What exactly is the "bite block"? Not much can hold us back from our chocolate!!
OK--This was not the plan!
Moderator: bbsadmin
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Hey Scully--I think we both lucked out with the spacers. You didn't have them and mine didn't hurt!
What exactly is the "bite block"? Not much can hold us back from our chocolate!!
What exactly is the "bite block"? Not much can hold us back from our chocolate!!
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
You got them? 
Wow! But you are super klobird, so I'm sure it will be nothing for you 
I'm having so fun making you present!
I had to add something to it so I did not send it this weekend. I don't like to just buy something and give that, but to take the time to make it more personal. Want to give you a special present for everything you have done for me 
Will send it tomorrow
Wow! But you are super klobird, so I'm sure it will be nothing for you I'm having so fun making you present!
I had to add something to it so I did not send it this weekend. I don't like to just buy something and give that, but to take the time to make it more personal. Want to give you a special present for everything you have done for me Will send it tomorrow 
[/url]
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Goody! Goody! Goody! I love presents!! My husband says I can make my birthday go farther than anyone else he knows! Lol! I just LOVE my birthday--it's the best celebration of the year!! What does that say about me?? 
OK one more thing about the Forsus (not really--I will suck the life out of the subject...) Anyway--I had to go back to the ortho today. The flippy hook was sharp and really irritating the inside of my lip.
Turns out that where the assistant had crimped that piece, the crimping left indentations and sharp edges. So she made it smooth, and now it is really, really all good...I think I like it better than elastics!
(today anyway...)
I told the assistant that I was having no pain at all. She told me to just wait--the Forsus works up to the pain slowly. OK, well maybe I will be like a crab in a pot and I won't notice.
BTW--we are the only city in the nation today with snow....Again....on March 13....
OK one more thing about the Forsus (not really--I will suck the life out of the subject...) Anyway--I had to go back to the ortho today. The flippy hook was sharp and really irritating the inside of my lip.
Turns out that where the assistant had crimped that piece, the crimping left indentations and sharp edges. So she made it smooth, and now it is really, really all good...I think I like it better than elastics!
(today anyway...)
I told the assistant that I was having no pain at all. She told me to just wait--the Forsus works up to the pain slowly. OK, well maybe I will be like a crab in a pot and I won't notice.
BTW--we are the only city in the nation today with snow....Again....on March 13....
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
I sent Ebony a bunch of pics--hopefully she will have time to put them up here soon...they look absolutely horrid!! My teeth look yellow-grey--teeth whitening will definitely be the first thing I do post braces. (And I brush like a maniac... 
)
I think my teeth look less straight than ever, but they're honest pics...and there will be a couple showing the Forsus.
Speaking of the Forsus, and my adjustment a couple of days ago---still no pain at all, and I am adapting to the Forsus quickly...it's weird-after I brush my teeth I grab for the elastics, and then realize I don't have to!
) I think my teeth look less straight than ever, but they're honest pics...and there will be a couple showing the Forsus.
Speaking of the Forsus, and my adjustment a couple of days ago---still no pain at all, and I am adapting to the Forsus quickly...it's weird-after I brush my teeth I grab for the elastics, and then realize I don't have to!
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
klobird wrote:Hey Scully--I think we both lucked out with the spacers. You didn't have them and mine didn't hurt!
What exactly is the "bite block"? Not much can hold us back from our chocolate!!
I have a deep bite, so my top teeth would hit my brackets on the bottom if I didn't have a bite block. A bite block is like little glue blob "fangs" on the back of my two front teeth on top. My lowers hit the block instead of the top teeth hitting the lower brackets. My ortho is using the block to create an open bite in the back that she is closing with rubber bands. Since my back teeth don't touch at all, it's really hard to chew. They are getting closer together, so it's getting easier to mush things around (gross, I know)
I will always find a way to eat chocolate. if I have to melt it and slurp it with a straw, I will.
Mulder: Did you bring enough ice cream to share with the rest of the class?
Scully: It's not ice cream... it's non-fat tofutti rice dreamsicle.
Mulder: Ugh... I bet the air in my mouth tastes better than that.
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Hey Scully--it would probably be easier just to go to Dairy Queen and get a chocolate milkshake!
OK, so Forsus update...I went back to the ortho to see if they could fix the loose, flippy, passive side to be more snug like the activated side and they were able to!! Yippeee!!
