Granola's braces journey-- retainer check 2/13/08

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#181 Post by **Granola** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:06 pm

8th adjustment: I just came back from a nine-day vacation and was happy my adjustment was today, practically hours after we returned home!

I had a great adjustment today. Hereâ€™s what they did:

Uppers: I got new brackets on the 7s (my last molars). They also removed and repositioned the left upper cuspid bracket more mesially, as planned. I got a new 17-x-25 copper NiTi wire. It always feels exciting to be sent home with new stuff in your mouth, so Iâ€™m happy! The right rear bracket fell off when the tech tried to install the wire, so they had to re-do that one, which was no big deal. I was so glad when my ortho didnâ€™t ask her to put the cheek retractors back in a second time.

Lowers: He did IPR on the centrals and laterals, to help with the black triangles (wow, I hadnâ€™t even asked about those) and to help de-rotate the lower left lateral. He also did a distal rotation to the lower left lateral, that stubborn tooth that has resisted rotating into the arch. I canâ€™t tell by looking what he did, I think because of the powerchain.

Powerchains: Upper 6 to 6 this time (instead of 3 to 3 like last time) and full lower.

Elastics: Same Impalas, upper 3-4 to lower 3. He said elastics will be really important in my treatment right now (but Iâ€™m very compliant, so nothing will change for me there).

I go back in seven weeks.

I heard my ortho telling one of the techs how to do a tie dye pattern on a retainer, and thought that sounded pretty cool (though I have something else in mind if that is the kind of retainer I end up with).

#182 Post by **Granola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:57 am

It was a great vacation (other than the all-day traveling to get to our destination). We spent a lot of time at a family member's house in New England. It was very cold but sunny the entire time. We had a blast! Ken, I need a more wintry smilie from you, though!

I was glad that I had just snagged a North Face down jacket on sale for $34 just for the trip. We made it home just before a major storm caused big delays, so really lucked out. After all, I wouldn't have wanted to miss my adjustment!

Re: tie dye retainers, it was between the ortho and the tech, but over my head, not directed to me or about my treatment. I don't think I'm quite there yet (it did get me thinking about retainers though).

I'm pretty sore, but it isn't stopping me from chewing normally or eating. Today at lunch I even ate guacamole and tortilla chips (it just hurt a little).

The IPR definitely has done something--things definitely feel tighter when I brush, so that powerchain is finally being allowed to move my teeth somewhere.

The gap on my upper L cuspid seems to be doing something also, because that tooth feels different.

I was asking about the info that was mentioned to me at a previous appointment about my bite (where I was told it would never be "perfect"). The explanation was that it could be achieved, but it would take a long, long time (perhaps 3 years) and the gain wouldn't be worth it in the long run. It seems the extractions that were done when I was a child were possibly not the best idea, though my ortho wouldn't directly say this, of course.

Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:35 pm

Hi Granola,
You have had alot happening! Excuse my ignorance, but what is "IPR?"

#184 Post by **Granola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:35 pm

Hello smallbutmighty! Thanks for stopping in!

IPR is short for interproximal reduction. If you've read of slenderizing, tooth shaving or enamel stripping on the boards, that is the same thing. To reduce the width of teeth, and alleviate crowding, the orthodontist removes very minimal amounts of the outer enamel (between the teeth, to create room). It isn't painful, usually (unless the teeth are already sore).

#185 Post by **Granola** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:54 pm

Those are perfect, Ken. Thanks!

I'm doing better, pretty sore but I know that will go away soon.

I was really noticing today that the stubborn gap in front of my left upper cuspid is virtually gone. I can't believe it, and am so happy with how much better it looks now.

My black triangles around the lower centrals and laterals are definitely improving after the IPR I had. This last adjustment really did some great things for me. My fingers are crossed that things keep going in the same direction.

#186 Post by **New Metal** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:02 pm

Was passing by and I had to stop and say beautiful smile Granola.. WOW !!

#187 Post by **New Metal** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:08 pm

Was passing by and I had to stop and say beautiful smile Granola.. WOW !!

#188 Post by **Granola** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:23 pm

Hi KK, New Metal, and bracedagain!

KK: I'm a weirdo, but I prefer winter to summer. Of course, where I live, winter is on the mild side and not freezing. I actually hate the summer when it gets 80 and above, but maybe as I age more I'll grow to love heat.

I'm hoping that I continue to see a reduction in the black triangles, if only because food loves to get caught there, right in the front of my mouth.

New Metal: Thanks so much for stopping by (and for the compliment)! Breeze by anytime.

bracedagain: ISYWYM about global warming, though just read an article today on CNN that Vermonters are wondering where their winter is (it is already warm there now, very atypical for them at this time of year). Sigh.

I hope that IPR works as well for me as it has for you (really happy it is working for you!).

I have pics of my new upper brackets!

Left:

Right:

Here's the latest front view (what the heck!):

I'm really getting poked in the cheek on the left upper side every time I talk. I'll probably have to drag myself into the ortho soon to get this clipped. Oh well, it is sign of movement!

#189 Post by **lionfish** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:33 pm

Granola, your teeth look so CLEAN!! How do ya do it??

#190 Post by **SimInsomniac** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:49 pm

Once again Granola, I'm amazed at how beautifully white your teeth are. You should sell your secret for all the Hollywood stars!

Your teeth also look great for the length of time you've had braces and seeing the new brackets makes me want my second molars to be brought in line with the others.

Go get that wire cut, it'll be much much better after, and why suffer?

