Fixing my overjet!!!-Jesslzz's Braces Story with pics

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#46 Post by **Jesslzz** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:39 pm

September 21, 2006
My first birthday in braces!

I turned 30 on September the 12th. Wow, I never pictured this birthday with braces on!! They didn't stop me from eating a lot of cake, anyway

. The funny thing about this is that I still have to spend another birthday fully braced. This is quite an experience.

I took all these pics today to see a little progress...my next adjustment is tomorrow, so excuse the stained ligs...I did my best trying not to eat staining food but it was my birthday!!! I had to celebrate...

My ortho put all this new stuff on me: new metal wires and a powerchain elastic (a clear one...just as the one I have on my bottoms...I truly hate the way these things get stained!!).

The first loops (before the canines) were activated to move my four front teeth, and the second loops were closed and tied with elastics and metal wire to my back molars hooks. It was really painful for a week or so but the truth is...everything moved!!!

The wires look a little loose right now...it is because my teeth moved. These wires were really tight a month ago

The gap on my lowers is totally gone!!! Hurray for the powerchain!

Now a couple of comparisons...

This picture is from May

Today. The angle is not exactly the same but I can see progress!!!

Before getting the looped archwire...

What a difference, right???

I'm really happy so far. I can't explain the amazing feeling of actually being able to close my mouth more easily, seeing how my profile photos look a lot better...it is incredible. All the pain from braces and extractions is really worth these days. I know I will feel miserable form the pain tomorrow but that is why is so important to see the progress right now.

Having a journal here is really great. This forum and site are the best...and the people here is wonderful. This braces journey is a hard one, but we all gonna get there...

My new smile so far!!!

#47 Post by **Jesslzz** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 5:12 pm

Hi KK!

Thank you for posting! Yes, my ortho is happy with my progress, on the adjustment on Friday he took pictures of my teeth

Now I'm in pain because of the new adjustment (my front teeth feel so funny...they are moving really fast) so I'm on soft foods for a week or so...

Thanks again! You are a genious

#48 Post by **Sweet L** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:00 pm

Hi Jesslzz!
I'm new here, and I've been checking your pictures, I have to say WOW!!!!

It's amazing to see all the progress, congrats!
I don't have my braces yet (hopefully next November

), but I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I do... so thank you for sharing all this with us

I'm from Argentina too

, and it was really nice to see that I'm not the only one here

...

Thanks again

Take care
Greetings from Patagonia

#49 Post by **kisses14** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:36 am

Wow Jesslzz! Your progress has been fantastic!

You have really nice teeth; I think you will be thrilled at the final result! Oh, and I love your avatar! So cute!

Thanks for sharing your story!

#50 Post by **KJNELLAMORE** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:43 am

Looking GREAT!

#51 Post by **Jesslzz** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:32 pm

Hi and thank you very much for your replies!

Sweet L That is so great! I feel the same...it is really nice to see somebody from Argentina too!!! This forum is an amazing source of information, I was exactly like you a year ago, when I was considering getting into this journey, and this forum provided me with anything I needed.
And in the future when you don't know how to get that floss thread o whatever (there are quite a bunch of differences in orthodontic treatment between other places of the world and here (you will be lucky if you find purple ligs

) please feel free to ask me!
This is so funny we writing in english here...isn't it? Un poco de castellano por favor, jajaja!! I'm from Cordoba, so we are a little far away from each other, but we should keep in touch!

kisses14 Thank you very much for your kind message. I still don't quite like the shape of my teeth but I'm trusting my ortho to even things out when I'm finished

About my avatar...somebody told me I shouldn't be putting braces to cute little dogs!! But I like the way they look on him...he's fixing his doggy smile

KJNELLAMORE Thanks a lot!!!

#52 Post by **M1k3y** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:57 am

Impressive progress!

#53 Post by **Jesslzz** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:32 pm

A year in braces!!!

Today, exactly, is my braces birthday!

A year ago I was suffering at my ortho's chair wondering how these things would look in my face. I can't believe how fast this year went by. Well, I have been very, very busy by the end of the past year so for one reason or another I didn't update my journal here at archwired. That was too bad, but that makes the progress I had quite more noticeable now!

The orthodontic Christmas present was a new, very tough bottom archwire and a great news: if my progress keeps going the same way, there is a big possibility that my treatment will be finished in 8 more months!!! I'm so happy! I thought I had at least 12 more months to go yet. Anyway, I know how this is so I won't expect that that estimate is completely accurate, but well, I'm happy in the meantime

Here it is my first picture:

My new smile these days, more metal than ever: loops, square, thick archwires top & bottom, metal ligatures and only a small portion of clear powerchain.

My gaps are gone!!!Yipeee!!!

On my last post I made a "progress pic" in photoshop just to see how I would look without extraction gaps. Now I'm almost there!!!

May 2006

January 2006

This is how my upper arch is looking these days. My extraction gaps are just a millimeter wide. I believe that by the end of this month I will be done and no more gaps for me! I wonder if my ortho would change my looped archwire? As much as I'm grateful for the job the loops have done I really would like to have a regular wire again

Of course there is still much work to be done here, I'm far from finish line yet and apparently my bottoms are slower than my uppers. Here is how my bottom arch look these days. I have a rotated canine, it doesn't show much but I would like to get that fixed. Besides, all my front teeth need to move down because my uppers are almost touching the lower brackets. These teeth need to move down (into the gum) more and they are little rebels. I hope this thicker archwire can convince them to start moving!

On my next appointment I will ask my ortho if it is possible to remove the cleats since apparently I didn't need an extra appliance as he thought at the beginning. But I'm not sure if I will end up needing it! As I said a year ago, this road is full of surprises and they keep coming my way!

#54 Post by **OBG** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:57 pm

The transformation of your smile is no less than truly amazing. You have to be excited about the progress and for the newbies let them know the minor pain associated with braces is certainly worth it.

#55 Post by **joney** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:44 pm

Wow, this is really great for people like me with extraction gaps wondering if they'll every be closed. Your progress is amazing.

Regards
Joney

Website · #56 Post by **alexa** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:59 pm

Congrats on making it to one year!

The possibility of an early release date isn't bad either...good adjustment!

#57 Post by **19Braceface** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:36 am

BEAUTIFUL! My gosh, your progress is incredible! You have such pretty teeth too, the shape and shade. Keep the pictures coming they are really inspirational...