Kirjax's braces story - Update with pic July 11

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#31 Post by **kirjax** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:09 am

yes I am actually anxious about meeting my ortho. I hope she's nice. I had a sub ortho the last visit lol. I keep hearing these stories of people really not liking their orthos and a friend of mine said her ortho seemed annoyed by her constant questions.

The tooth hitting the bottom molar is def. annoying and I'm ready for it to be fixed! I feel like this process is so slow. I want bottom braces, some IPR, and some noticable results! I know I'm rushing it but it sucks having them on for almost a month and feeling like everythings only getting worse.

#32 Post by **kirjax** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:55 am

Okay an hour ago I had my first adjustment.

Let me just say, ouch!! I finally met my ortho. She's really really sweet. She answered all my questions. I asked her about that tooth I had problems with and she said its normal for some teeth to just hurt more then others. My one lateral tooth on my right side pushed forward. I was worried about it but she said in the beginning the teeth will move in crazy directions but not to be discouraged for it will all be fine. Because though that tooth actually pushed out the tech put on a thicker wire around tooth to push it back in place. They also put another thicker spring over the tooth that needs to come forward. When doing this it was ALOT of pressure. I kinda jumped a few times.

Now the ortho wasn't sure why I wasn't braced on the bottom my first time but bc it was not written in my records for today they didn't place bottoms on but she said they will be placed next visit.

The big news today was I got rubberbands!! YIKES! I have to wear them from the inside top cleats to the outside bottom hooks! It took the tech awhile to get them in and apparently the cleats were pushed so far in that my ortho had to come back in to pull them out. She could not get the left side and said that my molar band will need to be replaced at next visit

Yep more fun! So now I have to wear the rubber band on right side 24/7. It took me about 3 min. to get it in. The tech said it will get easier. So I guess you know what this means?.....cleats can't be cut off just yet! The rubberband is going to help push out my jaw a bit to even out my bite. They want to lower jaw to go in a bit and the bottom to move out. I asked about the IPR. She said she avoids it until she has to do it. But she said they will do it on the bottom laterals (I think that's what she said). She said right now the focus is getting the teeth to and jaw to move which she said will be a slow process. She also said that I'll have thicker stronger wires on the bottom for the most part to which I replied, "great more pain" she laughed and said, "no no we'll do it slowly over time it won't be bad". She was very nice and made me feel very comfortable.

Anyways, my next adjustment and bottom braces is now set for July 20 at 9 a.m. - kind of not looking forward to it considering I know what adjustments feel like now! lol

But I am looking forward to getting these bottoms on and getting this underway faster! But I guess no pain means no gain!

I already took some IBprofin but even though the adjustment was rough I haven't gotten to the discomfort part yet. The rubberbands I don't even feel them until I open really wide! I guess they finally found a way to get me to shut up - stick rubberbands in my mouth so I can't speak loudly!

I'll post photos as soon as photobucket stops being such a rat!

#33 Post by **MissDiana** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:21 am

I'm glad your first adjustment wasn't too, too bad! At least you know you're making progress!

#34 Post by **kirjax** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:06 am

okay here are the pictures.

thicker spring - they really want to get this little guy moved up!

rubberband

#35 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:56 am

WOW, talk about an adjustment. You wanted things to move faster, you got your wish. So, I guess they really do put those little cleats to use. Nice that you got to have some questions answered by your ortho. Sounds like you had a good first adjustment. Feel better! I have my 2-3rd ish adjustment today, I hope mine isn't half as eventful as yours.

#36 Post by **kirjax** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:41 am

thanks, good luck with your adj. The pain is settling in nicely now

I just ate something bc I feel in a few hours that won't be happening. The tooth that hurts the worst is the one not even attached to a wire!

But I guess this is what I had coming to me. An easy first month and now the fun begins *sigh*

I hope that the rubberbands do the job bc she said if I do them properly (wear them 24/7 for 6 weeks) that it should do it's job and I won't need to wear them again (atleast in that specific area). She says usually a month can do the job sufficiently - but considering I'm wearing them only one one side I have a feeling that I'll have to do a month on the other side as well (even though that's not my problem side).

#37 Post by **kirjax** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:01 pm

yeah I'm hoping they do the job but we'll see. tonight none of my teeth are happy with me

#38 Post by **kirjax** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:29 pm

mouth sore

It's funny bc the ortho said that when you change your elastics you will feel the pressure recede and she said that's when most people say, oh I'll just take a break for a little while and not wear it. Then she said that's when people forget or they choose not to wear it. Well I totally got what she meant bc I haven't taken it out since last night (changed it before bed) and well today I came in from work and decided to take it out for lunch (she said I could wear it while eating but if I took it out to replace it soon after I am done) so I was sitting there thinking man my mouth feels 10x better w/out it in there! But of course like a good patient I ate, brushed, flossed and put back in my band!

