BraceFace2o1o's Story

[BraceFace2o1o]

Cool, thanks for sharing
Hopefully that soreness doesn't last too long and you can enjoy eating again!

No problem drgnchsr36 . I know what would be really good, if I could buy something that would numb my mouth

Hi Chrystal -

I'm so surprised you have to have a quad helix. I've heard that it's awful. I guess just looking at your teeth, the problems seem very mild, but I'm not a doctor. Anyway, I don't mean to scare you or anything. It just seems like you are getting more torture than you signed on for. I'm not sure how your bite is getting fixed. I'm supposed to get elastics sometime soon, but my overbite is a lot deeper than yours and I guess I'm worried now that it will be harder to fix than I thought. Anyway, keep us updated.

Hi sadpanda,

Yeah it sucks and I was shocked when he said it would be fitted at my next appointment in March. I believe he want's to tip some teeth in my upper arch, because before braces my premolars were tipping inwards towards the palate (and still are slightly, but can only be seen from the side/front). I've read many times that expanders don't actually expand in adults, they just tip teeth... so I guess if tipping is what I need then I don't mind. But if not, then

My Ortho said at the first part of the consult I would need upper and lower braces and elastics. Then at the 2nd part of the consult he said an expander. I can definitely say when I went for my 2 consults with the 2 Orthos, I really didn't think I needed much correcting. I was totally unaware that I had a bite problem and just thought I simply needed my crooked teeth aligning. Even though I'm going to be going through quite a bit during my Orthodontic journey, I am glad that my Ortho is working to fix my issues, unlike the first Ortho who didn't even want to fix my bite problem and would only fit an upper brace, telling me not to worry about my lowers as most people don't show them anyway .

I also don't really know exactly how my Ortho plans to fix my overbite. He talks to me about my treatment, but doesn't get technical. From reading the boards, I think that overbites/deep bites are corrected by extruding back teeth or intruding front teeth and elastics, but I could be wrong.

[BraceFace2o1o]

I am going to have to give my lower braces a BIG at the moment. They're definitely worse than when my uppers were fitted.

The front 4 brackets are really rubbing on the inside of the lower part of my lower lip so I put some wax on them the other night (the first time I've ever had to use wax). It must have came loose a few hours later while I was having a drink and it got stuck at the back of my throat, there I was freaking out thinking I was going to choke lol.

Pokey wires, wow... I HATE those. My left side is worse, I actually think the wire is starting to embed itself in the flesh at the back of my mouth! I would put some wax back there, but how on earth am I meant to do that? there is literally no room to get a blob of wax + my finger behind the wire. If I even try to attempt to get my finger back there, as soon as my finger touches the fleshy bit that the archwire is poking it's rather painful. The right side isn't as bad, but isn't totally free... On the right side when I close my mouth my inner cheek gets caught between the lower last bracket and upper teeth. I must have been asleep like that lastnight, because when I woke up this morning it was extremely painful and when I looked in the mirror the inner cheek looks a little swollen and has an indentation of the shape of a bracket. I keep pinching my cheek (like your gran would) and pulling it out, to stop my inner cheek getting trapped when I close my bite

The joys of braces huh? I got nice and comfy with my upper braces, could almost forget I had them until it came to brushing and flossing, but now I feel like I am having a nightmare and the thing is, most of my 'issues' right now are because I now have brackets on the very back teeth. I'm sure in a few weeks I'll look back at this and wonder what all the fuss was, but right now having braces is driving me nuts. I just keep thinking of the outcome and reminding myself it wont be forever.

[drgnchsr36]

Can you get your ortho to clip your wire so it doesn't poke you anymore?

I'm impressed that you didn't need wax at all for your uppers!!! I had to use wax for about a week. I'm a bit worried now about getting my lowers on.. but I think with all things braces - it'll just take some time to adjust.

[sadpanda]

I'm over 6 months in, and I still use a lot of wax, well, silicone wax. I like it better because it stays on better and you can take a strip and stretch it across many brackets without it breaking. Anyway, for some reason, my braces are always poking at the inside of my cheeks and lips and I never got used to them. The places where I need to put the silicone change week to week, but I'm always having a problem. Hopefully, you won't need it for a long time. I guess the pain from the poking and rubbing is what I have to deal with to make up for the fact that my teeth rarely feel sore, even after adjustments.

[BraceFace2o1o]

drgnchsr36 - I'm definitely going to see if he can clip the wire, because right now I am in agony . The fleshy bits that the wires are poking in have become slightly swollen. I will call them next week to see if they can clip the wires, also to mention my front tooth is hitting on the lower brackets again. The front 4 brackets aren't bothering me as much today... I think the first few days were the worst for my uppers too.

sadpanda - The silicone wax sounds good! I have some somewhere so I'll find it out and give it a try. The wax I swallowed the other day was just the 'normal wax'.

