My Braces Story..

[sdilley]

Day 1...the beginning. I am Scott Dilley, I am 31 and from Oklahoma. I'm posting this in hopes of helping others who are nervous about getting braced.

I have always had moderate to severe crowding in the front of my mouth. When I visited the orthodontist with my son, he indicated that my problems could be fixed within 18 months or so. The system that my ortho uses is called Suresmile. It's a self ligating system that uses square archwires in the later stages of treatment.

On Monday, 3-22, I had a lower incisor removed. I had almost no pain, and am healing relatively quickly. Today, 3-25, I had my braces put on. Front only, the whole process was over in about 45 minutes. I have pretty light wires, but I am starting to feel some pressure (aka pain.) The inside of my mouth is taking a beating, but I am trying to press on without any wax to allow my lips to toughen up.

My orthodontist was recommended by my dentist, who is also a friend. I have to say that I am impressed. My ortho has taken the time to answer my questions completely and without judgment.

If anyone is interested, I'll try to keep this updated every few days. Please feel free to comment.

Scott Dilley

[sdilley]

About 12 hours in...A little more discomfort than I had anticipated.

[sdilley]

I know. My wife is being incredibly supportive, cooking chicken in the crock pot so it's very tender.

[sdilley]

So...I've been braced for a little over three weeks now. I am getting accustomed to the feeling of the extra metal in my mouth. I hardly notice them now. I am being pretty diligent about cleaning: I eat 5 meals a day, and I brush and rinse after each meal, in addition to when I wake and before bed. I floss once a day and rinse with Listerine with fluoride.

The reaction from my coworkers has been overall positive. I do worry about my summer job, which is overseeing security for a large outdoor concert venue. Getting hit in the mouth by a drunk will not be fun...

[Meemoo]

Are you brushing your teeth 7 times a day?

Be careful as you don't want overbrushing to cause gum recession! Maybe rinse isntead of brushing some of the time?

[sdilley]

After doing some research, I found that I was actually doing more harm than good by brushing so much. I have cut back to about 4 times per day, rinsing in between. I have also substituted some protein shakes for meals, so i don't have so much gunk in my braces.

[Kahle]

Cool, another Oklahoman! Pokes or Sooners?
You DO NOT want to chance being hit in the mouth. My 2 yr old niece threw a ball that hit my upper arch and it hurt so much! I was not expecting so much pain from such a light hit.

The protein drinks are a good idea. I've been using them as a primary food source the day after a wire change.

[sdilley]

Well...I was raised in Stillwater, but transplanted to OKC later in life. I'm caught in the middle. I root for both teams, but when they play I have to be a Poke fan...you?

[Mimi31]

So...I've been braced for a little over three weeks now. I am getting accustomed to the feeling of the extra metal in my mouth. I hardly notice them now. I am being pretty diligent about cleaning: I eat 5 meals a day, and I brush and rinse after each meal, in addition to when I wake and before bed. I floss once a day and rinse with Listerine with fluoride.

I'm 31 too, have had braces for the same time. I still haven't gotten used to having all that metal in my mouth, I feel like I have 100 teeth. I've never brushed and flossed so much in my life! I brush 4 times a day-when I wake up, after breakfast, after lunch and before I sleep, so I try to limit my eating and snacking to only these times. I've lost about 4kgs so far, which is nice. I'm really excited about my journey. Make sure you take pictures, it'll be easier to track your progress.

[sdilley]

Well, the last week has been pretty rough. On my lips, that is. I had a wire start poking me, and by the time I realized it, there was already a dime-sized raw spot. Luckily, I had some wax to put on there and let the spot heal. Other than that, I can feel which teeth are moving at which time. Kinda weird. First adjustment is coming up next week.

[sdilley]

So...today was first adjustment day. The orthodontist opened the brackets and removed the old wires. My teeth felt very loose, but no pressure was nice for a few minutes. The new wires went on with a bit of a struggle. He ended up wiring one to the bracket in addition to the bracket being closed. The wire on top is square and another round one on bottom. They are both much larger than the first wires. I felt the pressure immediately. The pressure makes me feel like things are moving, but now, about 3 hours later, I feel the aching coming on.

[sdilley]

So...my top wire is square. My ortho likes the square; they allow him to control the tooth movement better. The new pressure is pretty intense. Luckily, I had some pain meds left from an extraction, so that's easing it a bit. But things are pretty miserable right now. But it's all to a good end. I've still got my mind on the end; a great smile

[SugarMagnolia]

Sounds like great progress you're making! I'm going through spacer h-e-double-hockey-sticks right now myself but looking forward to starting the progression on Tues. Thanks for keeping up the posts, I appreciate seeing what others are going through!

[sdilley]

I do see a lot of progression, and I feel the changes in my bite as well. And if pressure is any indication of movement, then I am MOVING!! Good luck with your bracketing. I didn't have to go through spacers, I only have brackets on my fronts...

[sdilley]

Still making progress!! I can tell that my teeth are moving. The renewed pressure of the new wires is really worth the discomfort now!! While I had reservations at first, I am glad that I have undertaken this journey. Anyone thinking of undertaking braces should really be encouraged!!