMG (can I say that.. if not I'm sorry) pain but they let me know they're there...

Later,
Paul

did I mention right after getting them on the other day my wife took me right to Burger King and proceeded to watch me fight with eating chicken fries... insert chomp.. get stuck.. push food particles completely around the archwire in attempt to remove said food particles... watch wife laugh..

[llyolf]

Man do I LOVE my wife!!! I got home from work today to find a full soft dinner... broiled haddock... smashed potatoes... and cooked veggies... All fresh off the schwann's.... for those of you not stateside, Schwann's is a company that franchises trucks that drive around the neighbor selling frozen stuff... makes for a yummy dinner!!

Later,
Paul

[llyolf]

Day 7 (Tuesday)

yay... I'm through a week.... the last couple days have been the toughest.... we're at Mollie's parent's house and their diet is a bit challenging. Mom-in-law has really been trying.... she made chicken noodle soup the day we got in. been eating lotsa cottage cheese and mornings I've been drinking protien shakes... (In laws are big soda drinkers and lotsa sweets and junk food...) I've eaten a couple of things that may be frowned upon by the ortho.... but hey... I'm passing out of newbness..... I skipped 1 night of flossing (forgive me Dr. Salmon for I have not flossed).... their mirror is like a mile away from where you can stand to floss... lost 3 threaders down the black hole called the drain.

mouth wise... I'm not feeling to bad... worst pain has been a headache here or there... pop a couple ibuprofin and I'm good.... and local tenderness.... the kind of tenderness where you bite and go "hmmm the feels funny... not ha ha funny... ow funny.."

I found the citrus listerine sprayers are real nice...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok - it's now 2AM on day 10.... Things are doing well... I'm up right now doing some stuff for work.... my ortho left the top archwire out of the brackets on the last tooth and I've noticed the archwire up there is almost back to the next empty bracket.... it's hasn't really poked or anything.... but it I seem to be closing up spaces already.... I've had LOTS of space all my life... now my only question is why didn't I get braced back when my wife was working for an ortho and I coulda got them for free?

enjoy,
Paul

[llyolf]

Hi all,
Today was my first check... forgot to pop a couple ibuprofens before hand... ooops.... ya when they open the doors to damon and yer teeth are squishy... ow... then the assistant was havving problems with the door opener.... kept sliding around... almost jabbed a hole in my gums in the space that is no longer a space....

Here's my treatment update.. The doc kept the top archwire in... just slid it over some.... and the bottom.... ohhh the bottom...

they tie wired 7 to 6 to 5 on both sides
then they did chains from 5 to 5.... woo hoo... I'm not feeling it yet... give me a day or so....

next apptment: 8ish weeks.... Sept 12th


Still having fun!
Paul

[Bridget]

Hi Paul!

Thanks for the update - that sounds like things are working out quite well!

Looking forward to follow your progress further.

Sunny greetings - Bridget

[llyolf]

OK... now I know why they call it a power chain.... It's really been using it's power to try to move things ( )... the weekend was a bit..... uncomfortable... ( ) nothing some good Ibuprofen couldn't handle...

Also, I've noticed since Thursday, I've had to wax the stopper on the my bottom archwire... it's got a little bur that won't go away... ( )

Well... have a nice day!

Bless ya,
Paul

[llyolf]

Hi y'all,
I haven't updated lately... almost a month since my last post... Well over the last 2 weeks I've realized that as I wake up in the morning I've been clenching my teeth. Now it seems that my teeth have shifted enough to the point where the tops overlap the bottoms. It's just a fraction of a amount, but it definitely feels different.

So all of you just getting braced, be encouraged! I'm two months in and already seeing thing change.

Later,
Paul

[Bridget]

Hi Paul!

Good to hear that things are moving! Congrats!!!

That's the best part about braces - you really notice some change pretty quickly!

Bridget!

[llyolf]

So I was up doing a double shift at work yesterday and the folks I work with have brought in all kinds of great snacks (on the no no list of course). I try these little nut looking bars... Sweet and Salty or something... well the bottom is like peanut butter the consistency of taffy with Nuts and granola on top of it.

So being the never fearing no-no list breaker that I am I tried one.... about hafl way done and I notice Top Left #2's bracket seems to be curiously close the Top Left #1.... I wander off to the bathroom to find.... The bracket for TL2 has removed itself (I didn't do it did I?) from TL2.... So now what to do once light comes... I have an appt Tuesday of next week...

I call and they say to come in.... and they'll use it as my next week appt as well.... so I popped my precautionary Ibuprofens and drive over (it's 45 minutes). They fix the broken one... Dr Marlin Salmon takes a looksee... oooohs and aaaahhhs... they put the 5-5 power chain on and the original wires on and good to go..... ACCEPT he mentions using Bummers at night instead of Chucks.. These are the code names for the rubber bands... Chuck is a 3oz medium.... Bummer (ha ha I get it now... after the 1st night with one ) is a 6oz heavy... so it's about half the length of the Chuck...

All I can say this morning... is Bummer dude! the Bummer + new chain = little bit of owww... but it's worth it!!! everyday my bite is getting closer to "normal".

Later,
Paul