The Professor's Story of Braces at 40 (with pics)

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#61 Post by **newbite** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 9:47 am

Hah that is so funny! I think people must forget what it's like to have braces (seems like most people have braces at some point in their life). I like that you tried to eat the apple anyway-- I would have done the same thing haha. My husband still offers me nuts all the time (almonds!) and I have to remind him. Reminds me of how people always seem to forget and give diabetics candy, cookies, and other things as gifts. They can't eat them but WANT to eat them and into the garbage they go.

#62 Post by **TheProfessor** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 7:18 pm

I know exactly what you mean. I have a good friend who is deathly allergic to nuts. Everyone knows it but people still forget and offer her peanut m&ms and other poisonous treats!

Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:55 pm

Braces definitely make you think twice about what you eat (and when you eat it!)

A couple of days ago, my boss had me try out some potato chips he's been addicted to. I reluctantly ate one and commented, "The flavor is good, but crispy chips don't work well with braces." His response was, "Oh that's right...you have braces..." It's funny how I am always so aware of my braces, and other people forget I even have them!

#64 Post by **kelly88** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:16 am

I've just read through your thread and your progress is incredible. Looking great

#65 Post by **TheProfessor** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:58 am

kelly88 wrote:I've just read through your thread and your progress is incredible. Looking great

Thanks! When I look back at my "before" pictures I can't believe that my teeth straightened out so much in such a short time! Braces are annoying, but they really work! I just wish I would have had the courage to do it sooner!

#66 Post by **TheProfessor** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 8:04 pm

Today is my One Year Braces Anniversary! The year has gone by fast, even though it still seems like the 8 week intervals between adjustments go by really slowly.

The transformation of my lower teeth is amazing, I now have a lower arch instead of a jumbled up mess! My upper teeth also look better- I think my smile is wider, but I still have an overjet that will be corrected in the next 12 months (I hope!) I am currently sporting .014 x .025 archwires upper and lower, an elastic tie between my two upper centrals, and a power chain on my lowers. I had IPR on my lower 6 incisors 5 weeks ago and the gaps have closed up while my teeth became more upright. I had my first pokey wire on the lower left side this week! I went in yesterday to get it clipped and while I was there, I asked the assistant to see if she could do something about the sharp end of the upper wire in the right side. She accidentally popped off the bracket, so my 5 min appointment ended up being 45 minutes since I had to wait for my ortho to have time to stick the bracket back on! She also really tightened up the stops on either side of my right central incisor on top. Today that tooth feels weird and seems to be tilted at a different angle (see pic below).

My next adjustment is in 3 weeks. They will do some progress X-rays and see if any brackets need to be repositioned. I will finish my monthly payments in October, I am hoping that the next phase of my treatment will go faster than the expected 12 months and I'll be done by then or at least earlier than March, 2016.

Here are some progress pics:

Day 1 (I can't believe I walked around with my teeth like this for so long!)

1 Year Anniversary

#67 Post by **newbite** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 8:52 pm

Happy braceversary! (Or whatever the word would be!). Your teeth are looking wonderful, woohoo!!

#68 Post by **NeilH** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:21 am

What fantastic progress. I'm sure the second year will fly by!

#69 Post by **TheProfessor** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:28 pm

Thanks NeilH and newbite! I figured out why my upper front teeth felt like they were moving. 2 of my brackets were open! I just noticed it last night, but you can actually see the open doors on the pictures I posted on Wednesday. This means that they have been open since I visited the ortho on Tuesday! I was able to close the door on my lateral incisor, but the one on my left front tooth won't budge. Looks like I'll be visiting the ortho again on Monday! These two brackets weren't touched when I had the back right bracket reattached on Tuesday, they must have popped open when my ortho clamped down so hard on the stops on my upper wire. She commented that she was looking to see if all the doors were closed when she sat up the chair I was in- she must have just looked at the brackets on the right side and ignored the others. I guess I'll have to start checking my brackets before I leave the ortho....

#70 Post by **aspiromusings** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:53 pm

wow that is some remarkable progress, congrats! you must be stoked =)

#71 Post by **newbite** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 10:21 pm

That really stinks about the bracket doors! I hope your teeth didn't move too much. Eek!

#72 Post by **TheProfessor** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 10:55 am

newbite wrote:That really stinks about the bracket doors! I hope your teeth didn't move too much. Eek!

That tooth has definitely moved, my tongue can feel that it has tilted in and is no longer level with my right central. It is amazing how fast teeth can move--I guess it will move back where it was after the wire gets engaged again. I'm annoyed with my ortho, but I'm also annoyed with myself for not noticing the open doors until Friday evening. I guess that's the price I pay for not being as obsessed with my braces as I was for the first 9 months!

#73 Post by **TheProfessor** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 5:57 pm

So, I dropped by the ortho today to get the door closed on my left front tooth. The assistant had to push REALLY hard on the wire to be able to close the bracket, that tooth had really moved in 6 days! It was really painful when she was pushing on it ( the most pain I have ever felt during the bracket-closing process) but as soon as the door clicked back in place the tooth moved back even with my other front tooth and stopped hurting.

The moral of the story: if you have self-ligating brackets and start to have unusual movement in a tooth, check to see if the bracket door is closed!!!!

#74 Post by **newbite** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 6:18 pm

I'm so glad they could get the door closed without breaking the bracket, and I'm glad it's not going to push back your treatment! Now I'm worried my doors are open haha

#75 Post by **TheProfessor** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 6:27 pm

newbite wrote:I'm so glad they could get the door closed without breaking the bracket, and I'm glad it's not going to push back your treatment! Now I'm worried my doors are open haha

Me too! It hurt so much that I didn't even think about the possibility of a broken bracket! I'm glad It didn't break--I would not have been a happy camper if I would have needed to get the bracket replaced today. Next adjustment is 2 weeks from tomorrow, hopefully I can stay away from the ortho until then

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The Professor's Story of Braces at 40 (with pics)

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