So, no pain,soreness AT ALL since my adjustment/forsus last Monday! I like the Forsus 10, no, 20 times better than elastics. I get to actually snack without bothering with the elastics!! I can wait 10-20 minutes before I brush my teeth and not feel like I'm committing some kind of sin because I don't run in to the bathroom right away to put the elastics back in. At my family gathering (for my birthday
) last Sat., I had my elastics out for about 2 hours because we were all grazing the whole time. And of course, I felt guilty...
Now since the flippy side has been tightened, I hardly notice the Forsus, and it is so much more convenient. It really is all good.. I mean if you are one who has to have the Forsus appliance...
OK, so Forsus update...I went back to the ortho to see if they could fix the loose, flippy, passive side to be more snug like the activated side and they were able to!! Yippeee!!
So, no pain,soreness AT ALL since my adjustment/forsus last Monday! I like the Forsus 10, no, 20 times better than elastics. I get to actually snack without bothering with the elastics!! I can wait 10-20 minutes before I brush my teeth and not feel like I'm committing some kind of sin because I don't run in to the bathroom right away to put the elastics back in. At my family gathering (for my birthday
) last Sat., I had my elastics out for about 2 hours because we were all grazing the whole time. And of course, I felt guilty...Now since the flippy side has been tightened, I hardly notice the Forsus, and it is so much more convenient. It really is all good.. I mean if you are one who has to have the Forsus appliance...
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
So, the "flippy" side of the Forsus was fixed, I wasn't biting down on a "flippy" piece of steel anymore while I ate yesterday. It was all going really well.....hmmmm.....hmmmmmm.....
Everything they did to make the "flippy" side better came apart last night.
When I was brushing my teeth, the power chain broke (didn't know until I spit out the toothpaste), and the "stop" came off at the same time. Then the rod came out of the spring--twice--in other words the whole thing just came apart....I was able to get it back together each time, but it was obvious something was wrong....
So today, I was sooooo irritable at work that they "made" me call the ortho on-call service (the office is closed Fri.-Sun.) to see if I could get it fixed. "My" assistant was on-call, so she came in (she is really, really a nice person). She had called the ortho after I talked to her, and they put a different size rod in. It has been perfect except for one thing--it pinches my lip a lot when I eat....and it kind of hurts...
The ortho told my assistant that they would just take the Forsus out and go back to elastics if this didn't work. I don't want to go back to elastics!! So, somehow I am going to make it work--even if I have to eat soup for the next 6 months!! I could stand to lose about 10 pounds anyway...So, I am going to go make something to eat now that I am home and can be messy, and experiment with how to eat without being injured...
I'm pretty depressed and crabby tonight. Actually, very, very crabby and depressed....
Everything they did to make the "flippy" side better came apart last night.
When I was brushing my teeth, the power chain broke (didn't know until I spit out the toothpaste), and the "stop" came off at the same time. Then the rod came out of the spring--twice--in other words the whole thing just came apart....I was able to get it back together each time, but it was obvious something was wrong....
So today, I was sooooo irritable at work that they "made" me call the ortho on-call service (the office is closed Fri.-Sun.) to see if I could get it fixed. "My" assistant was on-call, so she came in (she is really, really a nice person). She had called the ortho after I talked to her, and they put a different size rod in. It has been perfect except for one thing--it pinches my lip a lot when I eat....and it kind of hurts...
The ortho told my assistant that they would just take the Forsus out and go back to elastics if this didn't work. I don't want to go back to elastics!! So, somehow I am going to make it work--even if I have to eat soup for the next 6 months!! I could stand to lose about 10 pounds anyway...So, I am going to go make something to eat now that I am home and can be messy, and experiment with how to eat without being injured...
I'm pretty depressed and crabby tonight. Actually, very, very crabby and depressed....
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
awww, klobird....
I'm sure it will work out for you somehow, you are klobird for gods sake! You can take everything with your braces
Try not to stress too much about this, try to focus on making the forsus to work their magic and not what will happen if they don't.
Picturetime:
Here you go!
Talk to you later!
I'm sure it will work out for you somehow, you are klobird for gods sake!
You can take everything with your braces Try not to stress too much about this, try to focus on making the forsus to work their magic and not what will happen if they don't.
Picturetime:
Here you go!
Talk to you later!
[/url]
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Hey thanks Eb for putting my pics up! Sorry about them being sideways--I took them with my cell phone and sent them to Eb. I'm not good at all figuring out the best way to do tech things--obviously!l
Sorry that you are going to have to contort yourself or your computer to see the pics--but hey, there they are!
OK, I'm crossing my fingers, but eating last night was fine--no pinching with the Forsus. I am hoping that it stays that way! Oh ya, in 5 days the Forsus is already making changes--I can feel it in my bite!
