__adrienne`s story; UPDATE PG.8 [two months!] pics

Message

#46 Post by **adrienne** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:08 am

Okay so today I had my expander appointment ... and turns out that I still have a crossbite on my right side

and i will need 15 more turns .. luckily I don't need a new expander because I have the type of expander which doesn't have a specific number of turns in it so I can keep going with my expander ..

***

CALENDAR:

- those in RED mean that they have already past.
- those in GREEN (and an arrow just for fun

) mean that they are upcoming.

- May 15: Visit to dentist for referral. No cavities

- June 7: Consultation and records with Orthodontist
- June 20: Ortho Presentation
- July 4: Expanders in!!
- July 5: Learn how to turn key (with mom)
- August 3: Stop turning expander
- August 9: Expander appointment
-

August 23: Stop turning expander (45th turn)
-

September 18: Expander appointment

So my next appointment is on September 18 .. at least if gives my teeth time to try close that gap!
Oh and by the way I have found out that if I stop turning my expander, my gap will close 1mm per week .. (thats cause my gap is 1mm smaller .. its biggest was 4mm .. and its 3mm big now)

#47 Post by **hannahwebbo** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:40 am

Hi Adrienne,

Im sorry to hear that you still have your crossbite but at least it will be gone soon.

Its wierd that your gap has closed by 1mm as you had stopped turning your expander. I assumed that the expander would hold everything in place after you had stopped turning. What will happen in the few months when you have to wear your expander to set everything but your not turning your key?

Hannah x

#48 Post by **Milk n Cereal** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:33 am

Hi Adrienne!

I hope those final 15 turns do it for your crossbite so you can get the show on the road!

#49 Post by **Laurie** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:03 pm

I know it feels like slow work but you're getting there!

#50 Post by **adrienne** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:33 pm

Thanks everyone for the nice comments!!
Anyway today when I woke up, my right side touched!!! YAY

because for the time when I had my expander, only my left side would touch, but now they both touch

BUT, my bite is way off and my midline is way way off .. anyway at least at the end of 15 turns I won't have anymore crossssbbbbbiiiiite.

#51 Post by **adrienne** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:27 am

Okay so I just came back from my appointment.

there's GOOD and BAD news.

the good news is that,
I'M GETTING MY EXPANDER OFF AT THE NEXT APPOINTMENT!

the bad news is ...

I'm getting ANOTHER expander after I get my current expander taken off

Apparently my ortho thinks that my expansion has gone so well that I can expand even more

but .. I don't want anymore expansion! I want braces to get this done and over with!!

And I'm having a singing competition in the middle of November and I don't want to go on stage with a huge gap between my teeth! My gap has already closed but I don't want ANOTHER gap!!

*cries*

***

CALENDAR:

- those in RED mean that they have already past.
- those in GREEN (and an arrow just for fun

) mean that they are upcoming.

- May 15: Visit to dentist for referral. No cavities

- June 7: Consultation and records with Orthodontist
- June 20: Ortho Presentation
- July 4: Expanders in!!
- July 5: Learn how to turn key (with mom)
- August 3: Stop turning expander
- August 9: Expander appointment
- August 23: Stop turning expander (45th turn)
- September 18: Expander appointment
-

October 8: Expander appointment (expander taken off, impressions taken for new *BOO* expander)

#52 Post by **metalmom** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:07 am

Sorry Adrienne.. I know that we all look forward to the day we lose the expander for good. Try and look on the bright side.... better get it all out of the way now then to find out in a few months you need more expansion and having to adjust all over again to having one in your mouth. I try to keep telling myself I've got a lot of years to live with these teeth and I won't have an expander. In the grand scheme of things I guess this sentence is not that long!!!

#53 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:23 pm

YAY for the expander doing a great job. BOO for having to put another back in.

#54 Post by **hannahwebbo** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:04 am

Hi Adrienne

Im so sorry to hear that you have got to have another expander put in, but like KK said, your ortho wouldnt be doing it unless it was for the best. Just keep visualizing your lovely teeth and smile at the end of it

Did your ortho tell you how long you may have to wear your new expander for? I hope it isnt too long for you.

speak to you soon
Hannah x

#55 Post by **adrienne** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:21 am

Thanks KK, metalmom, Miss Smiley, and hannahwebbo

hannahwebbo: the ortho said that I'll be wearing my new expander for 2-3 months .. (that includes the turning and the bone growing back in bit) so after that, I'm finally getting my braces! He said that when they take the new impressions at the next appointment, he'll be able to see how much more expansion I'll need. (I hope I don't have to have 30 turns again! I DON'T WANT ANOTHER GAP!)

Okay just so you guys know how my teeth are up to now, here's a bad quality pic

(and no my teeth aren't all those different shades of yellow!)

as you can see my top teeth are actually covering my bottom teeth now unlike this photo from 3 months-ish ago:

BUT, now my teeth are kind of slanted!! And my left central tooth (your right) is longer .. my teeth seem to have gotten worse .. >< and also, my left cheek is like .. fatter and bigger .. hard to explain .. because the left side has expanded more than the right, so its uneven ..

#56 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:44 am

WOW, that looks really good already!

#57 Post by **adrienne** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:16 am

So woohoo I got my expander off today

It was actually supposed to be off on Monday, but they changed the time. Oookay .. it didn't really hurt when they pulled my expander off, but I was bleeding .. a lot ..

I didn't really realise until I gargled ..
Oh and they put in seperators (on top and bottom .. ?? weird) .. apparently my second expander won't need to be turned? Is that a TPA or something? Oh they're putting it on the top AND bottom .. Is there such thing as a TPA on the bottom or something? Hmm ..

I'm going back in a week to get my seperators out and to get impressions, then one week after that, I'm getting my new expander thing in ..

Whoot. A few more steps before I finally get my braces in! Yay ..
(PS. I'll add pics in later .. my mouth is .. :/ weird ..

and bleeding ..

and inflammed)

#58 Post by **metalmom** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:10 am

Yea for you!!! Can't wait to see pics. I have one of the expanders you're talking about on the bottom.. They're pre-loaded or something. You never have to turn it just does it's thing slowly. It's NOTHING like the one you just got rid of. I'm due to have mine out in two weeks!! YEA!! I'm glad to hear it doesn't hurt. I'm a little scared of the bleeding though!

Congrats!!

#59 Post by **adrienne** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:01 pm

thanks metalmom

here are the pics:

DAY 1 of my expansion

yesterday, a few hours before my expander was removed. i can definitely see the progress .. woohoo

taken a day after expander was removed (today) .. you can see the gums are quite inflammed and on the inner bit, the bit which looks like shadows are .. raw flesh. heh. the bits which were bleeding. my gums are doing so much better now, but they still bleed when i brush my teeth. oh and you can also see those tiny pain devices

- spacers. there are more on the back but i couldn't open my mouth wide enough to catch them

and i also have spacers on the bottom, but i forgot to take a pic

#60 Post by **hannahwebbo** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 8:22 am

Hi Adrienne.

That expander has done a brilliant job, you can really see the difference that it has made.

The raw flesh and bleeding doesnt sound very nice for you, i know i wouldnt like it, like KK said, i bet warm salt water rinses will help with that.

Well not too long now til we get our braces on, im hoping mine will be sometime in November but i havent got a definate date yet.

Keep us all updated on your soon to be new expander.

Hannah x