Oldfart Orthodontic Diary

[Dee17]

Big improvements in your bottom teeth, OF. Looking good! You're very lucky that your orthodontist will be Able to close your molar gaps. Mine said he couldn't close my two gaps left by my earlier extractions. So I will end up having to get either a bridge or an implant.

[oldfart]

Just a post out of boredom. Decided to show an upward angle showing overbite.. or is it overjet.. not sure of the difference.

[oldfart]

Pic taken at an upward angle. There is just tad of anterior open bite, but not much.

[Tobilei]

Overjet Overjet is where the top teeth stick out further than the bottoms and need to be pulled back in a bit, overbite is is also called a deep bite and is where when the mouth closes the bottom teeth often hit the top of the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth. You also can often not see the bottom teeth as they're covered by the top one's.

I have one daughter who had an overjet and one who has an overbite. Yours doesn't look very bad. I'm sure it will come in pretty quickly

[oldfart]

The overjet has actually increased in the first month. I know its temporary. Its like millimeters or less. But my front sixth teeth now have more gaps than before. I think its a but because they wire is changing the front teeth from a V shape to a more U shape. Assuming they will then pull everything back with a power chain and class II elastics

I've kinda answered one of my own questions. For my wires in the back they left them about 2 mm on each side past the end of the wire tube, and bent them in toward the tooth and then cut them. It's because if they trimmed they close. As the teeth move it could pull the wire out of the band.

I hate the lighting on that last pic. The one i am trying to do is an outside one with the sunlight reflecting off of the brackets. Think the contrast would look cool. Just haven't got it done right.

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[Dee17]

I think you're so funny OF with all your experimenting with the photos. I hate taking photos of my own teeth. I find it very frustrating. But good for you! Keep at it!

[oldfart]

Its my OCD i guess. (undiagnosed). Its either have fun with them, or go insane worrying. (this is another thread to post when I get bored.)

[Dee17]

I wasn't being critical and I hope you didn't take it that way. I was just commenting on how funny I think it is that you post so many photos of your braces. That's all!

[oldfart]

Not at all insulted. But yeah, I post too many. I figured by now anyone who reads my thread here knows how odd I am by now.

[Dee17]

Well, I don't think you're odd at all. Just a bit more fascinated and obsessed than I am. I think that for me the thrill is long gone. I am in countdown mode -- but I know I have a long time to wait until I can get these things removed. Nevertheless, I am in anticipation.

[oldfart]

No pics this week yet. My three yr old ran off with the camera. That is always interesting to see the pics he takes. (Will add a non ortho related camera story at the end about how one of my other kids gave me sheer panic by taking photos.)

Bottom: Good. The one tooth in front that was slightly pushed back is almost flush now. Not perfect, but pretty close

Top: Bad. Okay not bad, since I know whats going on. But my bite is now worse. I think my whole upper front arch is being pushed out (rounded) a bit. This is causing some slight gaps betwen a few of the teeth which are no big deal. But its causing a bit more of an overbite (I need to reread my own post on the overbite/overjet definition) as my top teeth are being pushed more forward. This has increased the overbite by about another mm. Also my upper canines dont bite in between the gap between my lower canines and the bicuspids behind them. (I really need to go double check my teeth definitions to be sure I use the right ones. They are now hitting higher on the canines. Not quite tip to tip but enough to cause the open bite in the back to seperate more. In my prebraces photo you could see the tops overlap the bottom a bit. Now there is bit of an anterior open bite also.

All will be fixed I'm sure. I think they are just rounding out the arch to match the wire dimensions. And will bring everything back with Class IIs.

Non Ortho story. Was at a cub scout camp taking photos of one of my older children. Afterwards they asked if people could drop off thier memory card at the camp story so they could put a slide show together of the camp activities. Dropped mine off.. later that day I remembered.. One of my younger kids (probably 2 1/2) had got a hold of the camera one day after bath and was running around the house taking pics naked. Including a few... ummm.. not quite appropriate shots of himself.

So as i go sprinting back to the camp store, I am sure that by now they had already contacted the fbi, state police, or whatever else handles these types of photos, and were waiting for me...

Got the card back.. and then finally realized.. I had already deleted the photos... was definitely one of my biggest moments of panic I've had that didnt involve someone getting hurt though.

Time to think of a new general forum topic.

I am definitely brushing more. After years of poor hygiene one forgets how clean teeth feel when they are brushed, flossed, sonic brushed, and rinsed.

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[oldfart]

About to have my first interoffice meeting with a half dozen people sitting within 10 feet of me. Do I smile normally? And will they comment? We should soon find out.

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[oldfart]

Survived the meeting But have a new pet peeve.

Sitting at my desk eating a burrito and someone drops by to talk to me. How do you gracefull talk to them, while sucking all the burrito guts out from under your braces at the same time.

[Dee17]

Sounds like it's a good time to play charades!

[Kipepeo]

Regarding burrito guts: hold a napkin up while you speak. Braces or not, this is what I do. And I keep a small mirror at my desk, and if I can't rinse or brush right away, I always check for guts!