Thanks again Eb!
Sorry that you are going to have to contort yourself or your computer to see the pics--but hey, there they are!
OK, I'm crossing my fingers, but eating last night was fine--no pinching with the Forsus. I am hoping that it stays that way! Oh ya, in 5 days the Forsus is already making changes--I can feel it in my bite!
Thanks again Eb!
-
VancouverJude
- Posts: 98
- Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:24 am
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Great pix klobird.
Something must been wrong -- I know, no kidding Sherlock! -- with the installation of the Forsus cos that's just whack. My Ortho is the only one who puts it on in his office. I noticed after the first adjustment he got "better" at putting it on. I don't think these people do a huge amount of Forsus installation so its always a bit of a learning curve yet still it isn't rocket science. Really great you and your assistant are getting along.
Here's a youtube clip for Forsus emergencies from good old Dr Radolsky's office. They have a lot of vids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEbBkLniwgs
Yesterday was 9 months with forsus (original estimate was 7) and for the first time they didn't adjust it because it can't be adjusted anymore. I can't feel that its working, but ortho assures me it is. In my case the Forsus was pushing my bottom right side over 1.5 teeth width to align my midline, make up for my missing lower tooth, etc.
When I first started the Forsus the first months showed a remarkable change for the better with my bite on the right side. It's progressively become worse: in that way people say "your teeth are going to look worse before they look better."
I now realize, after a discussion this week, this is because the pressure has made the lower right teeth "dip down" (my words don't know how to express) which explains the teeth on my right side are nowhere near touching. Anyhow, Ortho assures me elastics will bring my bottom right side teeth up to meet the top and fairly quickly. I've been trying to move my mouth in imitation of how this will look (an amusing workout) and I'm actually feeling pretty good about things, the most positive I have in a long while.
Ortho says I'll probably be in Forsus a bit longer then he'll start the Finishing Stage. First time those two words have been mentioned. He asked, "Do you know what the finishing stage is?" I said "Yes." He then said they'll do some rotations, and get into the nitty gritty (er, my words) of getting things where they should be to look the best. He made it clear just because its called the finishing stage the end is not in sight, but I'm happy.
Something must been wrong -- I know, no kidding Sherlock! -- with the installation of the Forsus cos that's just whack. My Ortho is the only one who puts it on in his office. I noticed after the first adjustment he got "better" at putting it on. I don't think these people do a huge amount of Forsus installation so its always a bit of a learning curve yet still it isn't rocket science. Really great you and your assistant are getting along.
Here's a youtube clip for Forsus emergencies from good old Dr Radolsky's office. They have a lot of vids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEbBkLniwgs
Yesterday was 9 months with forsus (original estimate was 7) and for the first time they didn't adjust it because it can't be adjusted anymore. I can't feel that its working, but ortho assures me it is. In my case the Forsus was pushing my bottom right side over 1.5 teeth width to align my midline, make up for my missing lower tooth, etc.
When I first started the Forsus the first months showed a remarkable change for the better with my bite on the right side. It's progressively become worse: in that way people say "your teeth are going to look worse before they look better."
I now realize, after a discussion this week, this is because the pressure has made the lower right teeth "dip down" (my words don't know how to express) which explains the teeth on my right side are nowhere near touching. Anyhow, Ortho assures me elastics will bring my bottom right side teeth up to meet the top and fairly quickly. I've been trying to move my mouth in imitation of how this will look (an amusing workout) and I'm actually feeling pretty good about things, the most positive I have in a long while.
Ortho says I'll probably be in Forsus a bit longer then he'll start the Finishing Stage. First time those two words have been mentioned. He asked, "Do you know what the finishing stage is?" I said "Yes." He then said they'll do some rotations, and get into the nitty gritty (er, my words) of getting things where they should be to look the best. He made it clear just because its called the finishing stage the end is not in sight, but I'm happy.
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
This is not the type of blog I like to write...
I am absolutely miserable with the Forsus appliance in my mouth. I hate to write this because I don't want to scare anyone else who may be getting the Forsus. The reasons it's so tough are not what I thought they would be. I thought my mouth would be pushed and forced into an uncomfortable position, making me feel not in control, and that scared me. In that regard, the Forsus is easier than elastics--much more flexible than elastics and pretty discreet.
The problem is--it feels like I have a bear trap in my mouth. Eating is pure misery. The "flippy"
parts in the forward part of my mouth pinch and poke with every bite. It's like food going thru an obstacle course. The food gets trapped in the upper further back part of the Forsus--lots of food--like a large portion of my bite of food. And then when I try to use my tongue to get it out, the "flippy" parts start pinching again. Pinching and pinching and pinching.
