Metal Mouth Message Board

Thanks everyone for your kind words! I'm really excited about the progress I've made, and I hope my ortho will be too. I haven't seen my dentist since getting braced, I know she will be thrilled (she's the type to get all excited for me )

RainyDay2, I'm not sure if my results are from having the self-ligating, or just that my teeth move fast. The day I got banded, the gap from the spacers on one side closed up in less than ten minutes! It also seems to be a trend here that people with more crowding see more results in a faster time frame. Maybe that's just me though!

Thanks again, everyone!

I have a cleaning on September 11, early afternoon, and an adjustment the same day, later that afternoon.

great movement, Jillian! That top arch is looking wonderful!

Good luck on your cleaning and next adjustment...hey, we have adjustment appointments on the same day!

Well I had quite a busy tooth day today! I had a regular dental cleaning and checkup today, followed by my second adjustment.

This was the first time my dentist has seen me since I got the braces, and she was thrilled with my progress so far. She said I was doing a pretty good job brushing and cleaning, but said ideally, she'd like me to come in every 4 months for a cleaning. They said it would only cost me about $100 to have it done, so I figure it's worth it. She told me she has some patients who do such a lousy job cleaning around their braces, she has them come in every TWO months! Amazing!

Next came my second adjustment. I was expecting new archwires, but he said they were still doing their job, so he wanted to leave them in place. BUT... I got elastics! I've officially joined the club! I have triangle patterns on both sides, and they really aren't bothering me too much. My teeth are a tad tender, but not so bad that I've even needed to take painkillers. The name on the package is "Japan", so I'm saying I have "Japanese Triangles"! He told me to wear them all the time, even when eating if possible. I managed to eat dinner with them in, but I can tell some things might be challenging, and they might need to come out. The only thing that bugs me about the elastics is when I talk you can see the part of the triangle going from top to bottom in the corners of my mouth - it looks like a big 'ol line of spit! Ew! Oh well, I'm married, I'm not trying to impress anyone, lol! Anyway, he was really happy with my progress, and kept saying that my teeth are really moving well and quickly. It's nice to get compliments Oh! and the best news? I don't need the expander again! HOOOOOOORRAAAAAYYYY!!!!

I hit the 4 month mark on September 19, and am waiting until then to take pics. My next adjustment is October 23, and my cleaning is January 11. Can't wait to see the changes I get with my Japanese Triangles!

I've never understood what a little rubber band connecting a few brackets could do to move your teeth.... but I also can't understand how it is that my two teeth next to my extraction site are moving into my gap.... how does a hard wire make teeth go sideways????

This is all confusing and fascinating at the same time.
I was told at my consult that I'd end up with elastics and I've asked people at work about them (seems almost everyone I work with has had braces at one time) and I got a resounding "they will annoy you so bad you'll take them out!"
Only ONE person actually wore them! The others said they wore them only to their appointments so the ortho wouldn't get mad.

Needless to say I'm not too excited about getting them!!!!!

Question: do you have to have your ortho office do teeth cleaning or can you go to any ole dentist? Don't they have to take your wire/ligs off to clean your teeth thoroughly???

Hi Jillianleab

Good to hear your cleaning and adjustment both went so well.

I'm going to step up to the plate and defend elastics! I've been wearing elastics since day 1 of treatment, although I only went 24 hours after my first adjustment. Maybe having them on only at night helped me get used to them- but they've never really caused me problems. They do pop out when I eat sometimes but it's not a big deal. Now they are a normal part of my mouth and it is weird when they aren't there- so to anyone having trouble with their elastics... just keep at it!

Best of luck with your continued progress, Jillianleab!

Thanks again everyone for all your encouragement. This site and the people on it really make the whole braces process so much nicer!

linda21, I guess you could say I'm excited about getting elastics, only because I know they will make a huge difference! They really aren't bothering me that much, but I can feel the tension. I'll admit I took them off last night while snacking on some french fries (I'm a junkie), and it made it much easier to eat. I figure I'll leave them on as much as I can, but I love food too much to let them get in my way! And YES - RIP Expander!

momofbrock, I'm not too sure on the technical way elastics work either, but my guess is it helps move the teeth along into their proper place with the tension and pulling. I don't think they are that annoying, but life is easier without them, and I'll be glad when I don't have to wear them anymore! Regarding the cleaning, I go to my regular dentist, and they clean around the brackets and wires, no removal necessary. It was just by chance my adjustment and cleaning were on the same day.

juf_84, glad to hear someone else doesn't totally hate their elastics! I already feel like something is missing when I take them out, and it's only been one day!

