A Stubborn Canine

[Eleni]

It's been almost two years since I got my impacted canine surgeically exposed, and no sign of it yet. Meanwhile, my other teeth are all fine and are just waiting for it to come down, so they haven't moved at all. I, as well, sometimes get desperately mad at how easy it all seems to be for them...no tying wires to teeth about 6 feet up into the gums, pulling at the gums the whole time, no crackets falling off the impacted tooth and going in for surgery....

Oh Eve....((((((HUGS))))))). I'm so sorry for your ordeal.

It’s been two years of this darn tooth coming down and it wanted to come down! I can't imagine what it takes to coax down an unwilling canine. Bribery? Meditation? Mental Projection?

Have the xrays shown you any progress/movement under the gums? Oh, I'm crossing my fingers and toes for your progress, and for all frustrated impacted canines across the land.

[Evelyn]

Joplin and Eleni, thank you so much! Sometimes all you need is just that little extra encouragement and that's what I love so much about this forum. You both are great, I have an appointment next Tuesday, we'll see how things go...

xoxo Eve

[Eleni]

NEW ADDITION:

Adjustment #8 - April 1, 2005.
I swear I didn't say anything this time and I got the "Patience" speech again. Yes, I was initially quoted 6 months which is turning out to be more like a year and six months. At this point it doesn't phase me anymore. The fact that the tooth is coming down keeps me going. Here is a side by side comparison of six months (sorry for the graininess!). I've gone from tiny tip to about half the tooth sticking out. Biting down is a challenge now, but again, I've got the whole food thing down pat at this point too. Next appointment is in 3 weeks. Ortho’s hoping the constant retightening and pulling it, in closer intervals, will move this along.



Next Adjustment: April 18, 2005

[Eleni]

NEW ADDITION:

Adjustment #9 - April 18, 2005.
This one hurt like a mofo - slang for it hurt a lot! My teeth didn't hurt, but the actual bone of the upper jaw from the new arch wire and strong wire ties. Thankfully it only seriously lasted one day. I need to hunt down my digital camera to take another picture because I think it’s come down a teeny bit more. Next adjustment is in 4 weeks. And the ortho said the tooth will likely get a bracket in 2 months to start bringing it in - yeah! Well 2 months puts me at my 1 year braces anniversary. I can’t wait to get rid of the gap. I’m trying not to think of that month where my tooth will be hitting my bottom teeth as it comes to the foreground. Oh well, I’ll deal with that when the time comes.

One cute moment. On Monday as I attended my last class of the semester (and year), a classmate of mine finally noticed I had braces. I’ve been sitting across her for the whole 10 months of this, as well as given presentations in front of her. And she noticed on Monday!!!

Next Adjustment: May 20, 2005

[Eleni]

NEW ADDITION

Next Adjustment was to be May 20th, its been moved to June 3rd.

I paid a special unplanned visit to the ortho today. My wire tie connecting the arch wired loop to the button snapped. Yup, I was sporting that silver fang again. Thankfully they had an afternoon cancelling. It was also perfect timing as I have a presentation to give on Monday and the wire tie had begun to really bother me these last two days. It would have been real embarrassing to have it snap during the presentation. On the flip side it would have definetly been an ice breaker and a more memorable presenatation if it had. Besides a new wire tie, it looks like the tooth has come down enough that next month it gets a bracket. WooHoo.

Oh, PS - I really got pissed off this time when the ortho said once again - if you were a 14 year old girl this would have taken all of 4-6 months. You should have taken care of it earlier. To which I shot back "Really, a girl of 14 should have been able to diagnose it and prescribe treatment? Where was the dentist having a sit down with my parents at that time?" I hate when others do the whole "you should have done so and so".

[Eleni]

Side Note: The presentation went well and I received my Master's Degree!!!


NEW ADDITION:

Adjustment #10 - June 3, 2005.

The canine finally has a bracket! It took a year, but I am finally there.
My ortho took the button off today and added a metal bracket. As the tooth comes further in and the gum isn’t so much in the way it will get a ceramic one like the rest. As you can see in the first picture, it is tilted towards the incisors, so it has some straightening out to do as well.



I'm off to Europe next week, and won't see my ortho for the next 2-3 months. I pray nothing goes wrong as the prospect of searching for an ortho in a foreign country does not sound appealing.

So see you all in September, unless I can manage to update you at some point through an internet cafe.

[sunflr77]

Congratulations on getting a bracket for that canine. I'm sure it will be in a great position come September.

Where are you heading in Europe?

[Eleni]

Where are you heading in Europe?

Thank you. I'm off to Greece, at least initially. But I may be hopping over to some other countries as well. For the last 3 years I was working full time and doing a very rigorous Masters program. I quit my job a month ago to concentrate on finishing the thesis and now I am taking some much deserved rest.

My whole family is Greek, so I have quite a few aunts, uncles and cousins to visit before I can go off on my adventures.

[joplin]

CONGRATULATIONS on your Master's Degree and on getting that canine finally bracketed! Wow, things are really going your way right now, I'm happy for you!
Enjoy your trip to Europe!

[fyrelight]

Eleni, it'll move FAST now that you have a real bracket on it!!! Just be prepared to need to clip off some excess wire as that tooth gets in line. I'll bet when you get back to your ortho in 2-3 months, it'll be pretty much where it should be!

[Eleni]

Ok, I just had to post because I was thinking of you all yesturday. At the moment, I happen to be on the island of Kerkyra or Corfu as many call it. Well, here on this tiny island, on the first day, I have already bumped into two people (locals, 20 - 25 yrs old) who have ceramic braces. One girl had only her top teeth wired, the other girl, only her lowers. But I found it hysterical as this was what I would consider one of the most unlikely places to find adults sporting braces. Goes to show how common it is becoming.

Anyhow, hope you are all doing well. Take care,

[joplin]

Hey, Eleni, have fun & enjoy the sun!

[Eleni]

ADJUSTMENT #11 - October 7, 2005
(last one was 4 months ago)


Hello all, it’s been awhile. My romp in Greece and England this summer was a blast. Luckily, nothing broke off, there was movement and I vigilantly kept my clear ligs spotless.

So, I got back on Wednesday night, had my appointment on Friday morning and I was caught up on all the neighborhood gossip by my ortho. Oh, he also changed ligs, gave me a thicker wire and added a wrinkle in the wire to help the tooth come further down.

Once the tooth comes down a bit more, it will get a ceramic bracket like the rest. The thicker wire is also there to help bring forward the adjacent teeth which were pulled slightly back by the force of brining that tooth out. So, a bit of a lopsided grin and slow progress, but that’s ok. I also got a decent digital camera so no more grainy pictures!

Here are pictures:

See the difference of 6 months


The wire's wrinkle


Lopsided grin


And next month, bottom braces. Good grief, here we go again...

[caryca]

Eleni, that's a good progress!!

Good luck with your bottoms next time

[hannah164]

WOW ELeni!
'THats incredible progress! I have two impacted cuspids and I finally have a bracket on one and it was attached to the wire last adjustment after almost 6 months. The other tooth we haven't even seen yet. But hopefully more progress soon!
Good luck with your treatment and Congratulations!

-Hannah