Carriere, Lingual Arch, Ceramic Braces at 58

[Bracesat57]

Great news! You must be so excited! Congrats!

[KayKay]

Thanks! I'm super excited.

However, the excitement is dulled slightly as this adjustment has been a challenge because of the elastics. I now have a new pattern of elastics and they are rubbing a sore into my inner cheek. I called the office and they wanted to see if they could make an adjustment so I don't have a constant cut in my inner cheek - and I was changed from a classic 2 elastic pattern to a box but with a similar pattern. Lower: molar 2 and second premolar - and upper: canine and first premolar. This helps some - as I don't have 2 strips of elastic taunt against my cheek - it is divided up. Helps SOME but I'm still in pain.

I backed down in strength of elastics - atleast for a while. I'll go back up to the smaller, stronger elastics as soon as my cheek caluses.

[LisainTX]

Hey Kay Kay! Where are you? I am 56 and just got braces in Feb 2016 so I am reading your story here with great interest. (I'm a Texan too)
Summer is nearing and I am very curious as to your progress!

[KayKay]

Hi Lisa! Its nice to meet you! I'm almost done. I have one last adjustment appointment in June and then debracing mid July! I'm super excited. My elastics have been a bummer to wear again after a 3 month break but they seem to be doing their magic - my bite is FINALLY feeling good.

How are you doing?

[KayKay]

Since my last report, I've had a few changes. My elastics, after 3 weeks, caused a jaw ache so those were stopped during a quick, "lets see what's happening" emergency appointment.

Today, at my regularly scheduled appointment big things happened. My front bottom tooth #1 was still not lining up. It has been a challenge for me because that bracket has seemed to poke out more and dig into my inner lip - so that at night I had been wearing a roll of wax beneath it, to poke out my lip so it won't rub. Turns out there was a reason it was bugging me AND not quite aligning with the rest of the teeth. The bracket was the wrong size. It was not a big difference but just enough to keep the alignment wrong and annoy my lip.

Today - they carefully took a look to figure out why the tooth wasn't aligning and Lo and Behold - Ah ha! The bracket was wrong! So it was removed and a new smaller one was put on. After the wire was put back in place - they took another look. Alignment! Just like that!

And so, I'm sore from that....but a good sore since I'm on the final lap.

He took off the bite ramps completely. Another Woohoo! I can chew! My bite feels AWESOME!

He shaped the pointy edge of one of my front bottom teeth (he hadn't wanted to touch those until that tooth lined up....and wah-la!).

And now, 5 weeks and 4 days, I get my braces de-bonded.

[SinkFullOfDinner]

Nice! Now that's the kind of appointment we can all hope for!

[Bracesat57]

Great appointment. You must be so excited!

Can't wait to see your final result picture.

[KayKay]

I'm posting my last post before my debonding in 18 days! Super excited!

My front center BOTTOM tooth had made big progress but was still not able to move into place because of its width. I ran in early to the ortho's office and they disked (?) the sides on the front bottom teeth, he slightly adjusted my wire and it was put back in with wire ties all along the bottom. I'm sore this evening - but already the tooth is now completely aligned and will be ready in 18 days for debonding. He will bond the lower retainer in place - atleast for now to continue to allow those teeth to stabilize. I'll get a top retainer but I'm not sure what kind.

At the debonding, my teeth will be shaped. So please ignore the jagged edges of the tops of the teeth -

Stay tuned - I'm working on uploading current photos.

[KayKay]

My images -

[KayKay]

inside

[KayKay]

The photos are not a good quality as I'm using my iPhone. Mostly for my own benefit - to show off the straightened effect. The color doesn't seem as bad as the photos indicate - hoping that's the case but I do plan on whitening after the shaping heals up!

Edited to add: I meant to mention: I've got 7 bands on my teeth. I started with a lingual arch so I had 2 lower bands with the extra thickness as they sustained the lingual arch in the first 8 months of treatment. Upper had just 1 band because my first molar on one side (my chewing side) is a crown - and brackets don't stick well to those.

Then - all 4 second molars were banded because they were moving on their own and not quite aligning with the rest of my arch. So my mouth is full of 7 bands - and boy will I be ready to get those off!


18 days.....

[Bracesat57]

Looks great KayKay! Good luck with your debonding! Can't wait to see pictures!
What kind of retainers will you be getting?

[KayKay]

Thanks! I have no idea other than a bonded lower retainer and some kind of upper. I didn't ask! I'll know more in 16 days!

[KayKay]

First, they added my permanent lower retainer.

Then.....They took the braces off...but it was not an easy morning. The brackets didn't want to let go - and they were painful to remove. I bit on a wad of cotton - hard while each bracket was chilled and then snapped off. The last bracket - the one on the most traumatized tooth was cut off rather than snapped off because of the level of pain. Yes, I had tears streaming out of my eyes and into my ears throughout the ordeal.

Then was a bit of shaping and polishing - and they look great but feel WEIRD. Like I have someone else's teeth in my mouth.

An impression was taken of the top - and I managed through that - and I'll go back on Tuesday for a bit more shaping, more polishing - and my retainer pick up.

I'll add a photo now and later too - of the final polish. My smile is crooked....tried several times not to be crooked but had a hard time.

[TheProfessor]

Congratulations! Your smile is beautiful!!!