OK--This was not the plan!

[klobird]

Hey Eve,

By your ticker it looks like you are having braces for 10 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days---now I know that some orthos at really good at predicting but

[VancouverJude]

Five months already! Good for you K.

congrats, Jude

[Eve43]

Klo,
If everything goes EXACTLY as planned, yes, that is my 'freedom' date. I have 23 trays top and bottom. I am to wear each tray for 2 weeks. In 7-8 months, if its not looking like i'll finish on time, I'm going to opt to finish the process out with Damon's for a month or two. So far, I just have some soreness in my jaw...not tooth related...just can't seem to set my teeth/bite right with the thickness of the aligners and the attachments on my teeth. Eating has been no problem, to date. But the next set looks more 'heavy duty'

I'm not liking this jaw ache...I'm hoping it settles down.

We'll see what happens.

[klobird]

Oh ya, the trays---so they have exact dates...wow, I wish it was like that with the Damons. My sister had braces as an adult and was told 2yrs and it went 2 1/2 yrs. My dentist had them on for 4yrs--she finally told the ortho enoughs enough.
I have decided that it can go clear up to a day before I turn 58 (that's 3yrs), but they will be off on my 58th birthday...
life is too short....

So Eve---how is it talking with those--do you have a lisp or anything? I don't know if it's the braces or the elastics that cause my off and on lisp. I can have a lisp one day and really have to be fighting with it, and the next day have no lisp whatsoever.

Hey Jude!! Long time!! I will find out on Nov. 7th about the Forsus. If it's yes, then it will be the adjustment after that...
I'm shakin in my boots......!

[klobird]

22 weeks down--82 weeks to go...

[lambchop]

Crawling towards the finish line... I want chewy candy SO BAD!!!! The Halloween candy aisle is going to kill me!!!

[klobird]

Hey Lambchop!!

I know!!! I had the WORST craving for my favorites--Twix and Cheetos--this past week. Someone asked what people's 1st meal will be after debonding... mine will be a big plate of Twix and Cheetos!! Oh ya, and maybe steak so I can gnaw on the bone like a dog.....no gnawing for 2 yrs....hmmmm...Actually I just want to be able to eat anything without worrying that I'm going to break something in my braces....

I am bad though. There are these little containers of Nutty Buddy ice cream--you know, like the tops of those Nutty Buddys in the brown cylindrical cones....well, I eat the ice cream...nuts and all....and sometimes a nut will hit my teeth/braces wrong and it actually hurts....but it hurts soooo good..!!...

[EbonyQ]

Hi my dear braces-friend! Someone had “stolen” my username on this forum so I had to call myself EbonyQ lol

Nice reading your journal. I’ll try to write one myself tomorrow. The first thing that went through my mind when I said yes to braces was “I have to tell K-bird/klobird about this!”

[VancouverJude]

I know!!! I had the WORST craving for my favorites--Twix and Cheetos--this past week.

It's actually pretty easy to eat chocolate bars and Cheetos (although I would say NOT the crunchy Cheetos, just the puffs.) The secret is to eat slower than usual, try to keep away from nut filled treats, and let the chocolate semi melt in your mouth. An easy, adult friendly solution is to have a coffee or tea with your treat.

I *love* Cheetos puffs and occasionally have them. The problem with eating Cheetos and having braces is the amount of cleanup involved afterwards. And by the way, K., you probably haven't tried the new Cheetos Honey BBQ flavor have you? I think they've only come out recently.

Here in Canada we don't have the White Cheddar flavor yet either and I think that's been out for ages in the US. I still haven't had a chance to try Snickers peanut butter either.

Occasionally indulge, nothing bad is going to happen. I promise.

[klobird]

Hey Jude--You know what--I am starting to figure that one out!!! They scare the tar out of you about what you can and can't eat--I don't have a clue how I could possibly break these metal suckers--they're like jail bars!! I'm finding that even with the pizza crust thing, all you have to do is tear it up into small pieces. I was thinking "why won't that work with Cheetos too?" I eat potato chips just fine. Soooo, I am going to get some CRUNCHY Cheetos and break them up and see what happens....the only thing that I'm really afraid of is that a wire will get pulled out of the buccal tube by the food and then break (or not break and have a half inch wire jammed straight into my cheek---yeeeooowww)...but I'm thinking about the only thing that might do that is caramel (which is in Twix). I am just not that brave...but I have been so anal about this whole thing--like I'm behind bars and the sheriff is watching!!

