Angel269's Story

[Angel269]

I had my second "actual" (Have been in once or twice for a wire to be replaced or broken bracket) adjustment today.

I am still on a 0.016 wire and things are progressing nicely. I have gone from a powerchain across my two front teeth to across 4 on the front now My bite plate is doing nicely and everything seems to be on track.

I asked the dreaded question about timescale and it looks like 8 months in total, which takes me to late February On the plus side that means I am a quarter of the way through!!!

I go back in another month for another adjustment and he hopes that the gap should have practically gone by then I have a clear powerchain this time-no more rocket ice lolly (turned ligs yellow the other day!)

Enough of my rambling and here are some photos-


Today (at 2 months)




1 month-




Day 4 (day 1 never was never photographed!)-

[Dee17]

That is really some very good progress. You must be feeling very pleased about everything. I'm happy for you. I am going to see the orthodontist on Friday. Hope he gives me some good news. I was in to see my regular dentist on Monday. He told me that he has been doing some orthodontia and he could fix it for me but I think I'm going to opt for treatment by a licensed orthodontist. I trust my regular dentist. He's actually great and I've been seeing him for just over 25 years. But I just think that something like this should only be attended to by a licensed orthodontist. Any thoughts on that? I know he would charge me a LOT less than an orthodontist will.
I'm glad to know that you'll be finished in February. That must be like music to your ears! Yay!!!

[Angel269]

With the way things are going i'd be surprised if things did exceed Feb but fingers crossed I'm still hoping it may be Jan or so.

My ortho work is being carried out by a dentist admittedly but he has been carrying out ortho work for 30 years and has worked in the hospital with ortho work too and I have every confidence in his abilities. I trust him and despite me initially wanting to go with Clearstep (UK Invisalign) he explained that it would take twice as long and cost a considerable amount more than the fixed and through his expertise and discussions it made me feel that the fixed was a better choice for me. I also felt that he wasn't obsessed purely with taking as much money as he wanted-I felt if that was the case he would have kept pressuring me about the Clearstep. I am so pleased with the way my treatment has been progressing as well as the way I have been treated by him and his staff at the practice

[Dee17]

Well, that's very interesting to hear that your orthodontic work is being done by a regular dentist. I think that here (in Canada) it's kind of unusual for this to occur. Just my sense of things but I don't really know if that's the case or not. So, I was kind of surprised when my regular dentist told me that he could do this work for me. I will have to do a lot of considering and thinking about it all before I end up making a decision.
Has your orthodontist told you why he thinks your treatment is progressing so nicely? I'm sure you probably don't care, you're probably just really happening that things are going the way they are. I'm just curious. I hope my treatment will progress as nices as your has.

[jem]

Looking really good Angel. You must be thrilled to be making such good progress.

Jem

[Angel269]

Thanks for all the positive comments

I feel on a down about them to a degree-not the feel of them or pain but just by me doing something to make me happier is causing problems. Everytime the subject of money comes up or especially about my father (my sister does not talk to him) she brings up the subject of my teeth claiming that he paid for me to have these braces. I have told her that he hasn't and that my savings had (showed receipt of money going in and out of my account!) and she still does not believe me! I just think she cannot understand why I am doing this or why I would with my own money (as I never put myself first)-She just does not know how conscious my teeth make me feel when it's meeting new people, out in the street, reluctance for photographs etc and the fact that I was now prepared to do it after getting over my extreme dental phobia about 3 years ago (I think that she thinks because I'm a S.A.H.M that I should be using money for my son etc and not on me) It's alright for her, her diastema closed itself as a teen and she is always doing this big teeth showing grins! (combined with the fact she never had an extreme dental phobia!)

To make this worse she says all these things as a weapon or her only card to play when she gets in a mood with me. It just seems so petty and childish considering she is 23 (only 16 months younger than me!)