KK, sorry to hear you don't like your elastics, hopefully you won't have to be in them too long! Oh, and welcome back!!!

I've made it four months! Hooray! I don't think there have been a lot of changes since last month (nothing dramatic, anyway), but I'm posting pics anyway. I guess like most people you see the biggest changes in the first couple of months. I am noticing my bite closing and coming together now that I'm in the elastics; it's happening better on the left than the right. I really want to double up on the elastic on the right side so it catches up, but I know it would be a bad idea to take my treatment into my own hands! Anyhow, enjoy the pics! The left is last month, the right is this month.

Thanks, KK!

I've gotten used to the elastics, even wearing them while eating. They still give me a little bit of soreness here and there, but nothing so bad I even need to take OTC painkillers. My next appointment is 9 weeks from now, so I hope to see even more movement between now and then. I hope yours start doing their job soon too!

Wow, it's been five months, I can hardley believe it!!!

I had my third adjustment today (don't know what I was thinking when I posted last time they were 9 weeks apart, but whatever), and it went really well. I went in and the ortho came and did the bite, close, bite, close thing and praised my progress so far. Then he told the asst he wanted to change my treatment time estimate to 18 months (from banding date), not 22 as it had been. I said it would fantastic if I could get them off in August, as I have a huge family reunion to go to, and he said he can't promise anything, but he would not be surprised if I went sooner than 18 months

Moving along... I got a new wire on the top and bottom, both heavier and a powerchain on the bottom. I have a small gap on the bottom which developed as teeth shifted, so hopefully it will close up soon. I still have to wear the elastics, same kind (Japan heavy, in triangles). I'm not really in too much pain right now, but I've made sure to take ibuprofen to help ward off any soreness. My next appointment is December 11

I have to say it was really great to see my ortho so excited about my progress. He was strutting around the office talking about how great he is, how great I am, lol, then said he should charge me more since he's doing such a great job! YEAH RIGHT!!!!! He did take a moment to really praise me on my progress, keeping my appointments, and complying with his instructions. It was nice to get the pat on the back, so to speak. Actually, there was someone in the chair next to me who he scolded because she had broken her last two appointments and was complaining about how long she had been braced! That CERTAINLY won't be me!

Anyway, below are some progress pics I took yesterday. My new powerchain is grey to match my brackets (I have self-ligating, didn't want it to look weird) so I didn't bother taking a new pic of it. My arches look about the same this month as last month, so I didn't bother posting those pics. The left is last month, the right is this month. Enjoy

Nice progress! Very motivating for you that you may be out 4 months sooner (or more) than originally anticipated. Well done toothies.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement

I'm so excited my treatment time has been revised, it's really exciting. Having braces hasn't been as bad as I expected, but I will still be VERY HAPPY one they come off, and the sooner the better (as long as it's not too soon and I end up in braces a few years down the road, that is!)

I can really feel the powerchain working, it doesn't hurt, but I can feel the additional pressure on my teeth. And, I can already see that my gap has started to close! I'll post a pic once it's fully closed with a comparison shot... I'm thinking if it continues the way it has been, it will be closed by the end of the week!

Thanks again, everyone!

Brilliant! Your progress is terrific.

Thanks, Meryaten! Actually, I have a document I keep for myself with each picture I've taken. That way at a glance I can see the progress I've made. I've been thinking that since my progress isn't quite as dramatic month-to-month now, that at 6 months I'll probably post month 1 and month 6 side by side. I want to get copies of the pics my ortho took before I was braced to put up too. The first ones I posted were a month into treatment, so that's not even at the worst! I'm really pleased with my progress so far, but still get mad at myself for not doing this sooner... but, that's the whole "hindsight theory" we all experience!

It's been awhile since I've checked your story, and your progress has been great! It's great that your braces time may be shortened. Hearing news like that has to be a confidence booster. Keep up the good progress, Jillian!