Oh man the pokey wires are really bad (either that or I am being a baby), it's making my inner cheeks/flesh swell slightly and is red raw. Both sides are doing it now and after looking in the mirror, the wires are slightly embedding into my flesh ouch... I so hate having my 2nd molars hooked up... I hope he doesn't do the same to my upper 2nd molars too

[BraceFace2o1o]

So in my previos post I talked about how my upper front tooth was hitting on the lower bracket after my lower braces were fitted. Well, I phoned up my Ortho the other day to get it checked and my appointment was this morning. My Ortho removed my 4 lower front brackets and repositioned them (two of the teeth were extra sensitive and it didn't feel too pleasant). I guess he repositioned the bracket that my upper tooth kept hitting a fraction lower than before, and guess what? while I was there I checked multiple times before I left to make sure it had done the trick, but about an hour after leaving it's started touching the lower bracket again, but only very slightly... it's rather frustrating and I think I'm just going to leave it now and hope I wont cause any damage to my upper tooth.

While I was in there he asked me if could spare time for a longer appointment and I said yes. He said he wanted to do some other adjustments and get things in motion quicker. Basically, he did everything today that he would have done at my proper adjustment appointment that would have been on the 16th March! So today I had 4 brackets repositioned, 2 brackets/buttons put on the inner side of two lower teeth (2nd premolars for elastics), my expander was fitted and I now have elastics too, the elastics are to move (pull out, I think) my lower 2nd premolars because they are tipped in, especially my right one.

The expander sucks and I am now lisping terribly . The elastics are also messing up my speech, because when I removed them earlier to eat my speech improved a little. One elastic broke a couple of hours after leaving the Ortho, not sure what happened there. I was told to wear them all day and night, apart from when I eat and brush/floss. My Ortho showed me which tooth to attach them to and asked me if I wanted to 'practice' how to put them on before I left, but by then I'd had enough and said I should be ok to do it. Well, lol that wasn't the case when I got home and tried to replace the broken one. It's rather fiddly but think I've managed to find a technique already.

My appointment for the 16th March has been changed, he wants to see me again in 3 weeks instead.

[drgnchsr36]

Wow, sounds like you got a lot done with this appt. Possibly it'll speed things up and have a shorter sentence?

Lookin' forward to hearing how the elastics go...

[sadpanda]

looking forward to any photos you might have of everything

[BraceFace2o1o]

Grr I just typed out my reply and went to post then my Internet Explorer crashed! SO ANNOYING.

Wow, sounds like you got a lot done with this appt. Possibly it'll speed things up and have a shorter sentence?

I started to wish I hadn't gone in to get my bracket checked, I certainly didn't expect to leave there with all the equipment I should have had installed 4 weeks later. My Ortho did make a joke and said my treatment time would be 1 month less now, not sure if that will be the case though

Lookin' forward to hearing how the elastics go...

The elastics aren't bothering me much, I don't think they're the big daddy ones. They are 'Otters' so not sure on the strength. They are really messing with my speech though ... when I take them out to eat my speech improves quite a bit, I still lisp with them out though because of the quad helix . I also have an imprint of my quad helix wire on my tongue, it was so red raw the other day and sore, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

looking forward to any photos you might have of everything

Here is a photo of my quad helix and you can just about see my elastics too. I took this photo on the same day it was all fitted, with the camera on my phone so sorry for the poor quality

[BraceFace2o1o]

Well flossing is still a nightmare with the quad helix. I am literally threading over the archwire then under the quad helix wire, for each tooth... and it takes ages. But, it's got to be done, I just can't go without flossing. I am hoping when I see my Ortho in just under 2 weeks that he says the quad helix wont have to be in for any more than 2 months.

I still haven't quite mastered flossing every lower tooth, once I get to my 2nd premolars I struggle... I just can't fit that much hand/fingers in my mouth to do it properly. Before the lower brackets on the 2nd molars were put on, I would use floss on a stick for the very last tooth on each side, but I can't now because every lower tooth is wired up, so I am struggling quite a bit to floss between the 1st and 2nd molar . How the hell am I meant to get that far back? it almost feels impossible.

My uppers are sore again. They were sore for the first couple of weeks after they were put on, then I didn't experience much discomfort for quite a few weeks... I put that down to just lig changes and no new wires. Then when my quad helix was fitted I had some discomfort in my 1st upper molars, that went after about 3 days. Now pretty much all my uppers feel sore when eating and brushing.

The elastics really mess with my speech, it's so annoying. I have to change my elastics every 2 days, doesn't seem much? hmm I dunno. My Ortho did say I could change them sooner if they felt 'loose'. I don't eat with them in, tried that and they just come loose and I end up chewing/swallowing them, so not cool. I would say I am keeping them in about 22.5 - 23 hours a day. The left lower tooth one of the elastics is attached to feels a bit loose and it's quite frightening! , but I haven't noticed this on the opposite side though... I think that tooth is going to be stubborn since it's so squashed by the teeth either side.

