Starting my journey!

[NeilH]

Congratulations! After the delays I'm sure you are really pleased to get started. Love the metal brackets and colour choice, I had a very similar combination only recently. The first few days will feel a bit strange and you may be a bit sore but this soon goes away and believe me, you will forget you have them.

[kelly88]

I am so excited! I can't stop smiling at myself in the mirror. My orthodontist gave me a handy little mirror which I'm loving at the moment. I'm enjoying examining every little part of my braces

I'm feeling some... something in my lower teeth already. It's not exactly pain... The only way I can describe it is like the roots of my teeth itch? Haha. Sounds crazy but that's what it feels like. Like I want to pull them out and give them good scratch. They feel very tight too. Other than that though they're fine. I was expecting them to feel more bulky but they don't feel that bad.

I liked two greens I spotted. I might go with a green next time (first adjustment is on September 2nd).

I was so anxious this morning. I am really pleased to finally get started after the waits and set backs. After all this time I was sure something was going to go wrong today too. I actually checked my car didn't have a puncture a few times last night incase I couldn't get there and would need to get the train (I checked the train and bus times too. Nothing was stopping me this morning I was that desperate to get them on ).

[kelly88]

I just have to say that brushing my teeth was an experience.

I've put off brushing them all day but enough was enough, dinner wasn't budging from them. It took AGES. I had to use two different kinds of floss. I kept losing track of which teeth I had flossed and which I hadn't. Then my gums started bleeding quite badly (only this evening since getting my braces). It was difficult getting the floss between my teeth and painful. I brushed and brushed and felt like I hadn't brushed enough. Gah! What an ordeal. If I'm being honest I thought people were being dramatic but it DOES take a long time. Oh and I forgot to mention the mess. I had to change my t-shirt and wash my face, toothpaste everywhere!

Someone tell me this gets easier? My braces feel nice and clean now though. I feel like I'm ready for bed. I brushed my teeth at 7pm ready for bed at 11 because I couldn't face doing it before bed

[kelly88]

Well, after just one day I have caved. I've been back to my orthodontist this afternoon.

I woke up with a killer of a poking wire (didn't seem so bad yesterday). This thing was annoying. It was sticking right up in to my cheek and the skin kept catching on it. Ouch! I had to pull the skin away a couple of times. I said I wouldn't be a wimp, I'd stick it out but my next appointment seemed like so far away... I managed to get in this afternoon to see a different orthodontist and I'm glad I did because it feels a lot better. He cut the wire on both sides because he said both seemed a bit long. Yes! Kelly is happy again.

My teeth are quite tender today, especially the bottom ones. The top ones haven't hurt at all but the orthodontist I saw today touched one of my front ones (which is slightly wonky) and I realised that that one feels a bit sore now too. I can definitely feel it in my more wonky teeth! It still isn't really pain most of the time, it's more of that tingling, itchy sensation. Like I really want to BITE THINGS! The only time it does properly hurt is when I move my lower jaw forward. My lower teeth HURT then. I can feel it in my chin too (which I suddenly remembered from last time I had braces, I forgot about that!) Overall, though, I'm happy for now . Brushing my teeth wasn't such a hassle this morning (no more blood, yay). It took me a looooong time to eat breakfast but that's OK.

After I went to the orthodontists today I popped in to the shop next door to buy a sandwich for lunch. While waiting to pay I was eyeing up all the yummy looking chocolate. I've told myself that I won't have chocolate with braces on (I will allow a treat at Christmas and birthdays... let's see how long it is till I weaken ). I had convinced myself that the plain chocolate looked OK, I could suck it. Then I realised that the orthodontists assistant was in the queue behind me so I thought I wouldn't risk having her carry tales back to my orthodontist .

Kelly-1 Chocolate- O (for now).

I have been good and had a sandwich and a white coffee for lunch, no sugar

[roadmap9]

You did the right thing by going back to have the wire cut, Kelly. I toughed it out before but I bled and it was so uncomfortable... ended up putting wax over the wires. I shouldn't have been lazy to visit my ortho. No chocolate with braces on, whoa, that's a HUGE sacrifice.

[kelly88]

Ha! I'm a chocolate addict so I'm telling myself that no chocolate is going to be good for me. Let's give it a week though

[kelly88]

Also managed to get a clearer picture of my braces with the flash on my phone. I'm quite liking the blue today, I've changed my mind I think!