Rant over-I just needed to get that off my chest as her comments are getting to me

[Dee17]

Hi,
I think it's really difficult whenever someone is making a judgement about you whether it is founded or not. I think it's always best to just keep your own counsel. You know why this was a good decision for you and no one needs to give their approval. Just carry on with what you're doing and pay as little attention to her as possible. She'll eventually get the message. And if she doesn't, if she can see that you're not going to play the game maybe she'll get bored with it and eventually leave you alone. It's hard though when your family isn't supportive of something you're doing. Just try to remember your primary objectives and tune all the rest of the "noise" out.

[Angel269]

Thanks for the post Dee.

My husband is very supportive-He looks after little one and schedules his lunch break to tie in with my appointments and is understanding as he has been through this (admittedly he was about 15 at the time!). He is also the only one who knows about the bite plate too (take it out if phone rings in the evening).

My in laws and brother in law are very understanding, especially as my mother in law was about 26 when she had hers (mainly ref cleft) but they know all about this sort of thing and know how generally shy and self conscious/low self esteem I have.

[kellyb]

Angel, it's looking amazing! Wow!

[Dee17]

I'm glad to know that you have a few people on your side. That's so important. Hang in there, girl!

[Mitch11]

Angel,
You are really showing some movement. I think your teeth look great and am sure you are heading for a superb smile. It will definitely be worth all the pain and grief.

Hang in there!

[Angel269]

Aww thanks Mitch11

I'm hoping that I get a stronger powerchain or something, my diastema seems to be closing slowly now I really want to see it gone pretty soon now-Hopefully for my birthday (beginning of Nov) I am hoping it would have closed. I know that these things are on until say end of Feb but I am happy to smile with straight looking teeth even with these ceramics on because you can't really see them

[Dee17]

You should definitely ask your orthodontist why your progress seems to have slowed.
I am still wrestling with when to get my braces put on. I have another consultation with a second orthodontist scheduled for Friday. I still think I need to wait until February so I can save up some money but I am really struggling with the terrible way my teeth look and the way I sound. I sound just dreadful and don't look much better!

[Angel269]

Hi Dee

Good luck for your second appointment.

It probably hasn't slowed-I'm just looking daily as opposed to my monthly photos and I am just waiting for my diastema to close. As the saying goes "A watched pot never boils", I just can't stop looking and waiting for the day to see it has gone.

I never had many real cruel comments about my awful teeth but I remember one boy when I was in my first year at senior school saying you could fit a pound coin in there-I never tried to think about it but deep down it hurt.

Now looking back at my first picture on here I am cringing more and more at what I see and wonder whether I should have been forced into this as a teen, when it was free on NHS for me. Then I look and think with my phobia that would have never happened and I probably would have had a major relapse by now, as retention was never seen as long term and bonded retainers were never really used.

Getting there-Nearly 2 and a half months into about 8....

[Dee17]

Hi Angel,
I certainly know what you mean about checking daily. Since this problem has started for me, I find myself looking in the mirror several times a day even though I definitely hate what I see.
I had a meeting today with a social worker I've been seeing for about two years now. I was talking about my quandary about hemming and hawing about when I was going to get my brackets put on. Basically, he said to me, "It sounds like you've already made up your mind to go ahead and get the braces, why are you insisting on prolonging the agony for yourself? Just go ahead and get them put on now. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish."
After thinking about it, I've decided that he really is right and I'm going to go ahead and get them put on probably by the middle of October. I've had another long look at my budget and I know I can afford it (I have two tenants who live in my basement and I can use the rent money they pay me). So, I think all the dilly-dallying I was doing was just me trying to postpone the inevitable.
As for you and you wondering if you'd have been better off to have your teeth fixed when the NHS would have paid for it, that's certainly one way to look at it. But, the past is over and done with and no wondering about it will change what happened. Best for you to think that you are taking steps NOW to make a positive change in your life.
And regarding that kid who made that snarky comment? Shame on him. I once read somewhere that the height of rudeness is to comment on something that a person has no control over and can not possibly change right away. So, it's okay to say to someone, "You have spinach in your teeth." It's NOT okay to say to someone "You have ugly teeth." 'Nuff said! So, I'm going to try and post my picture again and see if it works this time. Got the same message, "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached." So, I guess I can't put it up. I could send it to you by email if you want. If you, let me know your email address.