If you want to share the detailed saga of your braces story, this is the place to do it. You can use this forum as a braces journal, editing and updating your posts as your treatment goes on. Remember to also visit the main ArchWired.com site for additional stories from other readers!
ATTENTION NEW MEMBERS: Do not post full-face photos or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.
Thanks Ken and starzz for your responses. All I can say today is OUCH. It even hurt to eat ice cream....oh well it was good as it was a food day at work and I didn't eat much of anything....I have a feeling it will take a couple of days with some TLC to get my lower arch under control...hopefully before next Wednesday as I have my biannual dental cleaning....
Starzz here is a picture of what I was talking about....you have to look close but right up against my teeth you will see a straight line. that is not the wire, that is the lig that is wrapped around two brackets. Its not the best pic but, it was done with my cell phone. could not get the camera to focus well enough to get a good shot.
Ken, thanks for the response. I plan to dose up on some OTC meds before that appointment and I will let the hygienist know about the recent appointment so she will be careful (shes great!)
The pain is subsiding some. Still quite painful to chew but I know that gets blood flowing and will make it quit hurting sooner.
I am not sure but it almost seems that my teeth are getting crowded due to this extra pressure. Doesn't look like it in the mirror but when I feel the back of my teeth with my tongue it seems like some teeth are in front of others (like a hair in difference) but not overlapped by any means. Or is this what teeth that are lined up are supposed to feel like????
Well today I had my dental cleaning, and was told they wish I could be the poster child for how to take care of your teeth while in braces. Yes my head swelled a bit!
Everything is great with the cleaning, I warned my hygienist before she got started that I was still sore from the adjustment last week. She actually was harder than she has ever been....she scraped off more extra cement (seems like she finds more and more every time i go in)...I guess that is the teeth moving and she is able to see more angles than the prior six months!!! When she got to the point of cleaning my bottom teeth her exact quote was, "what in the hell did they do there?" She had never seen the way that the ligs are wrapped around 2 teeth, then the wire then power chain. She had a tough time cleaning my bottom teeth due to all the extra stuff....then flossing was a big chore for her...I have honestly not flossed since my last adjustment as I have been too sore. She had a heck of a time and I know that when it is time for me to do it, it will be even crazier....I have been using my water pik like crazy though...she said it seems to be working well (as long as I do not rely on it for flossing but while sore it would be a good alternative.)
So then the dentist came in and took a look, and said that I am doing a good job on cleaning my teeth and everything looked good except one spot....underneath the brackets on my lower front teeth. Since they have added the mass of ligs/powerchains it is very tight and she can see some swelling and stuff like that...she she gave me a childs toothbrush and said to use that under there. Since it is smaller it would help clean down there better. In my mind, i was thinking...oh great another toothbrush to add to the cleaning regiment....oh well better do it to keep the teeth and gums in good health!
On the plus side, my dentist pulled out xrays from before i got braces to the ones i had taken today and you could actually see the changes in where teeth are....that was freaking cool....wish i had a way to post them so you guys could see it!!!
Oh yeah....no cavities!!!!!! that makes 29 1/2 years with no cavities!!!!! GO ME!!!!!
I had my 3 week appointment yesterday. It was sort of confusing....the assistant had mixed up my records saying that I was supposed to get the closing loop yesterday. I ended up not getting it. I suggested we do it but my ortho said nope not this time... but i got all new powerchains and I now wear class II elastics on both sides. In the last 3 weeks, i have been breaking the elastics several times a day...ouch as it does not feel good to have one pop you in the gums. I told my ortho about it and she said it sounded like a defective bag and gave me 2 new bags. They have been working like a charm. We did the whole bite, open, bite, open thing and my ortho was actually happy!!!!! finally my bite on top and bottom from the canines back are where they are supposed to be. So, class II elastics for another 3 weeks, then the closing loop.
It was so nice to hear that my teeth are finally cooperating!!!!!
Awesome adjustment, it sounds like it went well! I am also in elastics and have the closing loops on both top and bottom archwires now. I've had the closing loops on top for about 2 months almost and just got the closing loops on bottom Monday. So far the loops aren't causing much pain, just annoying bc more food gets stuck there. The elastics are what kills.
Thanks for responding to my journey. It seems like no one wants to hear about my postings...but I see lots of people read it. So someone must be interested in it.
I just posted on your journey. Your teeth are looking wonderful! I am so happy you have a debanding date. Actually I am jealous. I cant wait to have these things off!!!!!!
Anyone who has had experience with closing loops:
As far as the closing loops, how do they work? If you look at my pictures you can see that from canines back I have perfect bite (well maybe not in those pictures, but it is now perfect (note to self take and post more pictures)). Next time (in 3 weeks) we will be working to move the front 4 teeth back with the closing loops to finish off the bite.
Anyways, thanks to all who have read and/or posted on my journey.
