Bracy and the Chompers

[Bracy]

Time to start my braces story, now that I went in for my second appointment today.

I am 29 with a crossbite on the left, open bite and crowding to fix and got my braces about two weeks ago. (Clear Self-Aligning Top / Metall Lowers). I started off with 8 spacers (ouch*).

The first couple of days were tough, the impact on my confidence was pretty heavy, but it's better lately. I didn't really know that it's pretty much impossible to eat anything that includes chewing at the beginning due to the spacers, but made it through those first rough days and am finally able to chew soft foods.

I went in for the second time today and the spacers were removed and I received 4 metall bands on my molars and 5 new spacers (ouch again).
Wow, I had just gotten used to the feeling in my mouth and now it feels completely different again. These bands have these hook-thingies stick out on the inside (not fun!!!). Hopefully I'll get used to these soon too. (Do these stay in for the rest of the treatment time?)

My approximate treatment time is 18-24 months. (Come on 18!!!!) In three weeks from now I'll have one premolar and one left-over wisdom tooth removed to make room for the crowding up top.

I don't have any pictures yet, but I'll try to upload them as I go through my treatment.

[Bracy]

Hi Ken,

thank you for your wishes and your comment. To be honest, i have no idea why they put in 5 more spacers. Now i am worried that i get more bands, when I already hate the 4 ones that i have so bad right now. Do people get even more?

I'll keep you updated once I find out.

-Bracy

[Bracy]

Ok, the process is moving..I had two extractions today. I lost my #12 to make room and to have space to move my mid-line.

I also got my #16 wisdom tooth removed. The whole process wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'll have to get used to the holes and I hope that they close pretty fast. I am excited to get some movement now.

[Bracy]

Went in today and got secondary molar bands. (I thought so, but hey - at least the spacers are finally gone.)

They took my wire out and I was able to floss and brush which is very nice, my new band is a number 18?

Closing the doors was soo painful, OMG!!! The tooth next to my extraction site is turned and so it was impossible to close it all the way. It hurt so bad i can't even describe it. They decided that some more movement is needed before we can do that. Little did I know when I went in this morning that this would be the worst appointment yet.

Back on painkillers..whew...

Anybody had this happen too? Hopefully there will be some nice movement around the gap in the coming weeks.

[Bracy]

Ok, I figured I'll post some pictures of the development. The last couple of weeks everything seems to be very slow, but oh well... we'll see.

Shortly after getting braces - early Feb. 2010


March 2010


April 2010

[Bracy]

Ok, so yesterday I got a powerchain and my first elastics. Holy WOW for the pain. If I wasn't on antibiotics already I would consider pain killers - but I don't want to put more into my body... So yesterday I just tried to tough it out which mostly consists of couch time and TV under a blanket.

This morning I thought I can't get them out and just this lunch time I barely got them back in again. I thought this is getting easier here? Haha, oh man...7 months and super painful and complicated stuff.... These rubber bands are so tiny and tight, I can barely get them around one finger....so it's pretty hard to 'install' them on my upper last tooth without being able to see anything back there...holy moly...

I just hope the pain goes away soon, how long is one usually in those elastics? I need some good news....

How are you guys dealing with those elastics? All good for you?

[Bracy]

Had another adjustment today and everything seems to be progressing great. Doc said that my teeth are moving super fast and that my cross-bite is fixed already after 6 weeks of the elastic in the back. It looks like I will finish early - oh man, I can't say how happy I'm to hear that.

The powerchain was taken off today as only the upper left part needs to still move a little bit now. I got different elastics (1.4") much bigger than the ones I had for the last 6 weeks. I am glad that I don't have to do the two box constellations for now that totally closed my mouth off 24/7. I developed an over-bite during treatment which will be fixed now with the new elastic constellation that is typical for the over-bite. Seems much easier than what I had before, plus I can talk and all when I have them in. Much better already. I'll see my doc again in 6 weeks from now.

The only thing that I'm currently worried about is a) that some of my gum between my lower teeth on the left side looks somewhat swollen or grown bigger or something and b) that there is a tooth in the same area that reacts very fiercly with cold/hot and sweet. I hope this doesn't require a root canal, but it sure feels like it.... Doc checked for an exposed root but said it didn't look like it.

Overall very promising and happy for a change. Everything seems to working great and I'm glad that my teeth are moving so quickly.