Can I do it?

[Mylovedtheeth]

You gonna be just fine. Your ortho is amazing man and he wants all the best. Its funny you are a dental assistant? and have so big dental fear. Its kinda tricky

[EbonyQ]

Plugnickel69: wow! Thank you so much for this post. It really gave me more motivation! Before I went to bed last night I decided that I would not try to sleep with my elastics, I have tried them on a few times and thought that was enough.
Well, after reading your post I got that little extra push that I needed and put them on before I went to bed.

I managed to sleep all night with them!! I don’t even think Eric would believe that I could do this so soon! I slept with elastics! (that sounds a bit wrong ).
So thank you so much for this post!

Jem: Thanks!

Mylovedtheeth:
Thanks! Yes, I work as a dental assistant. Today we had a kid with dental fear who wanted to speak with me together with his mom. It’ very strange how I can manage to work as a dental assistant with my phobia but I do without any problems.

[TMJJill]

Good work Ebony. Every step you've taken is a success. I'm amazed at how far you have come. You should be proud of that.

Hopefully, you will continue to have successes with your elastics.

I never actually asked my orthodontist about if I'd be wearing elastics or not when I was discussing my plan. It becomes a "surprise" when I have a visit where I get them or the configurations change. I do have one set from lower back molar to upper canines that I got during my first month that I'll have my full treatment. I only wear them at night to help hold my jaw in a forward position when sleeping since I couldn't wear my beloved sleep splint once I got braces. It took time to get used to, but eventually it does become second nature. I'm glad Eric is spending so much time visiting with you on your next steps. It is helping you face your issues head on. It is a challenge now... in your journey to that beautiful smile you always wanted.

[EbonyQ]

Things have started to happen! On my dental phobia appointment last Friday we worked on elastics and it went very well. She wanted me to have an appointment with Eric on Friday and then an appointment with her Monday after.

This will be a big appointment with Eric! I will either get power chain or steel ligature (figure 8 ligature as we call it) to tie my teeth together while the elastics works it’s magic. I can choose what I want to have of those two (power chains is no no, so figure 8 ligatures are what I have chosen).
I’m of course freaking out about it, you guys know me .

For you guys, just getting a small power chain or a steal ligature on an appointment, and nothing more must be a small appointment, but for me it’s a bit appointment. All I can think of is “wow, are we going to do that much?!! And this soon?! ”

The dentist treating me (who actually have a PhD in dental phobia, how cool is that?) had a long phone call with Eric this weekend, both to let him know about my treatment (what we have worked with and talked about) and to plan my appointment with Eric on Friday. I’m very glad about this.

Eric has done so much already that I have no problem with him knowing what happens on these dental phobia appointments. If he had been a regular ortho that I just went to adjustment to I would have been more skeptical to let him know too much about what happens in my phobia treatment (it would be embarrassing too) but this is an ortho who have spent so much time helping me. Appointments after appointments, working overtime, listing to my fears and worries, reading my 10000000000000000000000 e-mails (he wants me to send e-mail when I have questions or worries about the treatment, or in pain), taking it as slow as we can in order to give me the feeling of control and so on.

He had no problem using some of his time off to visit this dental phobia clinic to get advice and ideas in the beginning of my ortho treatment and now that I’m a pt at this deltal phobia clinic he don’t mind using his weekend discussing my treatment with the person treating me.

Eric promised me one of my first appointments that he would do he could to make this treatment as easy possible and help me with this fear so I could managed to do this treatment. And wow, he really has kept his promise 110%!

Sorry about the long post, I’m just a bit amazed about what Eric has done....

[Mylovedtheeth]

I'm happy everything go right direction for you. I'm now freak out about my power chain, I wanna cut this off.

[EbonyQ]

Thanks! I feel for you! Did they put it on the same day as you got your braces? If so, wow! We never put on power chains before their teeth have loosened up a bit but all orthos work differently. You might save some time if you can pull it through. You have managed this far with them on, the worst is over. If you take them off now you need to do it all over again next time

When I got my power chain I cut it myself but I got Damon. Do you need ligatures on your brackets?

[Mylovedtheeth]

I have different king of braces, some brackets are triangle but still need ligature. the worse pain is already gone but now I'm freaking out is to long and can cause some harm so I want to take power chain off by now. My ortho is on holiday, whats a pity, but I begged and I manage to have an appointment this Thursday with a dentist who is also otho assistant an she can put power chain off and install normal ligatures. So no more pressure till next adjustment

[EbonyQ]

For those of you who have been waiting for my updates for my «big» appointment with Eric: I did not have it today.

I think Eric forgot to give me an appointment after speaking to the dental phobia dentist (I need to give her a better name…) because when I called today to ask when it was Eric’s assistant could not find my name in their schedule. Eric said I could come 5.30 (they close at 5.00) which were ok by me, but I thought it was too late for Eric. He is working so much, when will he have a break? It’s Friday too and I’m often in there a hour (I’m not an easy pt). He wants to help and gives 110%, but he does not need to exhaust himself in the process.

