MY Braces Journey, 02-16-09 --> ??

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#61 Post by **Takako** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:59 pm

Hullo! My appointment was last tursday and it went well. My gaps were not quite closed (aw, close enough!?) so I'm in more powerchain. My next appointment isn't for 9 weeks because my orth is having her baby!! Yaaay!! Sure, an assistant could change my ligs in the meantime but she demands to look at every patient when they come in.

I did talk to her and she said that I'm right on course, and that I'm right: the second year is BORING, and to just hang on and ride it out.

#62 Post by **Takako** » Sat May 15, 2010 11:11 am

SO! That was a long break, huh!? 9 weeks to be exact, because my ortho had her baby!!

I just went in Wednesday. Boy, was I glad to get that nasty powerchain off. 9 weeks is TOO LONG. My silver chain looked... whitish peach. It was gross.

SO! I am also glad the assistant I have is good, and pays attention and actually cares about me. She noticed all of my gaps were closed, and so instead of just putting on new ligatures she went and got the head ortho. She asked another assistant first for advice, and that assistant said "if she's just in for an adjustment just follow the directions." I am SO GLAD my assistant did NOT do that!

Instead, the ortho came over and decided it was time to rotate some of my teeth! Yay! Now I have what is basically like powerchain but smaller in diameter. I only have it in a few places, linking one tooth to another, to rotate those two teeth towards each other. I have 4 places in my mouth where this is going on, and the rest is normal ligs. I picked orange again this time. It looks a little spotty because of the clear ligs but meh.

Also, Stubborn Gap on my lower right extraction site HAD closed, but of course since powerchain was removed, it has opened up again ever so slightly. No where NEAR how much it did in december. It seems like I will be dealing with this gap opening and closing for some time still. The biggest downside is that it HURTS every time XD

#63 Post by **Takako** » Sat May 15, 2010 11:50 am

Oh, and no pictures because really, nothing has changed. Teeth rotating isn't very exciting.

I had a question... How long have you guys kept the same wire? I've had the same wire since my very first placement.

#64 Post by **Takako** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:33 pm

So I thought maybe nothing was happening, but I have ended up with a rotated upper lateral incisor, so much that there's a tiny space between it and the central incisor now. Stubborn lower right Gap is chillin out at its usual position of open. I realised looking at some old photos that it's having the most trouble because there was actually a tooth in that space, unlike in the other three spots where the tooth that was SUPPOSED to be there had been crowded out; thus after the extractions the teeth just rushed in and filled the gap, but that couldn't happen in Stubborn Gap land.

I'm not sure why my two upper central incisors were linked together for rotation, as it seems to have done more harm than good but HEY, I'm not an orthodontist! Maybe Spacey incisor and my now rather Wonky central incisor will be linked at my next appointment, this week!! Yaaay. Those are really the only 2 teeth in my mouth right now that are (in my opinion) facing the wrong way. And Wonky central incisor is sliding a bit behind its neighbor. They both seem over-rotated, but maybe that's on purpose so they can be linked together and rotate back towards each other in perfect harmony lol.

I guess I'll put up a photo next time. It's just such a boring period for movement. Oh well!! I've got about 7 months left!

#65 Post by **Takako** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:20 pm

Bazoom!!! Guess what I got at my appointment today?!

NEW WIRES!! WOOOO!! After more than a year of being on my first set of wires I finally got new ones! They are super huge; I went from hair-thin starter-wires to chunky square wires. My ortho says they are bigger but "softer". She says they are going to "open everything up" a bit and let my teeth "settle into place".

The bad part of it was having my face mauled by the assistant as she shoved them in. Why has no one mentioned this!? Getting thick wires rammed through tiny buccal tubes is NOT a pleasant experience. I've got a high tolerance for pain, but this was the first time I think I've said "Ow" during a procedure. Not even during my extractions. Heck, I cheered during those. I admit I cheered a bit during this wire insertion too; it was just a lot of pressure and I was fairly sure she was going to break my molars. But I made it through and now I have re-bar in my teeth!! :#

So yes, picture time at last! I was hoping the picture would show how much thicker this wire is, but it really doesn't. Trust me though, it's a lot thicker. And square. I went with neon orange and pink this time because I LOVE the ligs in those colors. They're just so bright! And I felt like celebrating.

