Harriet's Journey

[Ruzzzz]

wow..your story and pics have really inspired me to get mine done..i was a bit sceptical as to whether theyd work..your lowers are very much like my teeth and in 4/5 months yours look perfect! my top teeth are horrendous though:( and will probably take much longer..i have seen 6 month smiles as a lingual treatment to so im thinking of having these done for my top teeth and lowers as the normal 6 month smiles..quick question- are the molar build ups a must for all patients or is it just for certain patients..i need my teeth doing ASAP but im so scared and too conscious as to how they would look! thanx

[Harriet]

wow..your story and pics have really inspired me to get mine done..i was a bit sceptical as to whether theyd work..your lowers are very much like my teeth and in 4/5 months yours look perfect! my top teeth are horrendous though:( and will probably take much longer..i have seen 6 month smiles as a lingual treatment to so im thinking of having these done for my top teeth and lowers as the normal 6 month smiles..quick question- are the molar build ups a must for all patients or is it just for certain patients..i need my teeth doing ASAP but im so scared and too conscious as to how they would look! thanx

Thanks for your reply! I too was really worried about how they'd look but it really isn't so bad. The first few days after getting the top braces put on I was really self conscious but no one stared at my mouth while I talked or even mentioned them which made me feel a lot better!! I think lingual treatment might take a bit longer but if you don't want people to see are a good option. I didn't go for these as I knew I wouldn't be able to not play with them and would end up with a sore tongue! I was also more worried about getting a lisp than the visual side.

Not everyone needs molar buildups, it depends on your bite. If I hadn't got them my uppers would have been biting down on the brackets but if you have no overbite or and underbite you probably won't need them. They are rubbish to start with but you soon get used to them. I'm actually a bit worried how I'll cope without them now!! Silly I know!
Hope I've helped!

[Ruzzzz]

i keep looking at your pictures and im pretty amazed that teeth can straighten in such a small period of time..im kicking myself for not realising treatments like this were available and suffered through school college and no university with appalling teeth! the only problem now is that i dotn want braces which can be seen..ive had consultations for invisalign and clear step which are aligners but have been told itd take 18-24 months! i need to have my teeth done by june/july ish as i have weddings etc coming up..a few orthos have said they can use the powerprox six month system in tandem with linguals and so youd have a proper invisable 6 month brace..! id only have these on my uppers and the regular 6 months on the lowers but im struggling to find more then two orthos in the uk which do this ..also can i ask..how quickly do you see movement..kuz to me your lowers are perfect can you ask for them to be taken off or is it upto the ortho as to how straight they will be? thanxxx

[Harriet]

I saw movement in the first month, and bottoms were pretty much done by 4-5months. It is generally up to the orthodontist when they come off, but you are the patient and they would have to take them off if you requested they do so, just remember that they have had extensive training (hopefully) and will know what is best for your teeth.

[Ruzzzz]

[quote="Harriet"]I saw movement in the first month, and bottoms were pretty much done by 4-5months. It is generally up to the orthodontist when they come off, but you are the patient and they would have to take them off if you requested they do so, just remember that they have had extensive training (hopefully) and will know what is best for your teeth.[/quote]

thankyou! because ive seen your pics im gonna go to see orthos this week and get a move on!!!

[Harriet]

Yay! I decided to post here so that I could help others who were struggling with the decision ( I found it really hard to find real information from people who'd experienced the 6 month braces) so it makes me happy to know I've helped you out! Good luck!

[bellcat]

You're bottoms are looking great!!! They look perfectly straight to me!!!! So exciting!!!

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

wow awesome how many months did it take to make your lower arch straight?

[Harriet]

wow awesome how many months did it take to make your lower arch straight?

About 4 months! It's a shame I didn't get my uppers put on at the same time as the lowers because I'd probably be finished now!

Bottoms aren't quite perfect but compared to what they were like they're amazing to me. I didn't have extractions or IPR so they slant forwards a bit- the tips won't though so I don't mind.

Thanks bellcat

[Hawke]

Hi Harriet,
Thanks for sharing your info. Your post have been very informative and helpful. Your teeth are looking GREAT!
I am 10 days in doing the 6 month smiles, and are just really getting
getting used to the situation. Using wax is a must for me. Probably wouldn't have done this for two years ( As I am a 57 year old male).
Hopefully I'l be done in about six months or so.

Good Luck the rest of the way, you should be done pretty soon.

Thanks ...Mike

[Harriet]

Hi Harriet,
Thanks for sharing your info. Your post have been very informative and helpful. Your teeth are looking GREAT!
I am 10 days in doing the 6 month smiles, and are just really getting
getting used to the situation. Using wax is a must for me. Probably wouldn't have done this for two years ( As I am a 57 year old male).
Hopefully I'l be done in about six months or so.

Good Luck the rest of the way, you should be done pretty soon.

Thanks ...Mike

Thanks Mike! Wax will be your best friend, I still use it on my lowers quite a bit and they've been on almost 6 months!

Good luck with your journey!

[Harriet]

Hi Harriet,
Thanks for sharing your info. Your post have been very informative and helpful. Your teeth are looking GREAT!
I am 10 days in doing the 6 month smiles, and are just really getting
getting used to the situation. Using wax is a must for me. Probably wouldn't have done this for two years ( As I am a 57 year old male).
Hopefully I'l be done in about six months or so.

Good Luck the rest of the way, you should be done pretty soon.

Thanks ...Mike

Thanks Mike! Wax will be your best friend, I still use it on my lowers quite a bit and they've been on almost 6 months!

Good luck with your journey!

[Harriet]

The lowers are off! I'm very pleased with them. They are by no means perfect, but they are good enough for me! Getting them off was actually fine, I was expecting a lot of pain but only removing one of two of the brackets on the incisors was a bit uncomfortable. I've got a bonded lower retainer, which isn't anywhere near as annoying as I though it would be. I've had a go flossing it with super floss and it's not too much hassle. I'll be picking up my removable retainer on the 28th (Hopefully there will be minimal shifting until then due to the bonded retainer)
I've made a before and after comparison picture so you can see how far i've come in 6 months and 6 days!



I just can't wait for the uppers to catch up now.

[treehillfan]

Your teeth look wonderful! I am supposed to be getting impressions done tomorrow, I'm a bit nervous.

[frankiecgsw]

Looking good, looking good!!