Brushing my teeth is the same as eating. It just plain hurts--a lot...I'm beginning to dread doing both.
This is the most down I have been in the last 11 months. I have actually pretty much really liked the uniqueness of having braces at my age. I have always felt that it made me more interesting. But I'm really beginning to wonder if I want to go through this anymore. Another year seems like 100 years with this thing in my mouth. I'm supposed to have the Forsus in for 6 months. That leaves about 5 months,1 week to go...all summer...it seems like forever.
I think about having it taken off...I seriously do. But I am not a quitter. I will ride this out if and until it causes a serious infection or something--but in the meantime--well, this is going to be one hell of a ride....or the ride from hell.
Maybe I need to buy 5 months worth of booze... I don't even drink.......
I am absolutely miserable with the Forsus appliance in my mouth. I hate to write this because I don't want to scare anyone else who may be getting the Forsus. The reasons it's so tough are not what I thought they would be. I thought my mouth would be pushed and forced into an uncomfortable position, making me feel not in control, and that scared me. In that regard, the Forsus is easier than elastics--much more flexible than elastics and pretty discreet.
The problem is--it feels like I have a bear trap in my mouth. Eating is pure misery. The "flippy"
parts in the forward part of my mouth pinch and poke with every bite. It's like food going thru an obstacle course. The food gets trapped in the upper further back part of the Forsus--lots of food--like a large portion of my bite of food. And then when I try to use my tongue to get it out, the "flippy" parts start pinching again. Pinching and pinching and pinching.
Brushing my teeth is the same as eating. It just plain hurts--a lot...I'm beginning to dread doing both.
This is the most down I have been in the last 11 months. I have actually pretty much really liked the uniqueness of having braces at my age. I have always felt that it made me more interesting. But I'm really beginning to wonder if I want to go through this anymore. Another year seems like 100 years with this thing in my mouth. I'm supposed to have the Forsus in for 6 months. That leaves about 5 months,1 week to go...all summer...it seems like forever.
I think about having it taken off...I seriously do. But I am not a quitter. I will ride this out if and until it causes a serious infection or something--but in the meantime--well, this is going to be one hell of a ride....or the ride from hell.
Maybe I need to buy 5 months worth of booze... I don't even drink.......
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Oh Klobird- sorry to hear about the forsus. your teeth look so nice, i cannot believe you have to have them for 5 more months.
sending you lots of strength from the southeast
sending you lots of strength from the southeast
Wore Top & Bottom traditional metal brackets, wore elastics both sides 24/7
Brace day: Oct 4 2011 / Sentence: 18 months - DONE in 16 months
My story + progress pix
Brace day: Oct 4 2011 / Sentence: 18 months - DONE in 16 months
My story + progress pix
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Lau--You don't even know how much I appreciate your empathy. It really means a lot...
I'm trying to take it a few days at a time and not get overwhelmed by the thought of how much longer it is...I just know I will be so proud of myself in the end--and the results will be worth it.
But going thru this is just not very cool....
Thanks again!
Oh, and thanks for the compliment on my teeth! That means a lot also!
I'm trying to take it a few days at a time and not get overwhelmed by the thought of how much longer it is...I just know I will be so proud of myself in the end--and the results will be worth it.
But going thru this is just not very cool....
Thanks again!
Oh, and thanks for the compliment on my teeth! That means a lot also!
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Hi Klobird,
I don't post a lot here, but I've really enjoyed following your story. You have such strength. Even when you are struggling, you dig down deep. You are always able to put a positive spin on things.
I'm wishing you well and sending some more strength your way.
TMJJill
I don't post a lot here, but I've really enjoyed following your story. You have such strength. Even when you are struggling, you dig down deep. You are always able to put a positive spin on things.
I'm wishing you well and sending some more strength your way.
TMJJill
Braces as Phase II treatment for TMJD.
Lower mandibular repositioning splint 26 months.
Lower braces on 10.75 months into Phase II treatment.
Duration in braces: 2 years, 2 weeks, 5 days
Removal of Braces: September 18, 2013
TMJD treatment now complete!
Re: OK--This was not the plan!
Agree with this one 110%TMJJill wrote:Hi Klobird,
I don't post a lot here, but I've really enjoyed following your story. You have such strength. Even when you are struggling, you dig down deep. You are always able to put a positive spin on things.
I'm wishing you well and sending some more strength your way.
TMJJill
You are amazing klobird, really.
[/url]