Speaking of celebrating, when the ortho tells you you're going to be on a liquid diet for the next few days, the best idea is to drive directly to McDonalds after the adjustment and eat chicken SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM before the pain sets in. And get a deliciously cool Frappe. And then drop by Publix and get Special-K protein shakes. Yep.

I also got my teeth cleaned this morning, so it was a day of dental hi jinks. I'm super awesome happy that I'm on the next step of my treatment! *dances!*

#66 Post by **Takako** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:47 pm

Yoink!!! Hallo all. As far as I can tell, my mongo super wires have done some work, probably most of it I can't see. I still have a tiny gap on the lower right... *sigh*. My upper teeth do seem to be aligned better. My ortho says everything is on schedule, so yay! She quoted me two years, and that's February 2011. I think I'm doing pretty well. No pictures, because honestly, there's no visible change.

#67 Post by **Olivia** » Sat Sep 04, 2010 1:14 am

Hi takako,

I've been reading your story and I just had to comment: Your teeth look great! So much improvement and movement! Hang in there, your almost done!

#68 Post by **Takako** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:52 pm

Thanks Olivia!

My upper right gap has reopened a millimeter or two. All the work of this thick wire, which I guess is aligning my roots. My ortho says I'm right on track so WOOO! Oh, and did I mention my other upper wisdom tooth is coming in now too? *hides* I don't wanna have surgery!! *stuffs her consults into a bag and hides it somewhere*

#69 Post by **Takako** » Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:08 pm

Woo, no posts recently because... boringness. Nothing visibly exciting has been happening lol! I hope to get rubber bands soon so my back gaps close...

#70 Post by **Laney'sBraces** » Fri Dec 31, 2010 12:09 pm

Hi.Just wanted to say hang in there.Your teeth look nice and I'm excited to see your final result! I got my braces on 4/14/09 so I shouldn't be too far behind you. But it seems like it's hard to know what to expect at this stage...I know there's only one more wire to go on the bottom for me, but the top could be one or two, I guess it depends how much movement they see when I go back in Feb. And at that appointment, I'll have been wearing my class II elastics for six months sooo...I'm tired of those.
Anyway, good luck as you near the end!!

#71 Post by **Takako** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:55 am

Thanks!! I should probably take another picture one of these days. My teeth MUST be straighter or something... I know Stubborn Gap is finally closed now, although *just barely* lol.

#72 Post by **Takako** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:33 pm

Ok, picture time! The only way I see any difference is comparing it to December of LAST year. But it does seem like my arch has flattened out a lot. Which I thought might be happening. And without elastics, too... I can't help but wonder if this kind of shift would have been faster *with* elastics? I can understand being "gentle" but DANG, a year!?

#73 Post by **Takako** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:07 am

I'm so excited! I had my appointment today and guess what??

I got elastics! Finally! Yaaaay ^^. I'm wearing them from first uppers to back molar. They aren't as tight as I imagined they would be. I'm sure I'll be less excited about this in a few hours hahah. I'm pink and purple right now for spring ^^

#74 Post by **Takako** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:02 pm

I graduated to thicker elastics at my last appointment! My open bite on the left and right is almost gone! Wonky tooth is still tipped inward but my ortho must not think it's that big of a deal so I've stopped worrying about it. My bite feels GREAT.

#75 Post by **revelvia** » Fri May 13, 2011 6:33 am

Did you get any reaction from the kids you work with? I work in a nursery where I'm obviously very close to young children all the time. I'm sure they will no doubt be interested in what is going on in my mouth but I'm a little worried about freaking out the babies or something, haha

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