elpi's toothie adventures - got my wisdoms braced...ouch!

Message

#31 Post by **elpi** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:40 am

I haven't had that happen at all but I haven't really been eating proper food in over a week, just soft breakfast cereal and things like mashed potato off a small spoon, so when I feel up to eating more proper food it might get more messy!

#32 Post by **Crystal S** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:38 pm

At least you had your extractions before brace day. I will be getting all 4 wisdom teeth extracted after my b-day. Someone else said that blood gets stuck in the wires. Yuck! Anyway... Only 4 sleeps left

that's pretty funny! best of luck!

#33 Post by **Crystal S** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:38 pm

At least you had your extractions before brace day. I will be getting all 4 wisdom teeth extracted after my b-day. Someone else said that blood gets stuck in the wires. Yuck! Anyway... Only 4 sleeps left

that's pretty funny! best of luck!

#34 Post by **elpi** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:09 am

I'm finally braced! It's so good to join the club

Everything went to plan, I sort of knew what to expect from reading all the posts on this site and it was all quite painless, I took a couple of ibuprofen beforehand because my extraction sites are still a little tender and I think that helped. I totally zoned out whilst he was fitting the brackets, when he put the wires on that woke me up a bit as I felt quite a lot of pushing, pulling but it was over quickly!

A few things are puzzling me, maybe someone can help...

*There are little hooks on my molar brackets, THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. I'm not getting elastics do these just come as standard on these kind of brackets?

*I've got the uber thin wire but it's tripled over around my extraction sites and molars, not sure if I've seen this before is it quite common?

* I was given a bag of dental goodies and some leaflets on oral hygiene but no mention whatsoever of flossing and no flossing gizmos, I kind of assume by this that my orthos are not that bothered about me flossing, are others in the UK in the same boat? I know that the flossing thing is more of an American thing than UK and wondered if that is part of the reason for the different emphasis. I am under strict insruction to use my proxy brush daily and NO fizzy drinks ever though!

Teeth are starting to feel a bit sore, I could tell that even the extractions had made them want to start moving, they've been so overcrowded for so long I think they were singing, we're free! we're free!

I went around the shops a little bit on the way home, I didn't feel embarrassed about my new found hardware and it's more comfy to smile than to attempt to keep my lips over my braces

Here's the pics!

Here you can see all the wires! I could play guitar on 'em

#35 Post by **jenny101101** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:16 am

Woot!! They look terrific!

Wow, that's a lot of wire! lol

As for your questions, the only one I can help you with is the first one. Yes, I think a lot of brackets come standard with the hooks, even if you don't get elastics(but I'm not positive).

Glad to hear it all went well. Great pics!

#36 Post by **Unhappy teeth** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:07 pm

Congratulations on getting braced!

My orthodontist never mentioned flossing either, I guess it's a US/UK difference

Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:26 pm

congrats

my ortho is big on flossing but they didnt give me a proxy brush or as they call it an interproximal brush
i went and bought some in the pharmacy

#38 Post by **insinu8** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:26 am

elpi,

I read your post on my story and thought I'd come by and see how you are doing too.

Holy cow! If I had known you were getting braced later that same day, I'd have posted sooner!

I'm very happy to read that things went well for you yesterday. It gives me a bit more courage thinking about my own upcoming uppers going on next month.

Thanks for the pics too! I have been so motivated by all the folks here to take my own pics as the process goes on to keep a record, despite being not too pleased with my own chicklets for now. But I just remind myself, as I think we all do, that you have to know where you came from to appreciate where you're going. Not to mention once you've gotten there!

I'll be sure to take more pics to share as things change. Btw, how in the world did you get such, uhm...."inside" type pictures of your mouth???

On the whole flossing bit, I got a kit of gear too and, sure enough, floss, floss and more floss. Little flossing gizmos and special "braces" floss (kind of stiff on one end of each length to help thread it through, I guess)

I'll admit, I HATE flossing. That's why I bought a WaterPik. SO much easier. I dunno if it works as well (or better) but that's "flossing" enough for me!

Good luck with your chicklets! I'll be keeping up with your progress too

Cheers

#39 Post by **laineyloo** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:51 am

Yay elpi .... they look great!

How are you finding them today ... not too sore I hope.

I have the triple wire set up across my extraction site too. My canine is high up and needs to come down and back towards my molars. She said that was to give it an extra helping hand.

My ortho didn't mention floss to me either but I still do. I didn't for so long and before Christmas I had to get deep scaling done which wasn't very pleasant. So from now on i'm taking an interest in the health of my gums! I have to say though .....my dental hygiene has totally improved since getting braces. One of the pros

#40 Post by **ShineUpMyBoots** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:22 am

Hey elpi! How are things today? Congrats on finally getting your wires in! Seems like there's a lot of them, eh? Oh well, so long as it gets the job done! I can only imagine how many radio stations you could pick up.

