Dr Jon's Braces journey

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi friends
Well it is now 48 hours until my B-day on Monday, . When i started the getting ready for this journey I would not have said I was happy about what was to happen, in fact my other posts at the outset show a much more pessimistic attitude,as may be seen thus; in my other posts,( braces in four weeks)
But now well I am starting to get very excited about my B day
what has turned that around for me has been an acceptance of the situation, and this has been partly giving myself a real kick up the backside, in putting into context the issue of braces in relation to all my other health issues, ie the Crohns disease, the type 1 Diabetes, the PSC liver problems.
But i must also add here it has also been this forum, and website that has enabled me to accept the situation, in that i thought I was a lone adult facing this, but I'm not...there are loads of us out there...so if you are reading this and thinking about braces GO FOR IT
I hope i can show you all what a positive thing it is to do, in that for me getting my odd and wonky teeth sorted out is the least of the issues, its a way of saving my teeth , but it will also give me the opportunity to smile, something, which my patients have always said I never do, so there will be positives for those around me as well.
So i hope you will continue to be with me here through the ups and downs of my journey with braces, because I am sure there will be down days, as well as up ones, but my attitude I am pleased to say has changed to one of optimism, and all in four weeks...thank you all, my friends.
Keep on looking in
Bye for now
Jon XX

[Marley]

That's great to hear Jon! If you've already committed to it, you may as well try and enjoy it.. maybe enjoy isn't the right word :)


Good luck on Monday! I got mine a few days ago, and for a second I was thinking "what did I just do?!?" But, I'm happy! So far, so good!


Can't wait to hear about it!

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi to KK, Marley,bracedagain,jt2lang and all my friends,
Well thanks for your replies and of course your wonderful support, so...its sunday evening, the sun has shined all weekend keeping me busy with my Sprite..its so good to have some wind in the hair driving to clear the cobwebs, so now they have been blasted away by the wind, I'm relaxing with a little Gerswin, a large mug of tea, and thinking that its now just about 16 hours until my braces fitting starts...and I am excited... but just a little apprehensive about what to expect,
i deliberatly did not look at the pages introducing adult braces, because for me less is better..can you imagine what I'm like when i have surgery for my Crohns..having spent three years in surgical medicine! , but i know I am going to be in good hands, and i can enjoy the surprise(?) of what they will do, I still don't know which arch the ortho is going to do tomorrow, he just said one on the 12th, the other a month later on the 11th...so i will be able to tell you all as it happens....watch this space. Thanks Karen for the list of stuff, i will have to go and get some lip balm in the morning..unless Vaseline will do?...seems similar it is also what i usually put on my lips when they are dry.
So a good nights sleep should be in order, but will I be able to sleep, probably not , good job for a little natural sedative (Valarian), so one now and one in a couple of hours..failing that a large Whisky (I wish )
So a little goodbye for now...keep on looking in.
Jon XXX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi Friends
Yes!! my braces journey has started ,after a very relaxed and good nights sleep, i awoke to the sun shining, had a nice morning and then made my way to the orthodontist.
We chatted for a bit, he asked how i was feeling, and then He said, shall we start. Thanks for the tip on the lip balm karen it did help a lot with the lip spreaders, which were quite tight...i have got a small mouth..honest, luckily i went to the chemist this morning to get some.
So no problems with fitting, he did the lower arch, uppers in four weeks on the 11th April, he did struggle to get a couple in, but went back later...the ligs? he put ones in to match the brackets before i could say anything....so purple next time?
So now i am at home, relaxing again, i have had lunch, followed by a large cup of tea (for medicinal purposes), and no pain or discomfort thus far.There is a piece of archwire on one side sticking out, i have put some wax on it, if it continues to be problematic, then i am to contact the ortho and He will adjust it.
So life i with braces?, they feel a little strange,a little pressure on the teeth, and when I was shopping at lunch time, I did feel a little self conscious...also I have a bit of a lisp, but i know i can work on correcting that,I have 24 hours until my next lecture...I will know then if my students actually listen to me, won't I?
I have got lots of nice soft type foods, as the ortho (and everyone else), has suggested...especially mashed potato...my favourite..but very high Gi so extra insulin I think
I'm off now to brush my teeth, just as I was taught by the nurse today..hmmmm. (I did listen honestly)
Bye for now
Jon XXX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi friends
I managed my escape from the hospital on the monday afternoon, the crohns is okay, and the fistula is being managed, so I'm back on friday, whether they keep me in again is anyones guess, still how does illness know when the weather is good?, it has been lovely and sunny here all week, and I've been either at the hospital, or stuck indoors..such is life.
So the braces two whole days and no real issues, a little bit of discomfort, but a mild pain killer resolved that..soft food rules have been adhered to rigidly, and i think that is paying off, although karen, what do you mean by low GI mashed potato?, sweet potato i suppose?, although potato and swede is also good, and should be low GI.
I actually had a piece of roll today, although as a gluten free one (yes coeliac syndrome as well!), it was quite soft anyway, but i shall try tea and a biscuit later...although here in the UK biscuits just have to be dunked .
One big problem , speech! my students noticed that i was not speaking well yesterday and today...i was meant to be giving a lecture on

