Starfish's braces

[klobird]

Star--I am so sorry you are having such a hard time. I assure you--it gets so much easier, and the pain will go away. Then the only time you should be hurting is after an adjustment--if even then. (More in the beginning).

Your teeth started moving the minute you got the braces on. That's wonderful and comforting to me.

And pretty soon you will be eating Tacos, and pizza and pretty much everything else. I know a lot of people eat popcorn, but the hulls can cause really bad problems if they get in under the gum while in braces.

Your overjet looks like mine did in the beginning. In about 4 months the overjet when from 10mm to 4mm. I don't know where it's at now, but it's not even something I think about anymore! Your teeth are an amazing porcelain white, and when you're done no one's going to know you had braces--just that you have AMAZING straight beautiful white teeth. And ya, a lot of us are jealous!

[starfish88]

Thank you so much..I really needed that. The braces literally started hurting in the chair which surprised me and although they have gotten better it still really hurts (I think I angered them by flossing!) I was dissapointed I didn't get elastics at my first appointment but now I'm so glad I have a little while to get used to just the braces. I think I'll be happy with the initial movement anyway. You are right i should think of it as immediate movement instead of immediate pain!

I don't think I'll miss too much on the no eats list. I'm veggie so meat is out anyway and I'm not a fan of gum and hard sweets anyway. I miss reagular food though. Its been 18 days since I could eat freely and I miss it. Just toast would be nice. Still thinking of the end result. I might print out a picture of nice teeth and keep it in my purse with all my tooth stuff just to remind me! Been cleaning to distract myself from the pain. Only problem is I've been doing that a lot and had to shampoo the carpets twice and wash the comforters and pillows (the middle bits not just the covers) just to have something to do!

Hope you are feeling better after your oral surgery. Are you still on the ice cream and soup phase?

[klobird]

Lol Star--no--I'm eating a refrigerated K*t K*t candy bar right now! I'm being pretty cautious--the thought of dry socket scares me. I feel like if it's going to occur with anyone, I'm at the top of the list--just by the way things have been going lately!

Are you taking anti-inflammatories or acetomenophen? Either one does a pretty good job of knocking out the pain.

Wow--I wish you lived by me! I keep my house clean, but wow, come on over!!

Also--when you start seeing the changes in the alignment and overjet, you'll be all in. And it doesn't take very long!

[NICURN85]

Hey Star!! I hope everything gets better with you soon. It is so nice to have this board to come to and vent. I know I will be venting a lot on here soon as I as nearing my time to start my treatment. I actually get my brackets and spacers on the 12th and go back in on the 19th for the wires and bands.

Klo- I really hope you so not develop a DRY SOCKET!! I had a molar removed almost a month ago and ended up with a dry socket. The pain was so bad I missed two days of work and I had to go back in for them to pack it with this medication. As soon as the packing went in it was immediate relief and the packing actually stayed in for 2 weeks and I had to go back to let my dentist take it out because I was scared my gum was going to grow over it. I am hoping I DO NOT have to have any teeth extracted for braces because I DO NOT want to deal with one of those again. I hope you are healing well and do not develop one.

[starfish88]

Just another big worry I'm having now...I was peering really close at my lateral thats moving really quite well but I noticed some white spots on it! I'm really scared now, I've not even had braces for 3 full days yet and I have been brushing really carefully 5 times a day, using toothmousse and that was the tooth I actually did manage to floss! Any advice?

Other than that I'm feeling a bit better today. The pain is mostly around my front teeth and my molars feel less sore, maybe I'll be able to chew today. I was told not to take ibruprofen as it might slow my teeth down (I think I've heard someone else mention that too) so I took paracetamol (acetomenophen?) with codein that I had from my wisdom teeth. It didn't really touch the pain the first day so I guess I gave up on it and have been battling through without. I'll go buy some regular paracetamol later as I don't like taking codein and that might help a bit now the pain is a bit less anyway.

Klo - dry sockets usually occur in the first 3-5 days or so you should be pretty safe now. Enjoy your candy! Did you have elastics from the start? My bite feels off even though I don't have elastics...could my overjet already be reducing just through teeth movement?

[starfish88]

Managed a veggie lasagne and managed to chew a few mouthfuls on my last molars! As long as I just used the last molars it didn't hurt and the teeth infront ached a bit but its getting better! It was still easier to just squish it with my tongue and swallow though especially as when I chew food goes everywhere in my braces...yuck! And since my wisdom teeth extraction sites are mostly but not 100% healed (feel a bit 'soft') and I don't want food getting trapped in them. Still I can chew when I have to! Taken some more paracetamol and the pain is gone unless I touch my teeth (and then they just ache) And when I'm not hungry I'm a lot more cheery!

Some of these teeth are getting quite loose though! I think because I noticed some movement after my wisdom teeth came out before I was braced as they naturally relaxed from being squished together that once the braces went on they really got moving quick. I'm really glad I have the braces to hold my teeth in at the moment! And my lateral has moved even more although I'm still a bit concerned by the white spots...wondering what the hell they are.

[Bionicbigmouth]

WELL DONE!!!

So glad that you managed to eat with less pain! The only way is up!

Apart from the eating, how is the pain going now?

[NICURN85]

Goooooooooooo Star!!!! I am so glad you are able to eat now. I know you must be so excited about that besides the food going everywhere when you eat.