[kelly88]

The weekend has been a bit of a struggle. On Friday while eating my lunch the wire came out of the molar bracket at the back where that gap is. The wire is long there because it isn't attached to anything next to that tooth. It's flapping around, scratching my gum and poking into my cheek. Eating is a struggle, urgh. My orthodontist isn't in till Wednesday so I can't see anyone till then. It feels like forever till Wednesday.

The hook on that side is also rubbing my lip. I have the biggest canker sore there which has caused my lip to swell.

Not pleasant! I think when this sore has gone and the wire is fixed though I'll be feeling normal again!

[NeilH]

I had this quite often when I first started and found that I was able to reinsert the wire back into the final bracket if I gently bent it one way whilst positioning the end back into the tube. Once you get into thicker wires this problem goes away but it's frustrating at first. The rubbing becomes less of an issue as well, just stick with it for a little while longer.

[kelly88]

Yeah, that's what a few other people have told me too. The wire is really bendy so eating must have bent it and it popped out. Roll on getting a thicker wire (is that a normal thing to say? Haha).

[kelly88]

I went to get the wire fixed today. When my orthodontist walked in and saw my smile she immediately said "wow! Look at those teeth, they're straightening already! Can you see it?" I said that I can't see anything change really myself probably because I'm looking at them in the mirror all the time . I asked what she can see that's different and she said my lower, right teeth are rotating slightly already. I had a look in the mirror and she's right, they do look a bit different so that's exciting! I came out feeling pleased.

She popped the wire back in and put some power chain type thing over the coil in the gap. She said that will give the wire a bit more support until she puts a thicker wire in. I'm so happy to have the wire back where it should be and not poking my cheek.

I've also been really paranoid about my molar brackets coming off when I eat. I'm thinking about it all the time. I asked my orthodontist about it and she said they do often come off but it isn't a big deal, just to come back in and they'll put another one on. I'm not worried about any of my other brackets just the molar ones. I'm constantly feeling them and eating really gently, urgh!

Teeth are still quite tender especially my left upper canine. My molars have been quite sore the last couple of days too and I noticed that flossing around them is getting easier, I can get the floss in easier than before so something must be on the move around there!

I've had my braces for a week today! That's gone so fast. I hope the rest of my time in them goes quickly. I can't wait to get my new smile!

[kelly88]

It's been a while!

I will update properly with pics soon, I'm in a bit of a rush to get to my guitar lesson though so will make this short for now.

I had my second adjustment yesterday! I feel like my teeth are looking great. At first my molars wouldn't touch because of the bumpers on my lower teeth but they have been touching for a while now, a definite sign of improvement!

At the moment I have gaps everywhere, my orthodontist said to expect this to happen. They're very annoying though. There's a few spots where food gets stuck every single time I eat. I'm constantly making unattractive faces trying to get it out

My overbite is getting better. At my appointment yesterday when I got to bite down after she took the wires out and the bumpers off I could feel a massive difference. My orthodontist seems really impressed, I am too. It all feels so much better already.

Yesterday she added power chains to my upper teeth to start closing the gaps. OUCH. My teeth are really sore this morning. It took me ages to eat a piece of toast. My orthodontist only has clear powerchains too so I'm going to have to be careful with what I eat till my next appointment! Curry and coffee are my favourite things so can imagine what they're going to look like at my next appointment

The roof of my mouth feels sore today. Like... it's been scratched. It felt the same after my first adjustment too. Sort of like the skin is sore. My two front teeth are very sore as is my lower left impacted wisdom tooth?! Odd! Maybe from where my orthodontist pushed the wire into the back bracket yesterday, may have caused the molar next to it to push against my wisdom tooth.

I am so excited about my braces still! It's so fun seeing changes all the time.

I'll get the cheek retractors out and do a proper update soon!

[kelly88]

Here's a quick picture, I took it yesterday to send to a friend (as you do!) I like how fresh they look at the moment with the clear powerchain... I'm sure they won't be looking that way for long though Sorry about the skin, I've been having a reaction to toothpaste, trying to figure out what it is that's causing it!

[ItsFreyja]

Looking good! I love that your bite is opening up just from the straight wires.

[teeebeee]

Wow, you're really coming along! I wouldn't worry too much about staining the things...it will happen but it will pass. It's always nice when you get a clean, fresh one!

Don't worry too much about the 'new' gaps. I've always had big gaps but I now have smaller ones but some in a different place! So odd but, overall, it's all happening and that's the main thing.

Keep it up!

T xx