Thanks for remembering Ken I think you answered this same question for me when I got the loops.
sdawdy - I did post a response to your question in my braces story but not sure how good a job I did at explaining. Its hard to explain without seeing it in 3 dimensions. And about how u said not a lot of people respond to ur posts sometimes but lots read it... I get that as well so its not just u.
Well, I had a major adjustment today. I did in fact get the closing loops as my ortho had promised me!
1. I lost the double lig thing they had going on bottom (yeah, now i can floss almost normal)
2. I forgot I had it but I had a wire tie chain on the top, lost that also!!!!
3. No power chain on top
4. Got no elastics this time around
5. Got closing loops from....(a really hot place!!) made from a 22 stainless steel wire
Here are a couple of pictures from today. I got purple on top (ortho approval since we were not doing power chains)
The second picture of the closing loop.
I can already see a difference on my right side with things closing...oh yeah and OUCH
Thanks Ken,
I really appreciate your in put....makes me laugh or say to myself, well that sounds just about right! It really helps!
So, I woke up this morning thinking, ok, no pain this is great....then I yawned (do I really need to say more?)....I think its going to be an Ibuprofen day and not much talking! I know this is a big step in getting my braces off so, all I can say is I am at this portion of my journey and if others survived, then I will too.
Not having my elastics in feels weird. I got so used to them and now I feel like I am cheating because I dont have them in!
I asked my ortho this time what happens while you are on maternity leave? She is about to pop at any time! (I think she said she has 4 weeks left). She advised there will be an Ortho from one of the other locations there once a week and she will make detailed notes so he knows excatly where we are and what is going on and what the next step would be if things moved extra fast.
Well, off to find really soft things so i can attempt to munch through out the day (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
Hey sorry to hear you are in some pain now but you know it will all be worth it! That's awesome though that you can already see a difference. Those loops should help a lot. I am going in to see my ortho tomorrow because one of my loops is sort of crooked and the tooth right there is crooked now too. I hope he can bend it or get me a new wire. They are really good at moving the teeth but not when they are bent funny haha. Watch out for extra food getting in there also - they are pretty annoying in that respect. Hope you enjoy your freedom from the elastics; that makes a big difference in daily life for me since I can't eat with them in and usually avoid munching through out the day since it's such a hassle to take them out and put them back in and such, so have fun with that!
Andromeda,
Thanks for visiting me again. These things are a pain the @$$...but yes they will do good for me. Trying to keep a positive spin thru the pain!!!
I hope you are able to get your closing loops cleared up. I can see how it would be easy to bend these. A big chunk of food....swipe....its now sticking out of my mouth...or that is what my imagination is showing me!!!
So, its been almost 2 weeks with these closing loops.....and they are still driving me nuts. They are so freaking huge and the one on the left side of my mouth is still cutting the crap out of my lip. The right side sits close to my gums and really has not cause much trouble (except catching food) once the newness wore off, but the left one sits out and I have used so much freaking wax it is not funny. Finally, yesterday was the first day that I didn't have to wax the snot out of the loop on the left side (yeaaaaaaaaa). I am not really noticing a big difference with my teeth...guess that means time for a picture so i can study and analyze it to see if there is any changes.
Anyways, i am just complaining right now, today has been a very stressful day. I had to call Child Services about my nephew. He is two years old today, and on Saturday I had him for the day and noticed some very suspicious bruising on his body....looks like the back of a hand and finger marks. I know I did the right thing in getting it checked out as there is a long history in the crap going on with the family and I could not not seek help for him. I just hope the best will come from this. Oh yeah, it was an anonymous call but the entire family is blaming me for the investigation starting (I was impressed the Police and Child Services were at the house within hours of my phone call to them). I want to scream out and say yes I did it, but I also want to try and keep peace with the family. Tell me I did the right thing and I shouldn't be upset....I keep telling myself but it does not seem to work. I guess this will be a new topic that I get to discuss with my counselor.
I dont believe I have commented on your story at all yet but I feel compelled to now. As a once liscensed foster parent you absolutely did the right thing. In this day and age we see far to may people saying 'I didnt think he/she/they would do something like X." "I thought I knew them so well. He/She/They were so nice." and so forth AFTER something horrific happens. Or worse "I noticed X and didn't really think anything of it." said WAY to many times after the fact. What you did, although difficult was the right thing. Kids need to be protected. By all of us.
Ken and Techie,
Thank you so much for your reassurance on this whole matter. I am feeling much better today about the decision that I made. I know it was the right thing to do for my little guy. I just hope that the family can get over it as you gotta protect the ones that cant protect themselves.
but i got all new powerchains and I now wear class II elastics on both sides. In the last 3 weeks, i have been breaking the elastics several times a day...ouch as it does not feel good to have one pop you in the gums. I told my ortho about it and she said it sounded like a defective bag and gave me 2 new bags. They have been working like a charm. We did the whole bite, open, bite, open thing and my ortho was actually happy!!!!! finally my bite on top and bottom from the canines back are where they are supposed to be. So, class II elastics for another 3 weeks, then the closing loop. 