EBONYQ--- You're here!!!!!! I am sooooo happy that you are going to join the world of the braced!!! You will find so much help here, and soooo many useful tips. You are about to learn tons of new things!!!!! It is sooooo nice to see my friend here!!!!!!!!!
YIIIPPPPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lambchop]

I've had the wire come most of the way out of the buccal tube a few times now (although only once since getting TWO arch wires installed in the bottom arch!) ...the culprits included a cherry pit, a piece of pretty hard pizza crust, a chip (hmmm...now that I see it written out, pretty much all those things were on my 'no-no' list!). The wire went back in fairly easily (I used my finger and a pair of tweezers), but it is a little disconcerting. I confessed at my first adjustment, but there wasn't any scolding ...he seemed to think everything looked fine. He said when I get thicker archwires, I shouldn't have that problem anymore. Oh, and I TOTALLY think Cheetos are worth the clean-up time!

[klobird]

Yep! The crunchy Cheetos were a breeze! Actually easier than some of the stuff I've eaten... So, I eat pretty much everything except popcorn and caramel... Maybe next year when I'm even more brave. Ya maybe next year I will eat a popcorn ball and caramel apple on Halloween....can't even see that happening!!

What do you mean--2 archwires on the bottom...?? Didn't they have a heavier wire? Does it feel like 2 wires or just one heavy wire? How weird is that.....I saw a video of a guy with 2 rows of braces on the top and a Herbst also--ya, send me to h*ll---that would never happen with me---I would have to throw in the towel...

[lambchop]

Yeah, the double arch wire threw me for a loop, but I was told it was a little gentler to go with the two at first and then move into the heavier one in a little while...the assistant didn't seem familiar with this process, and it definitely took some huffing to get it into the brackets (mine are self-ligating)...I decided 'gentler' was okay with me! My next adjustment is on the 19th of this month, and it'll be interesting to see if he decides it's time for a heavier wire. I kind of have two orthos; the main doctor has been doing this for years (he's probably in his 60's and is the one who gave me my initial consult) and his son-in-law, who has been working on me, and is younger than I am (more and more folks are these days, haha). I like to think that between the two of them, they bring the best of all worlds...the tried and true and the latest in ideas. I'll let you know in a couple of years!

[klobird]

I am having severe problems with my computer. I had a Comcast guy here for 2hrs yesterday. It may not be a Comcast problem--it may be my software--whatever that means--I don't know what all that means. All the Comcast guy did was get me to buy a more expensive plan, maybe that would work. Well, at least I got here today....

I think that it's 23 weeks, 81 weeks to go---I'm going to have to go back to last Friday and check.

One weird thing--at the end of this month it will be 1/2yr since I've had braces, and I will have had only 2 adjustments since I got braces....I don't have an adjustment until November. Weird. Well, that puts the Forsus off if I have to get it.

I'm thinking sky blue power chains instead of smoky silver. What do you think....I don't get much color with these self ligating brackets. It will be my 1st set of power chains, but I also want to look somewhat professional....

Are power chains bad? I'm also getting heavier wires---finishing-I thought they said--probably since I probably won't have my next adjustment until a month before I'm out of braces!! Brother...

[klobird]

24 weeks down....80 weeks to go....

Nothing new at all to add except---I am freaking out about my next adjustment in 3 weeks!!
Seriously--this is the most I will have done at my adjustments so far--but considering it will only be my 3rd adjustment since being braced last April....well, hmmmm....

Anyway, I will be getting top and bottom powerchains for the first time, heavier wires (finishing wires, he called them)
and heavier elastics---or maybe the forsus---not a definite "no" yet from the ortho. And the forsus thing is freaking me out.

If I have to have the forsus, then I just want to get the d*mn things on so I won't keep feeling this anxiety about them. (l have had this anxiety since the very beginning when he told me then that the forsus was a done deal). Fortunately, it's looking like I might not have to have them, but he told me not to pin him down on that....just wish I knew for sure....it's driving me nutty