Grutty's story: braced at 40 - NEW three month pics page 3

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#16 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:28 pm

Hi Grutty, great progress, it looks like they have been braced for months. You have great teeth, so your smile will be perfect in the end.

Yep,... spacers are nasty, I agree. I am glad I didn't read about them first. I just went into the ortho's office blindly, and thought, oh, how cute, little blue rubber things.... little did I know!!

take care
Patricia

#17 Post by **Lela** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:21 am

Great progress Grutty! I must admit I am a bit jealous

#18 Post by **Temps75** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 2:46 pm

Grutty, your teeth look amazing!! I'm awestruck at how fast they moved. Gives me hope in the next few weeks. lol.

#19 Post by **Grutty** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:28 am

Thanks for the nice comments everyone!

I had spacers put in last week, which undid some of my progress. My front teeth look a little more crowded than they did before the spacers, grr.

Tomorrow I get molar bands and my first adjustment, hopefully that will get my teeth moving in the right direction again.

I fear the molar bands, I think I am getting the kind with hooks on the inside. I just want to get it over with so I can get used to them and stop worrying about it.

#20 Post by **Lola** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:00 am

Wow, I just saw your story and pics for the first time.. crookedness aside, your teeth themselves are fab! They are lovely and big and white. They are going to look so good at the end!

#21 Post by **Grutty** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:28 pm

Thanks Lola!

My teeth are large, that's for sure, but I have never thought of them as nice!

I had my first adjustment yesterday, I got molar bands and a thicker wire. YEOWCH! I woke up in pain this morning, but when I looked in the mirror, my front teeth were completely uncrossed!

In fact, I even have a little space between them. I will have to post another photo soon!

#22 Post by **Grutty** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:31 pm

oops, double post.

#23 Post by **Grutty** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:10 am

I have had my braces for 2 months now, so here is the update!

I had my first adjustment 3 weeks ago, I got molar bands put on my 4 back teeth, and a new wire. This adjustment turned out to be worse than when I had my braces put on, mainly because of those

molar bands.

The hooks on the bands tore up my cheeks really badly for a few days, and then I got bad gum irritation around one of the bands, which kind of freaked me out. For the first time, I started feeling like maybe the braces werent the best idea.

But then about a week ago, the gum irritation went away, and my braces feel comfortable again, so I am feeling much more positive!

Anyway, here are the pics!

Me at one month

And me now, at two months

Not only did my front teeth uncross, I now have a gap!

Also, before braces my teeth only touched on one side when I bit down. Now my teeth have shifted enough so that teeth on both sides of my mouth touch. This makes chewing much more fun, but unfortunately it has also increased my open bite.

My front teeth seem to be splaying out more too. It is harder to tell from the front, but I think they stick out farther than they did last month.

I fear I may be entering the worse before it gets better stage, but we'll see. I am trying not to worry about it.

Thanks everyone for your helpful advice and comments, you have made the braces experience much more enjoyable!

#24 Post by **iamtheotherme** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:43 am

Look at all that movement you got! Do you see how straight your wire is now? That's awesome. I'm glad to hear your irritation cleared up too.

I am in lock-step with you in the "worse before better" stage. I had crowdy teeth for all my adult life, now I have gaps all over the place. My lower front four teeth are a huge mess. Big gaps and one of them sticks up and out way more than before. I call it my Cletus Tooth (Cletus from The Simpsons). I keep banging my uppers into it and scaring the crap out of myself.

Hang in there, brace-buddy. They keep telling us it will get better!

#25 Post by **almost50** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:36 pm

Wow, that's so amazing! I can't believe how much your teeth have moved in 2 months.

#26 Post by **Grutty** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:07 am

Hi Iam,

I call it my Cletus Tooth

I keep chomping my newly touching teeth together and startling myself, but none of them have enough personality to get a nickname.

It is reassuring to know that you are going through the same stage that I am, I guess they have to spread our teeth out to untangle them before they pull them in?

Almost50, thanks, I am amazed too. I was afraid my teeth would be hard to move since I am 40 and all, but so far so good!

#27 Post by **Snagglelady** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 11:04 am

Hi Grutty, thanks for the kind words on my thread. Thought I would stop by and read about your teeth, LOL, is that weird?

Your teeth look like they are moving really fast! I hope mine do that too!

#28 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:06 pm

Hi Grutty, looking good. Your braces look great.
I am also developing a BIG open bite, but it seems to have gotten a little better this month. I also have some odd little spaces that I didn't have before. (Including the obvious large extraction gap!! ha ha)

wow again! you must be very pleased!

#29 Post by **Grutty** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 1:44 pm

Hi Snaggle, Hi Braced,

Good to hear that I am not the only one who is getting more of an open bite. That was making me a little nervous!

I just had my second adjustment a few days ago, I got a rectangular wire on the bottom and some wire ties, my ortho is hoping that will help close up the gaps I have between my lower teeth.

I didnt get a new wire on the top, just fresh ligs, but it was enough to close up the gap between my front teeth in just two days. It is weird how my upper teeth move pretty quickly, but the lower ones are sooooo slow.

#30 Post by **jlove** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:42 pm

Great progress ....... my front teeth were also crossed and now I have a huge super gap. Wow your teeth look great!

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Grutty's story: braced at 40 - NEW three month pics page 3

Two Month update!