Finally braced! Progress pics included

[stepher7]

Thanks Bridget! It's weird to look at the day 1 pics compared to now and remember how bad they were at the start, especially since I look at them and feel them in my mouth everyday so I can't really remember what they felt like 2 months ago lol I still have a ways to go obviously, but it makes me kick myself for not starting this ages ago!

[stepher7]

So I had my first adjustment today and it was a breeze. I'm sure it was so easy because it was the first one so there wasn't much to do. The ortho looked everything over and I just had my top wire changed to the next strength up. My teeth are a tiny bit sore, but barely. My next appointment is June 29th so about 7 weeks. The ortho said they'd change my bottom wire at the next appointment, and I'm hoping my premolars will get wired then too!

[stepher7]

Well I'm eating my words of yesterday in regards to no pain after the stronger wire was put in. That lasted all of a few hours. They were pretty sore by last night and still are today, although it's nothing unmanageable, I haven't even taken any painkillers for it. I'm glad that it was only the top wire that was changed this time. If it had been both I feel as if I'd be back to boring soft food again.

[stepher7]

So last night I had my first minor orthodontic emergency lol I was flossing, which of course we all know is not the easiest thing to do with braces. The floss got caught on one of the coils I have on the bottom, but at the same time that it got caught I was pulling the floss out of my mouth. Well, in doing so I managed to actually pull the archwire out of the last bracket on my bottom molar!! The end of the archwire was sitting up against the bracket which was pushing the archwire out in the spot where the coil is, which made it look like the coil spring was all bubbled out. I really wish I would have thought to take a picture lol anyway, I freaked out for a minute and then I managed to take a pair of tweezers and move the archwire so that the coil wasn't bubbling out, but the wire still wasn't connected into the bracket. I called my ortho's office first thing this morning, but I forgot that my ortho shares the office with another ortho so mine is only there Mon-Wed. Another freak out moment when I thought that I wouldn't be able to get it fixed until next week! Luckily, the receptionist told me to get there in 30 minutes and the other ortho's staff would fix it for me. I got there just in time and it took all of 30 seconds for them to fix it. All in all, it was a very slight emergency lol but it was my first, so now hopefully I won't panic as much the next time something like that happens!

[SilverGirl]

Your teeth are looking great at 2 months! It's amazing how quickly they come into alignment. Glad you were able to get your wire fixed right away!

[stepher7]

Thanks SilverGirl! I'm pretty amazed at how much they've moved too. At my wire change on Monday he said they'd put the stronger wire on the bottom at my next appt., which is June 29, and I'm REALLY hoping that my premolars can be added to the mix at that appt. It's a little discouraging to see all of my other teeth moving so well and those ones are still tilted in and look awful lol but I guess it doesn't happen overnight, so I'll try to be patient lol

[bridget51992]

Way to go getting that wire taken care of!! I wouldn't have known what to do besides call my orthodontist (and he's an hour and a half away)! The only emergency I've had so far is a spacer popping out, which I honestly didn't mind that much. Keep being awesome! : D

[stepher7]

haha I did freak out at first, it was like midnight when it happened so I was really worried about leaving it like that all night, but it all turned out ok! I'd be really freaked out if a bracket came off...that's something I hope I don't ever have to deal with!

[stepher7]

I haven't put in an update in a bit, so I thought I would today. Not much is exciting in my little braceiverse these days. My bottom teeth felt good for a few days and are back to being sore in a few spots I know it's all part of the process though, so I'm just trying to deal with it. I've had a few moments of feeling discouraged the past few days. My teeth have improved soooo much already, but it still feels like so far off from them being done. I've been feeling really impatient and just wishing I had started this whole process at least 2 years ago! lol I'm trying to just ignore the braces as much as possible in hopes that the next 18 months or so will fly by without me noticing haha fat chance of that probably, huh? My next adjustment isn't until June 29 so unfortunately I still have another 6 weeks or so to stare at my mouth and ponder the things I'm unhappy with and wonder when they'll finally be fixed. I just have to remember that it's a slow process and take it one day at a time.
I was out the other night with some friends and somehow the topic of my braces came up. My one friend made some comment about how she figures that if you can make it through high school without getting braces than you should be fine the way you are as an adult. Oh boy, truly spoken like someone who never had to have braces. I completely disagreed with her and told her that she doesn't realize how much it bothered me. I told her to go back and look through old pictures and see how many of them are of me with a closed mouth smile. Hardly anyone ever noticed because I learned to hide it and I also wouldn't really put myself into positions where I was close enough for people to see. I will be SO glad when these things are finally off and I won't have to even think about how to smile or laugh to hide my teeth. I'll be 2 1/2 months in on Saturday so I'll take some more pics and post them then. I don't think too much is different, but I'll post them anyway and see.

[stepher7]

So obviously I didn't end up posting pics last Saturday. I figured that not too much has changed so I'll wait until the 3 month mark to post new ones. Nothing too exciting happening with the braces....one thing that I've noticed though that's bothering me is one of my front teeth seems to be tipping back a little bit where it didn't before. I know that things get worse before they get better, so I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, especially since I'm still so early into the process and there's tons of time to fix anything that pops up. I'm wondering though if it's just because of how things are supposed to be moving, or if at my adjustment the assistant made a mistake. I noticed after the adjustment (which was a few of weeks ago now) that one of those little metal things at the front on the top archwire was really clamped shut. The ones I had before were round and looked like they were just sitting on the archwire, but this time one of them is clamped flat almost. Is this normal? Does anyone know what I'm talking about? lol I guess my next adjustment is in about a month so I can mention it then and hopefully my tooth doesn't move too much between now and then. It's pretty frustrating not knowing what's normal and what's not in this whole process. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to try and relax and not worry about it!

[braced33]

Hi stepher!

Funny, I've been feeling the exact same way lately! A little discouraged and a little sick of having braces, and just wishing that I was a little closer to being finished with this process. And, things are sore in different places just about every day, but I've been trying not to think about it or be concerned like I was in the beginning.

I can't believe that your friend said that! Such an insensitive and rude comment. I would try not to let it bother you, she obviously doesn't understand what it's like to spend years hiding your teeth and smile.

Your teeth really do look so much straighter now then they did in the beginning. I hope that things get better and look forward to seeing your next round of pics!

[stepher7]

Thanks braced33! I definitely just ignored her comment. I don't think she was trying to be rude, she just doesn't think sometimes about how what she's saying might come across. She's never had braces so she doesn't understand that it can be embarrassing. Also, I really don't think anyone ever thought that my teeth were bad! I've heard so many times "I never would have thought you'd need braces" I just got good at hiding it I guess! I too am VERY sick of them, some days I just wish I could pull them off lol but then I think to the end result and remember why I'm doing this. Plus, I've already paid about $2500 on them, so I might as well finish and make it worth the money!! haha

[braced33]

Hi stepher,

Yeah, I'm sure that she was just oblivious to how hurtful and insensitive her comment was...

My friends have all been supportive in their comments, but I'm sure that some are thinking something like what your friend said and just haven't vocalized it out loud.

Whatever... Hopefully, this is all worth it in the end!

[stepher7]

I know it will be so worth it in another year and a half or so when these babies come off! Waiting for the changes seems to take forever, but it seems like all of a sudden one day you look and everything looks so much straighter!

[JulieFL]

Such progress so quickly! Thanks for sharing