Did you stock up on pudding and such? Pudding and applesauce have become my new best friends since getting mine on.

#41 Post by **elpi** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:20 am

Thanks for the replies people! My photos, well I went for clinical type accuracy rather than aesthetics so I got my hubbie to take them with his digital SLR camera and ring flash. I think they make my braces look a bit more full on than they actually do but hopefully they'll be good to compare back to. Hope they're not too graphic, I kept them small so it wasn't too urgh!

Things are okay today, yesterday evening my teeth really got tender and the pain went up through my jaw to my ears and everything when I tried to eat my (soft) dinner, but painkillers helped and I managed to sleep a few hours. Hot drinks seem a winner too, cold stuff = ouch!

Today the pain is a bit less, I can't bite down though without biting onto the edge of the metal brackets, ouch! I naively thought that because I don't have molar bands I wouldn't have the pleasure of teeth against metal, but I was wrong. Does that ever get to feel okay? Maybe when my misaligned molars are in position it'll reduce...

The bracket on my canine was starting to cut my lip up so I put some silicone wax on at uni, that was a laugh. I'd get it nearly right, try and smooth it and then it'd fall off, but I eventually got the nack, I think.

There's no problems with vaseline or lip balm getting all over your braces is there cos I'm needing a lot of it at the moment.

I think I will try and floss but when things have settled down, I've got a waterpik to try on them but I'm waiting for my extraction sites to heal up before I risk using it!

Thanks again for reading my story, don't know what I'd do without this forum it's so nice to be able to share info and stories

#42 Post by **Bekah** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:22 pm

That is what I should do! Make hubby take the pics! It is really hard to do it by yourself.

I think cold things hurt because the metal contracts and with hot it expands.

I love the look of metal braces! It took me three tries to get the wax onto my bracket that was bugging me before I got the hang of it!

Welcome to the club!

#43 Post by **sksk11** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:09 pm

HOORAY - you had your brace day!!!

Glad to hear it went well. Now at least your 'demon' tooth can start to join it's friends! I thought your braces looked quite dark - did you get silver or black ligs? Like you said, might just be the camera and the flash.

As for the three wire set up, goodness knows! I haven't seen it on any other braces story on here. Bet that feels funky on your tongue!

Regarding the flossing issue, I only used to floss my front teeth as I struggled to get to the back. But since joining this site, I have been really committed to getting my teeth in tip top condition ready for braces. I have been using little 'flossers', like a plastic horseshoe with a handle, with a bit of floss across it, which I can get to my back teeth with. I love flossing now, and religously have to do it every night, I don't feel like I've cleaned my teeth fully without this. I'm actually not looking forward to struggling to floss with the braces on.

Keep us posted on your progress. I'm so impatient waiting for my journey to progress!

#44 Post by **martinboyce** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:44 pm

Hi Elpi,

wow, wow and double wow, look at all that metal! though they sorta look, erm, well cool!

I havnt had my wire go over my extractions sites yet but it was explained to me, the first wire is a bit thin and bridging it would easily lead to biting through it, so at my next adjustment a thicker wire will go on and itll cover the gaps and join my rear molars. Now your ortho has opted for strength in numbers using the wire everal times, to get you fully braced on the first go.

i have those hook things, they are not really hooks, more of a bracket with a little tube on them, like an anchor for the end of the wire. I have had one of mine drop off and i think ive eaten it, ohwell, gotta have another one fitted next time in.

Elpi, wow im so happy for you, its great now we are all braced and on the way.

lets hope 18 months from now we will all be as excited to get these buggers off and have a look at our vastly improved chompers!

Avoid eating bread, its so bad. one sandwhich can leave me with enough trapped bread in my braces to act like a rugby gum sheild. its crazy.

On that note, take it easy, and look forward to your first adjustment

Big hug \o/

#45 Post by **elpi** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:27 am

Chewing bread? are you kidding me? I can't chew a ummm well not very chewy thing

if my teeth touch in the slightest the metal against tooth thing sends a small shockwave through me!

I think I have a poky wire! though it's not actually poking me, but something's protruding at the back there, does that mean that my teeth might have moved a teensy bit? I'll get it snipped if it starts rubbing.

The non-chewing pain is definitely subsiding though trying to clean the back of my front teeth is no fun! and yesterday the process of putting wax on my lower fronts had me reaching for painkillers!

My ligs are silver, those photos came out a bit high contrast. I don't want to scare anyone from having metals so this photo is a bit more representative of the general aesthetics...

sks I've got a GUM floss threader and before braces I did floss daily cos that gizmo made it so easy, it is weird not flossing at the mo, but I think I will get back into in time with a threader or something or my hygienest will no doubt tell me off!

Thanks again for the replies