I therefore called this dental phobia dentist to ask if I could move my appointment with her on Monday, so I did not need to have this late appointment with Eric today.

And then called Eric’s office again to let them now that I did not need to come in today, I could come on Monday when Eric had more time and did not need to work THAT late. He was very grateful for this.

And now that my anxiety is getting better I’m starting to see these things and can make it easier for Eric. He has done so much for me, so it’s about time I started to do my part.

[plugnickel69]

Ebony, you really are progressing with your anxiety and ability to handle this situation. I'm sure everyone is with me in wishing you well on Monday.

[Undecided]

Wow, Ebony - I've just read this entire blog. I've been glued to it all morning!

You are incredibly inspirational. And not only are you becoming stronger and overcoming your own fears, but you're giving all of the orthodontists/dentists/dental phobia workers who work with you much needed experience with phobic patients. They, in turn, can use this experience to help people in future years. This is in addition to you being able to draw on your own experience to help patients at your own clinic.

Yes, you'll have wonderful teeth at the end. Yes, you'll have a better way of dealing with your anxiety. But your sphere of influence goes way, way, beyond this.

Congratulations on the progress you've already made and good luck for the future!

[EbonyQ]

Plugnickel69: Thanks for the wishes! We will see what I can manage to do on Monday

Undecided: Thank you for your beautiful post. It really meant a lot to me. I do hope that I will be able to help others with dental fear one day

[jem]

Good luck on Monday, Eb.

Jem

[EbonyQ]

So I survived yet another appointment. Today Eric repeated a lot of what we had talked about in earlier appointments, to focus on the positive things, remember that I’m not other people (that the stories I hear is not me) and so on. “You remember we talked about this and that on that appointment, and this and that on that appointment”, he was very talkative today and wow does he remember well . How can he remember something we talked about almost a year ago?

Nothing of what he mentioned last time happened (why keep telling me things that does not happen?).
When he saw my bite he got a better idea (which I liked too). He would not close my gap with power chains or steel wire (figure 8 ) but with elastics (this will also reduce my overjet).
Got Quail (3/16) 2 oz to wear 24/7, which is fine by me. They are super small, I can hardly feel them at all.

He also did some bends in my old lower wire so we can start to reduce my humongous deep bite. Can’t feel anything at the moment so I don’t expect much soreness tomorrow, a little yes but not a “new wire” soreness.

New app. in three weeks. No idea what will happen on that one (maybe a good thing?)

Mylovedteeth: I told Eric your story and he was shocked! He had never heard about putting a power chain the same day you get your braces, and neither have I or my ortho boss. But all orthos work differently
How did your appointment go today?

[Mylovedtheeth]

I'm shocked your ortho was shocked is everything fine with my ortho? I would be concerned but he has a really good opinion and experience. There was some issue he done that. (I have to think that so to not go insane ) The reason could be I don't have really active wire cause artificial tooth installed at the wire and thats why twice banded - I wrote about that before - due to lower incisor extraction witch is visible.
power chain is only from canine to canine. I was really do my best but he said is everything fine with health of my teeth and the real problem is my fear of pain. He promise to slow down, there's no need to hurry but eventually add new power chain much lighter than before and with one extra eyelet but... I could feel some pain. However, he was able to make me calm and I think I could handle that. Also he told me I can call or came when am anxious or sth.

Or he is a cryptic sadist Poor me.

[EbonyQ]

After my adjustment on Monday I said that I did not expect any soreness, despite the sweep in the wire (he bent the wire so it will bring my front teeth down and my molars up), and I was right. I did not feel a thing, even though I had used the elastics 24/7 too.

Yesterday I felt a little brave at work and wanted to know how it felt to get ligatures. It seems so painful for me but this is because of what I have heard. When I got them on I could not feel anything at all, I did not feel any different between those two kinds of braces. I chose purple and forest green, and had them on when I went out to eat with a friend after work (they were the same color as what I was wearing, very cool). We removed them the next day, it was very nice to try. I wanted to know how it felt for our pt.

And today I felt even braver, first my boss had to fix my elastic hook because it had been digging so far into my lip that it looked like I had a golf ball buried in my lip (no kidding, it was so swollen). He had to push it further in towards my teeth and made the hook softer with the drill/handpiece. It made it much better. I then asked for POWERCHAIN between my two front teeth because a small gap had started to appear there. When I got it on and could feel the pressure I had some second thoughts but then the pressure went away and I could not feel it anymore.

Later that today I felt even braver and had to call Eric to ask if I could change my upper wire to a thicker one, which was fine by him. I then got it changed at work. It went very well.

I have to admit that I’m a bit proud today, we have done so much with my braces. Have been wearing my elastics 24/7 despite the swelling, have a thicker arch wire and a little tiny power chain on two teeth

Mylovedteeth: You don’t need to be worried. All orthos work differently, there is a million ways to do treatments. From what you write (despite the thing with power chain) he sounds like a nice ortho who cares about your anxiety. That is very good!