I also forgot to mention that they wrapped some wire around a few brackets instead of using ligs. I guess this is for more pressure to certain teeth. I now realize that's what hurt she was doing all that twisting to the brackets to get them wrapped around and that's when most of the pressure was felt.

anways, thanks everyone for your kind words. I am hanging in there. I am not letting braces get to me! Let's hope the crossbite gets atleast a little bit better.

#39 Post by **kirjax** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:18 am

okay I am now officially a full brace mouth!!

I got my bottom metals on today. It wasn't bad (still don't enjoy the lip spreaders) and this time I forgot my chapstick

Boy were my lips stretched and sore afterwards!

They don't look bad and bc I am used to the tops as far as look and feel wise the bottoms to me are nothing (so far)!

I just ate for the first time w/ them in and just realized oh yeah now it's extra food stuck in places and extra time to clean them out!

I still have the spring in. They didn't change the wire on top. Instead they put on the new spring and tied the tooth in slightly on one side. She says they want to get that tooth to start to move into place! I got silver ligs on the bottom. I wasn't really asked, she just said same on top and silver on bottom and I was like, yeah sure whatever! lol Maybe I'll go w/ some color next visit. I finally feel like now I may start to see some progress and I can't wait!

My next visit is a short one. I go in four weeks and I hope then they'll take the spring out and start to pull the tooth forward!

And I was told to just wear my elastics at night for now. So that's good, I get a break from them for a bit!

Here are the new updated photos.

New spring. As you can see there is a gap and the tooth can now be seen unlike before! The wire is also attached. Let's hope by summers end this guy is fully wired and ready to debut itself into the open world

July 20

Before

Fully braced! Not the most attractive looking mouth whatsoever!! lol

#40 Post by **kirjax** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:57 am

Wow it's been awhile since I updated!

Okay today I went for my *thinks* 5th or 6th adj. - hmm I lost track lol.

Big news! The spring came out!

Yep there is now room for the tooth to come in line with the rest. Infact it's already started to. (see pics below).

Nothing really new. The braces thing has been a piece of cake..literally. Today's adj. was a bit uncomfortable bc they are trying desperately to rotate my two bottom (not sure of the term but I call the the fang teeth)! So as they were putting the bands on and trying to squeeze the wire on I felt the pressure immediately. I also will where my crossbite bands on the right side just at night and the left side 24/7 for 5 weeks. But she said everything looks GREAT! Other then that no complaints. I really wish I had done this years ago. I let myself fear the worse and it's been so easy!

#41 Post by **kirjax** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:59 am

wow I also just looked up at my pics from July and it's amazing how much my bottom teeth have rotated!

*passes champagne to everyone*

I love progress!

#42 Post by **MissDiana** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:08 am

Wonderful progress!

#43 Post by **nerdgirl** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:31 pm

Hi kirjax, I'm new the forum and just caught up on your story and progress. I just got my braces on 9/21. We have very similar problems. I too have crowding on the bottom and top which includes a upper lateral that is pushed back and needs to come forward. I like to refer to this as my Jewel (the singer) tooth.

Anyway, glad to see your progressing well since it gives me an idea of what I can look forward to!

#44 Post by **kirjax** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 5:13 pm

Okay well here is the 6 month update (boy did that fly)!!

I don't even know what adjustment this was. I stopped counting! I'd say 6 since it's been 6 months and I've gone to the ortho every 4-5 weeks since being braced.

Anyways, nothing really changed from last month. Still trying to rotate the bottoms. Last time around they said I'd be in a bid discomfort and although I was, it was mostly my tops and not my bottoms! Today no wire was changed. The only wires changed was the bottom two teeth that need rotating. Basically they take wire and they spiral it around the bracket and I guess this creates more pressure *shrugs* So far so good.

So since there wasn't much update I did a collage of pics for my 6 month anniversary lol. It's a 6 month progress collage of how fast things have moved since the day I was braced.

While I was sitting waiting for my ortho to come in the gentlemen in the next room was getting retainters. I heard them explain to him about wearing and caring for them. I told my assistant, "I can't wait for that day" and she said, "it will be here before you know it and probably sooner then you had anticipated!" so that made me feel good. Maybe I too will get my braces off sooner for good behavior!! woohoo!! But not getting hopes up I still have atleast another year if not more!!

anyways here is the collage if you'd like to check it out.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/ ... ogress.jpg

#45 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 6:16 pm

your teeth are in some kind of hurry ! They look great!