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

Message

#76 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.

#77 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

#78 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 ..

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

WOW, that looks really good already!

#80 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)

#81 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!!

#82 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

#83 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

#84 Post by **adrienne** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:15 am

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments

On Thursday, they took out my spacers and tried on the molar bands or whatever which connect the expander together .. it felt SO weird in my mouth! Is that what braces feel like? :S
They then did impressions (psst. when the top impression was done, the assistant couldn't pull it out .. cause it was stuck LOL!) and they put the spacers back in =.='' oh well ..

I'm so nervous for my expanders! I mean .. it's like .. two this time!

#85 Post by **hannahwebbo** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:39 am

Hi Adrienne

Wow

two expanders this time, i hope that not going to be too bad for you, im sure you'll get used to them though.

Sorry to hear that you had to have your spacers put back in, I'm so dreading getting my spacers put in, ive got 10 days to go until it all starts.

Well let us know how your next appointment goes.

Good luck

Hannah x

#86 Post by **adrienne** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:04 am

I hate these expanders. The top is a quad helix and the bottom is no idea but its like the type of expanders that you don't need to turn.
I HATE this. I have a performance next Sunday and I can't even SING properly, my EE's sound weird

this is worse than my RPE. How can I get used to this thing in ONE week!

I might as well have to CHANGE songs because of this ..

Not only that, but my expanders are so visible. The bottom ones have bits sticking UP and the top expander has a wire poking out from in between one of my vampire teeth and one of the other teeth. I don't think I can handle this ):

Anyway, my next appointment is on DECEMBER 6th. These THINGS in my mouth will be staying in there for 2 MONTHS. Why can't I just get my braces.

I'll post pics asap.

#87 Post by **hannahwebbo** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:24 am

Hi Adrienne

I wasnt expecting to hear from you until tomorrow as it says your appointment is on the 26th.

Im soo sorry to hear that your expanders are this bad. It must be a real bummer that those things effect your singing and that you may have to change songs. You got used to the other one so hopefully you will get used to these ones too.

I cant really offer any comforting words as i havent been through any of this yet but just try to keep thinking positive and think about the end result and hopefully these things wont feel so bad.

Good luck with your performance on Sunday

Take care
Hannah x

#88 Post by **adrienne** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:39 am

hannah - my appointment WAS on the 26th

probably the time difference because I live in Hong Kong.
I was miserable at school today .. I had to put wax on all four molar bands because they were getting caught in my gum .. And I still can't talk..

I just wanna RIP them out.

#89 Post by **metalmom** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:14 am

So sorry for you that you're miserable in the new expanders!! I know the one on the bottom does effect your speech quite a bit. That's the only one I have left now and I still have to move my mouth really weird to say my "s's" and a few other sounds... I know it's not fun having 2 in at once I had to suffer through 3 for 3 1/2 months. I was so glad to get the top two off. You could actually see both of my top expanders while they were in. I had one pushing the front teeth out and it had these weird tooth colored buildups on the bottom of it so you could just barely make them out but it looked like another row of funky teeth behind my front teeth.. Since I had that one my expansion put gaps on the sides so you could see the sides of the rpe and their little arms poking out. My lips/cheek would get caught on them.

Try and stay positive! I know it's horrible and I said that as soon as I got all the expanders out I was going to do some karaoke just because I'd be able to talk. haha You might try finding a different song BUT I think if you practice and try moving your mouth different ways you'll find that you can make the sounds pretty well.

SORRY!!!!!! It will get better! Your expansion looks awesome so just think how much better it's going to be when this one is done!

Good luck!

#90 Post by **hannahwebbo** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:39 am

Adrienne

LOL oh yeah, i'm such a duffus

Sorry to hear that they are still such a pain but like Metalmom said, your expansion so far looks great so after these expanders its going to look blooming fantastic.

Keep your chin up and try to remember that you got used to your other expander so you will get more used to these.

Hannah x