I am noticing plaque that was once hidden as my teeth move, which sucks. I am going to try and book another clean soon... the plaque I've newly discovered is making me feel as if my mouth is unclean (I'm noticing it mainly on my lowers).

Lowers have moved a bit in my first 2 weeks - I'll upload pics when I get time to take some

[Metal lisa]

Today is my day one..and like you ladies, I sought support online, and found you! Two days before I got braced, I had my hair one..just a trim, but then a few foils, ect...and yes, I hate it..but, it's healthier. My mouth, with braces on bottom, inivasalign tabs, on top..wow, I think I thought if my hair looked good then there would be compensation for my mouth. Now to enhance the eyes! And dress up a bit I think. For me, being 41, it feels like I'm grasping at straws to get back the looks I had as a younger woman. I know this isnt true, and anyone who meets me is amazed that I have a 20 year old son. I think with the eating restrictions, I may get back into my size 8 jeans that stopped fitting last year. A work in progress, that's what I am.
How about kissing and intimacy?

[BraceFace2o1o]

Getting better at flossing the lowers , still not 100% though... I am able to do right up to the 1st premolars pretty easly, it's just the teeth further back are still difficult for me. The floss gets more wet when I floss the lowers too, which makes things more difficult.

I'm kinda used to my quad helix now, doesn't really bother me when I eat (yes, food does still get stuck up there - but I just poke around with my tongue before swallowing). I'm managing to floss the uppers but like I said in my previous post, it takes ages with all the threading - the floss threaders I bought from eBay have come in extremely handy.

What's bothering me most at the moment? 2 things. First, the quad helix is making my tongue really sore. My Ortho said I'd probably be in quite a bit of discomfort in the first week of it being fitted, but I really wasn't so I thought woop I had gotten away with it, but it got me in week 2 instead! When I wake up in the morning my poor tongue is soooo painful as it's been suctioned to the quad helix all night and then I have this really deep indentation from the quad helix printed into my tongue in the mornings, after I get up and drink some water it feels better though. Second, the lower 4 front brackets really seem to embed themselves into my lower lip while I am asleep. I wake up and literally have to peel my lower (inside) lip away from the brackets and I'll have white bumps, sometimes even blood spots on the inner lip. I HAVE tried wax, but because I have to use a bit of pressure to apply it my lower teeth get really sore - so I've been put off using it . I am thinking of buying one of these: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Guard-Lip-Cheek-P ... 33656b3eff yeah expensive. I did find it cheaper on an Ortho website but the minimum spend is £5 and with P+P comes to over £9 so might as well just buy it from eBay.

I also noticed the other week that a wire tie came off so one of my lower brackets isn't attached to the archwire, I have no idea how long it had actually been like that... for all I know it could have come off a few days after the lowers were fitted. I phoned to ask about it and they said it would be ok to wait until my next appointment to get it looked at (this Thursday)... kind of a bummer if the bracket hasn't been attached to the archwire for the past 4 weeks! *sigh*.

I'm going to take some pictures this Weds/Thurs as it will be 4 months since the uppers were fitted and 4 weeks since the lowers.

Hi Metal Lisa - I agree this is a great site for support. I have learnt alot in my time being on here.

I didn't like the hair cut I got just after my braces were fitted and I haven't had it done since, I am thinking of getting it done soon because my hairdresser is back from maternity leave and she always does my hair just how I ask... so this time it shouldn't be a disaster!

Well, talking about kissing and intimacy, I am kinda freaking out at the moment. I was single when I got my braces fitted (still am) but I might be going on a 'date' on Saturday (my first one in 6 years!) with an 'old friend' and I am rather nervous about kissing with braces EEEEEK!

Although the quad helix is making eating difficult, I think I could still manage to eat the foods I eat before... but I am on a diet so my eating habits and food instake is totally different right now - lost 6 lbs in my first 2 weeks

[BraceFace2o1o]

So I had my Ortho appointment today. Not much done really, just another button/bracket put on the inside of another lower tooth and my quad helix 'adjusted'. So I now have 3 lingual buttons/brackets and need to wear 3 elastics instead of 2. My next appointment is in about 4 weeks and I am sure he said the quad helix might possibly come off, although I could have heard him wrong - I wasn't with it today. Oh and my ligs weren't changed! I only realised once I left... doh! So I have lovely very faded LIGHT pink ligs still and will have them for another 4 weeks... how poo is that. I would have liked some fresh ones for my date Sat night .

[BraceFace2o1o]

I was getting lazy with taking pics, so I got off my lazy butt and just took some

Oh and I forgot to add in my previous post, my molar build ups were removed today too.

Uppers before and at 16 weeks:



Lowers before and at 4 weeks:

[drgnchsr36]

Great progress!!!