[starfish88]

Thanks guys, Its great to have the encouracement. Still feeling better and better, getting used to the braces. I think my big fear was that because I'm going on holiday with my family in a few days the braces would ruin it. So while the pain was bad the fear was worse. Neither matters now, I feel a million times better. Don't need painkillers, even managed to use my electric toothbrush again. Even booked a haircut as a treat!

Also at work another little girl noticed my braces and said she liked them and told me her brothers who are 9 have braces. Its had to explain to kids why I have to do this at nearly 3 times their age, braces seem so normal now, all the kids on the train I catch either have them or have teeth so nice its obvious they have in the past. I have turned into a right braces perve checking out everyones braces! on the plus side a parent of one of the kids at work was really impressed by my braces and is thinking of getting them herself. Its fun to convert people to orthodontia!

Still havn't got to grips with flossing. The pain is much less but I'm so badly coordinated. I'm probbaly going to rely on my waterpik a bit at the start (which comes tomorrow! yay). But what do people think about flossfish? Are they worth ordering? Have to see if they'll ship to Australia too.

[NICURN85]

Hey Star! How long did it take for your Waterpik to come? I am getting my brackets and spacers on the 12th and was wondering when would be a good time to order it? I am getting so excited/nervous am hoping no teeth will need to be extracted. I will find that out also on the 12th because my consult is before everything goes in my mouth. I am enjoying myself this week by trying to eat all I can as I know my life will change on next Thursday!

[klobird]

Hey Star--ya, I bought the FlossFish. I can't remember why, but I didn't like them. I think because I had gotten so good at the Glide Threader Floss, that it was harder to use the FlossFish than the Glide. It works well for some people.

I know what you mean about teeth moving and going crazy! Since I got those teeth extracted and went back to elastics (yes, I have had them since the beginning--except for the interrupted time in the Forsus)--my teeth are everywhere. I do not have a bite that I can find right now. That is a most excellent thing!! It means I am back on track again!

So ya, when you're teeth are moving it's crazy and all kinds of weird things happen.
The white spots--I would call your ortho about them if you're not seeing them for a while. If it were me, I would want to know, and I think it's probably an easy question for them to answer.

[starfish88]

Nicurn: I ordered my watrepik to the uk and my sister is bringing it to me in Australia as the postage was cheaper that way. I think it took less than a week to get to her though.

Klo: Its amazing how quickly your teeth are moving again! Yay. Have you got used to the teeth moving feeling? Right now the looseness is really disconcerting for me! I can't feel a 'wiggle' but when my tongue moves against them they feel slightly loose. Please tell me it doesn't get worse than that! Also the whitespot went away so I'm guessing it wasn't demineralzation. Maybe my mouth was dry that morning (apparently that makes it easier to see the different coulours naturally in enamal and I know I do have some flouride marks too but i'm not sure where there meant to be), or my boyfriends theory it was some dried on toothmousse! oops...could even meen a bit of dry skin that got stuck on from my lips because they are really shredded right now.

My next appointment is only 4 weeks away (no wire change just to see how I'm getting on) and i'll probably ask then.

[klobird]

Hey Star--Actually this is the longest period of time that my teeth have been sore from moving. It's irritating after a while so I've been taking Tylenol (acetomenephin).
To me, it doesn't get any more exciting! I keep looking at my teeth to see what's happening. Not sure yet! And I know for sure I need the molar buildups. The bands in back on the top and bottom are banging into each other and the added pressure on those teeth is a little uncomfortable. I'm getting the molar buildups at the end of July.
Never thought I'd want them!!

I have read many times on Archwired about people having loose teeth--that's a really good sign too! From what I've read, they can get alarmingly loose, but it doesn't last long and the braces aren't letting those teeth come out or anything. No worries, OK?

[starfish88]

Klo - why can't I go back to being a horrible little child who finds wobbly teeth exciting! I used to love grossing out squeamish adults. (I think a dental phobia maybe karma in my case!). So glad I work with the under 5s, wobbly teeth make me feel sick now. Glad you are excited about the molar build ups. I know what you mean about bumping the teeth. I did it the other day on a spoon and nearly fell off my chair in agony! I never realised there was a 'more careful' way to eat soup! Plus if you are having trouble findidng a bite at the moment anyway the molar buildups probaby wont make eating much harder!

I tried flossing again last night. My last tooth (on each quadrant) doesn't have a bracket so I managed to floss both sides of that one but then when I tried moving on to the next tooth my floss got all shredded by the bracket. So annoying. Excited to try out my waterpik. Hopefully that will serve the purpose until I get this flossing thing all figured out! Its so annoying because I only learnt to floss properly in April. I used to try but would have panic attacks and once nearly fell down the stairs from one so my dentist said I would probably lose more teeth falling down the stairs than not flossing and sort of let me off!. I finally get the knack (moved to an apartment so can't fall down any stairs) and now its hard again! Right now I want to punch my boyfriend who has never flossed in 25 years and gets perfect gum scores! AHe told me that when he and all his friends had braces they never flossed and brushed once a day (aren't teenage boys gross) and none of them got cavities. Just hoping I too have superman teeth!

[klobird]

OK--it took me a long time to take this advice and when I finally did, I kicked myself for not following the advice sooner....

If you are using Oral-B Superfloss, it will shred and it is sooooo much harder to get under the archwire. The threader part is too weak, and makes it sooo difficult. Try instead Glide Threader Floss. The threader part is stiffer, and there is very little shredding. It does cost more, but worth every penny!!!!!