The Professor's Story of Braces at 40 (with pics)

[TheProfessor]

I had my 11th adjustment this morning. I got my first power chain on my uppers to close up spaces and nothing was done to my lowers. I asked about the uneven heights of my lower incisors and my orthodontist said that those teeth are where they need to be, but they had different amounts of wear due to how they were so messed up before I got braces. She said that she will even them out a bit at my next adjustment in 6 weeks. She also said that my bite looks pretty good, but I might get elastics at my next appointment to "bring things together" if necessary. I feel like I'm really getting close to the end now, hopefully I'll finish before March.

I had one of the "not-so-good" techs at my appointment. She really struggled to get the power chain on and wasn't able to get it around all of the brackets. It looks pretty janky, but she assured me that all of the teeth were engaged and that it would do its job. I'll keep an eye out for unusual movements...

My top teeth are pretty tender this evening and the big gap between my upper right central and incisor is almost closed already. That gap had been there since June, so I'm glad to see it go!


19 months, 1 week, 1 day progress pics:

Here you can see how my power chain only goes partway around my right central's bracket. I also have an elastic tie around my front teeth and under the wire. Looks like a real mess now--I have no idea how I will keep this area clean...


Some of the metal brackets also don't have the links all the way around...

[metalliKa]

Great progress so far, Prof! I have my 8th adjustment tomorrow...Ill probably get IPR on the bottom front and more power chain. Looks like you and I are on track to deband in March or April.

[lilyflower]

Great progress! For cleaning, try your best with a brush and then focus on a waterpik?

[TheProfessor]

Great progress! For cleaning, try your best with a brush and then focus on a waterpik?

I've been on a waterpik break since my wisdom teeth surgery, but I'm sure it will be helpful now. I'm so ready to be done with braces!!!!

[Uptown Girl]

I'm sure I'll feel the same when I reach 19 months. At the moment nothing seems to be happening for me but you certainly have had some changes. I imagine when the end is in sight you get impatient. When it's a long way off it is just about surviving.

[lilyflower]

Great progress! For cleaning, try your best with a brush and then focus on a waterpik?

I've been on a waterpik break since my wisdom teeth surgery, but I'm sure it will be helpful now. I'm so ready to be done with braces!!!!

I imagine you're getting really close to the finish line. Just keep the waterpik away from the extraction holes and put it on a really low setting

[newbite]

That's crazy the tech couldn't get the power chain on all of the brackets! I hope your teeth don't move because of it.

Your teeth are looking great!

[TheProfessor]

That's crazy the tech couldn't get the power chain on all of the brackets! I hope your teeth don't move because of it.

Your teeth are looking great!

I can see why she had a problem on the front tooth since there is also an elastic tie around that bracket, but I don't understand why she couldn't do some of the smaller metal brackets. I think it was the same clumsy tech who precipitated the need for my molar band. She has gotten a lot better at opening and closing the bracket doors, but she still needs some practice with power chains.

So far the movement from getting the chain seems good-I've been admiring my smile for the last couple of days

[TheProfessor]

I can't believe that I've had braces for 20 months now! Hopefully 4 months or less to go! It has been a month since I had my wisdom teeth extracted and my extraction holes are filled up enough that I don't have to worry about food getting stuck in them. My jaw still feels good-I guess those wisdom teeth were really messing with my bite. I'm so glad that I got them removed!

Recently I've noticed that I'm not so obsessed about food in my brackets when eating with other people (for the first year and a half I was always worrying about it!) I ate a salad with brocolli, red cabbage, pine nuts, and raisins in front of other people today and didn't even think about the possible "decorations" on my braces! I guess it comes down to knowing how to chew the worst offenders so they don't stick in the front brackets, but I know I'm playing with fire and I'll probably walk around for hours with spinach in my front brackets sometime in the near future

I now have a fellow adult bracer on campus. I was at a meeting with a lady I hadn't seen in about a year and as soon as I walked in she got all excited and said "you have braces too!" I had several meetings with her in my first few months with braces, but I guess she never noticed until she got some herself! Another case of "no one cares but you" (and other brace faces)!

[laracroftt]

Your teeth look great and that was quick too!

[TheProfessor]

Your teeth look great and that was quick too!

Thanks! It feels like I have had braces forever, but I'm glad that I'm close to the end now!

[TheProfessor]

Today was my 12th adjustment. After 21 months with braces, my orthodontist finally mentioned taking them off soon!!! I'm very excited!

Now for the details of today's adjustment:
I was really happy to have one of the good techs this morning. She started by removing the old power chain and elastic tie on my top teeth (she struggled to get them off because they had been installed so weirdly last time). Then my orthodontist came over and checked my bite. She was really excited about how straight my teeth are and pulled up my before picture to marvel at her good work. She then prescribed an elastic tie around my front 4 top teeth (I've had a tie around the central 2 since February), power chain on all top teeth, and elastics in a triangle configuration from top tooth 4 to bottom 4 and 5. She also said that if everything goes as expected, we can schedule my debonding appointments at my next adjustment in 6 weeks (Jan 25). So, hopefully I'll get them off sometime in February!!!

My elastics are of the rabbit variety and pretty wimpy. So far, I don't mind them, but I can tell that my teeth are on the move after this morning's new developments. Some of my upper teeth feel clicky, which is weird since I haven't had that feeling since the early days of braces. I also have some pain throughout my lower arch, even though those teeth weren't touched except for putting on hooks, and of course the elastics. With the end in sight, I'm highly motivated to wear these elastics as much as possible. Hopefully, I'll still feel like that in the morning when the real pain has had time to set in!

[TheProfessor]

20 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days progress pics:



The last pic on the right shows why I need elastics. Hopefully that space between my uppers and lowers will close up in the next 6 weeks!

Happy Holidays to all my Metalmouth friends!!!!
--Prof

[nicolie825]

Professor! Your teeth are looking amazing! It's crazy to see how far you've come and the end is near! Happy holidays!

[NeilH]

That's some great progress going on. And you have a potential de-bonding date too! I'm sure the time will fly by and the elastics will work their magic getting your bite into a nice alignment. if it does take longer than a couple of months, are you bothered? I think the secret is rigid adherence to wearing the elastics and making sure you regularly replace them with a fresh set. Hopefully you will get used to them soon and will feel reading to finish by the time of your next appointment. Have a lovely Christmas break. Neil