Good luck, and hopefully lots of progress too.
Sim

#191 Post by **Granola** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:09 pm

Hi KK and SimInsomniac! I love having company in here!

You are both right, I need to drag my butt in soon! Every time I speak, that wire or hook on the bracket is catching my cheek. It is far enough back there that I can't tell yet which it is. I'm trying to figure it out before I go in, because if it is the hook, there isn't anything they can do (except hmm, maybe they can bend it for me).

SimInsomniac, I forget how long you've had braces. Do you have any idea when they might treat your 2nd molars? I waited over a year for them to bracket those. I wasn't even sure if they would be treating them (but would have had an open space i.e. no contact between uppers and lowers if they did not).

I am so happy -- the office called me today, and due to the doctor's needing to attend a conference on my next scheduled appointment date, they are moving up my appointment a week! I'm very happy.

I've been searching for this picture--this is pre-pre braces, probably when I was around 8 years old or so. Pre-extractions, pre-braces the first time around. It is truly scary to look at this big 'ole buck teeth! Look how tiny the rest of my teeth were in comparison.

#192 Post by **Granola** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:12 pm

Hi Lionfish! I forgot to respond in post above.

Sometimes I think my teeth look better in photos than in real life. My cleaning routine is pretty much like everyone's else's around here.

Morning:
1. brush
2. Waterpik
3. floss
4. brush, then use interdental around brackets

Evening:
same, but I don't usually floss at night unless I feel like I need to

Edited to add: Of course I brush after meals and in between too!

I think I've mentioned it before, but I whitened my teeth back in 2000 (before my wedding) but they weren't too stained to begin with. I may do a touch up post braces, since my whitening trays don't fit anymore. I do get staining behind my upper front teeth from the coffee and tea I drink (one to two cups per day), but the rest of the stuff I eat (berries and tomato sauce) doesn't seem to do too much harm. I feel very lucky about that![/list]

#193 Post by **Granola** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:50 pm

Wow, I must have really scared everyone away with that childhood pic of my teeth.

My bite is feeling really uncomfortable this week. Tonight I was eating pizza (homemade) and all of a sudden felt an awful s-c-r-a-p-e and first thought I'd bitten something hard, but then realized there was nothing hard on it (just veggies) and thought maybe a bracket had come off, but no, it was just my premolars scraping together hard when I chewed because they are on the move and not coming together in a good way. Ouch. I'll have to chew more carefully.

Otherwise, the soreness from my last adjustment is completely gone and things are pretty quiet. I'm still wearing wax in the back on one side. I'm not going in to get the wire clipped because I find that makes it more uncomfortable (no matter how much they buff it, it still catches me). I wish the tech had bent it under like I'd asked.

#194 Post by **-Michael-** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 9:31 pm

Hi Granola

Haha you did not scare me with your childhood pic. It is definitely better than my kid pics!

Your smile is looking awesome! Those clear brackets you have up top are very difficult to see. I like that!

Be careful on your future chews, until your teeth line themselves up properly. That was one of my starting problems in that my molars were grinding each other. I got used to it but realized it wasn't a good thing. Luckily they are already shifting properly and I can feel my bite changing which is exciting.

Keep us posted on your great looking simle

-Michael-

#195 Post by **Granola** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:42 pm

Hello!

Hi -Michael-: So glad you stopped in. I think I look much better now than I did as a child--seeing my mouth/lips/teeth and facial structure back then makes me flinch! But I'm amazed at where I am now when I look at where I started out.

I'm glad to hear that your molars are starting to come together the way that they should! I haven't had a recurrence of that awful scraping together, so either being extra careful combined with (hopefully) some interim movement is doing the trick!

Hi KK:

doubt you frightened anyone here .. well not so badly they'd not return!

Re: back molar wire length, yes, I'm definitely in agreement that leaving wires long and bending them inward is the way to go. It was a new(ish) assistant who didn't believe me that I always get them bent instead of clipped, and clipped it off, assuring me it would be comfortable.

She meant well, but those of us who have been in braces for a while know what works best for us. Next time I'll insist. In the meantime, whatever was catching, whether it was the wire or the new bracket, has stopped catching my cheek! My wires rarely get longer and need to be clipped, so maybe it was the bracket. However, I imagine that one my back molars level, there should need to be some bending in!

Hi Linda21! I was such a dorky kid, especially at that age when I looked just like a boy (short hair and all).

The IPR has definitely helped. I am still seeing a lot of food get caught in the black triangles, but looking at me, they are much harder to see now. I used to be able to stick an interdental brush easily between the lower centrals and the teeth adjacent to them, and cannot at all now.

So sorry that you too went through an extraction that may have been unnecessary, with unknown ramifications! It is hard to say how things would have gone if we hadn't had that done, but it is a bummer to think we could have kept healthy teeth. I'm not upset about it, because it was a long time ago and what's done is done, but

I'm afraid to jinx myself, but so far there is no residual inflammation of the periodontal ligaments (if that's even what was going on in the first place, given that it resolved fairly quickly). Thank goodness! I am really, really hoping for no more curveballs whatsoever!

I received notice this week that my insurance company had disbursed the funds for my ortho benefit this year (that unexpected extra $750 that they covered because my lifetime ortho max benefit increased for 2007)! I called my ortho's finance person today and had her recalc my payments. They are dropping to almost half of the monthly amount.

I could have paid off the balance in three more months, but decided there is no reason to do that--might as well keep the money in my own bank account and keep up payments while my treatment is still ongoing.

I'm guessing I won't be done in the 12-18 month time estimate (that would mean I would need to be done in five months, and I don't see that happening).