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#31 Post by **OBG** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:00 pm

No braces for Christmas would have been a nice gift but an extra month or two is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. I'm sure your daughter-in-law will be jealous when your smile is au natural.

Enjoy the holidays.

#32 Post by **rhonda30** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:07 pm

When I mentioned in my last post that my daughter-in-law thought her braces looked cuter than mine I told her that I posted a photo of the two us together. Prove once and for all that mine are nicer. (Does having more elastics count for anything?) She laughed and when she went to the site she was unable to retrieve the photo. I am posting this to try and repost the photo.

#33 Post by **OBG** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:43 am

Sounds like you and your daughter-in-law are having a little family fun with your braces. You both wear them well and remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

#34 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:29 pm

Beauties and their Braces! Lookin good Rhonda!

#35 Post by **KateinCO** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:14 pm

I think you both look cute and very holiday festive!! I am hoping I will look that cute when I get closer to the end of my treatment!!

Thanks for posting your story, Rhonda ... it's a great read! I am hoping to see the final results in a short time from you! Looking forward to seeing before and after pictures to help keep me motivated!!

Happy Holidays!
Kate

#36 Post by **rhonda30** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:13 am

OBG, Miss Smiley, KateinCo thanks for the kind words. My philosophy is we might as well try to enjoy all things including our orthodontic experience. My daughter-in-law and I try to have fun with the braces we have in common. She called me last night and said she had an ortho appt this week and was going to try and get colored ligs for the holidays. She would then be definately cuter. (She is anyway).
I don't know if you can get colored ligs with damon braces, I have never had them with mine. I will try to get her to post a photo if she gets them.

Thanks again and keep smiling.

#37 Post by **OBG** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:45 pm

Your photo is really cute- I bet she doesn't look forward to the teasing you will give her when your teeth are naked.

I don't see why you can't get colored ligs with damon brackets. I don't have them but I would think they would have ligs like regular brackets.

#38 Post by **rhonda30** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:28 pm

My daugther-in-law had an ortho appt today and was hoping to get green and red ligs for the holidays. She was told other than power chains they don't like to use ligs on the damon brackets unless needed for a specific purpose because of the interaction between the lig and the archwire. I was not aware of the this and was wondering if anyone else has encounter this? I think she was kinda disappointed and thought she could make her look more festive than mine. Maybe I could get some colored elastics like KK and continue this friendly family feud.

Happy Holidays to all.

#39 Post by **Tin Indian** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:47 pm

Rhonda,
You and your daughter -in-law DO look cute together. I'll bet its a hoot when you both are checking each other's progress out .
I have damon's on the bottom and was told I could not get colors until the ortho thought I had enough movement and then only if movement continued at a decent pace. Otherwise they would have to be taken off. So far so good as I've had ligs on since my second ajustment over a year ago.
Go for the colored elastics if you can, they are a hoot!
Good luck to both of you!
T.I.

#40 Post by **rhonda30** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 6:10 pm

Tin Indian- Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like what you said is very consistent with what she was told at her appt. No festive colors for us, we will have to live with the sparkle of tinsel.

#41 Post by **rhonda30** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:59 pm

Well I had an adjustment last week and finally was told that May would be my debraced month. I originally was told 14-16 months, and in May it will be 18 months so I guess it could be worse. I think my teeth were where they should be and I told him that I had plenty of spare time and he could just take them off right then. He laughed and asked where I had gotten my orthodontic training. I kinda figured I would lose that argument. At least I figured with just one or two adjustments left this would be a downhill coast. Well, wrong again. He started talking to the Kathy, my favorite tech, about placing hooks, elastics, ties and something about clips on the archwire. As he left she looked at me and attempted a meek smile. About thirty-five minutes later I felt like I had a complete overhaul. New large hooks on my bottom archwire with an elastic over my front teeth and then attached to the new hooks. Several brackets tied together with gray ties along with the elastics that I had been wearing from my cannines to my lower bottom molars. Kathy told me that the elastic across my front teeth would feel tight for a few days.

I got to thinking about the things that I was told at the ortho since I began my treatment, such as; "you might find the spacers a bit uncomfortable." "Even with the metal brackets after a while hardly anyone will notice them." (I was just looking through some photos and anyone within a 1/4 mile would probably notice them.) "the new archwire is a little stiffer than the last one so you might feel a little pressure at first." "you probably will not be able to eat hard foods tonight." Do any of these classic understatements sound familiar? Did I forget any?

Just before I left Kathy showed me in the mirror the new elastic configuration and gave me my new elastics. Why do they have to use packages with animals on them. Wearing braces is tough enough as a adult but carrying a little bag with a picture of a moose or rabbit on it is almost too juvenile. I think even years after my braces are history when I see a picture of a rabbit or certainly a moose I will think of tiny little rubber bands that inhibited my speech and eating. (Maybe we should call PETA.)

Well I just returned from Sedona and my friend took a photo of me. You can hardly see my braces. NOT. And while at a nice mexican restaurant, although my adjustment was last Wednesday, I still couldn't handle the chips and salsa, but I found that margaritas did not bother my teeth.

There is light at the end of the tunnel and I will keep you posted.

Rhonda-http://www.myspace.com/ibbraced

#42 Post by **lionfish** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:17 pm

Rhonda, you crack me up.

You can add, "you may want to take painkillers before..." to the list.

#43 Post by **rhonda30** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:59 am

LIONFISH- Of all the euphemisms I have heard regarding the impending discomfort following an ortho appt I must say they never told me to take pain relievers prior to the visit. But I think that is a good straight forward approach. Like the boy scouts say, "be prepared".

It has been 5 days since my last adjustment and everything seems to be back to normal although that new elastic around my front teeth is still somewhat bothersome.

#44 Post by **OBG** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:00 pm

Rhonda,

I think I have been told all of the same things you mentioned plus some. How about "you might experience some tenderness". That was one of my favorites. You photo looks nice and although you are right you can definately see your braces you wear them well and your teeth are looking good. Hope that elastic is no longer bothering you.

#45 Post by **rhonda30** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:44 am

OBG-thanks for the compliment but I'm not sure I wear the braces all that well. I also have heard the "they might be tender" phrase.

I'm still having some problems with that new elastic. I take it out to eat and when I teach my classes but my front teeth just find it disagreeable. I really thought with just a few months left it would get easy. The tech told me my ortho likes everything very tight and snug before the retainers are made.

I wonder if anyone else has had elastics right up until the end? With just a couple of months left I guess I should stop complaining.

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