'The disappearance of the sick man from Medical Cosmology'...now renamed in braces language thur diffappearants ov thur thick man from medical cofmology, ever get that feeling that people are looking at you in a funny way?, or think you have spent all day in the local bar?...well that was tuesday, and i then found myself feeling very self concious even though my bottom arch is hardly visible, any way a good laugh was had by all the nurses, and then when they discovered the reason for the impediment, i had a laugh at their attempts to be so appologetic ,I hope I have less issues with the top arch, I will be practicing everyday!
Now one of them insists on calling me 'tom'...after Tom Cruise, who I believe has also had braces recently(?), then there were comments of will it now be harder to get served in the pub?.(.actually i do sometimes have to show ID!!! which usually results in a complementary drink, when they discover my real age! )
I will phone a speech therapist friend on the weekend, to try and get some tips, on correcting my diction, I'm sure it will be practice makes perfect in the end, and perseverence
Another issue though is that my dentist was concerned about my teeth grinding, and possible TMD, but did.... nothing...but now the ortho is onto this, I had not been aware that He had contacted a maxillofacial surgeon about this, until an appointment for 3rd April arrived in the post today?, so what is this going to involve?...the ortho is away for a couple of weeks, so i can't ask Him now.....I know i should have also got this resolved a long time ago but with everything else, we leave these things, and then forget all about them, sometimes until someone else does the leg work....and my back teeth are very worn..or it could be about my implant assessment for NHS funding just remembered that also...I shall have to just wait and see.
Bye for now
Jon XXX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi Friends
Well the honeymoon period is over and my teeth hurt like mad, i can really feel them pulling, which i know is good, but it has stopped me doing a couple of things, in relation to pain management.
I have actually talked to my pain control team at the hospital, and they will see me after the weekend to try and sort out another pain relief I can add to the ones I use currently.
I 'am now getting used to brushing, I actually must have been a little heavy handed at first, as i got my electric toothbrush caught in one of the ligs, but quickly turned it off, and managed to free it.
I have got another appointemnt with the ortho on Monday, he wants to do another assessment to change, or think about changes for the top arch( ), so what this will entail i have no idea, but i think it is connected to closing up a large gap at the top, where i lost a tooth, and where my dentist says She would rather have the gap just closed than put an implant in there..hmm not sure what i feel about that, or if it is the right way to do things, but i suppose if they work as a team and support me then its hopefully in my best interests.
I will let you all know what they decide.
So...when I yawn, or open my mouth to talk it feels like my teeth are all loose in my mouth...normal? or what?
Another experience which was embarassing , but okay in the end, in that my archwire set off a clearly very sensitive alarm by the door of a shop(the Gap- Guildford, Sy UK), so watch out for this. The manager was okay though, She had just finished treatment, so we went to a quiet place to talk...I actually thought it was something else at first, but it only went off when i put my head towards the barrier!!
So has anyone else experienced this phenomenon this could make the Airport fun in the summer!
Bye for now
Jon XXX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi Friends and thanks Karen
Your advice is alway reassuring, the issue with the gap. i know that the dentist would rather see it closed, because as she pointed out at the moment it is too small for an implant, so if they want to do that at a later date, then the teeth behind with have to be moved back , which she said would or could be harder, than moving the two behind the gap to meet up with the ones in front, but there is a little bit of exposure of the root area, which i feel is the orthos concern..although the x-rays showed that all was okay, i get the feeling that if he won't move the tooth forward, then the dentist will get someone else to do it at a later date, which would be stupid, in that she said, if he cannot do, then have present treatment, then i can send you somewhere else to get the gap closed...so lets hope he says yes, if only to stop all the mucking about.
I am feeling a little stressed about this issue, it sems to be things constantly getting in the way, in terms of politics and professional animosity, of what should be a straightforward braces journey, with the issues of importance, being those of clinical stuff..not one professional playing off against the other, the gap we are talking about is approx 8mm, so you can imagine the difficulty with putting in an implant, but i have been informed it is a long winded treament to close up large gaps, and that sometimes the teeth can tilt..is this so?
I am seeing the pain control team tomorow also to get some pain relief, i also feel it is the combination of other health issues which are exacerbating this pain..but I am actually starting to get used to it, as for the teeth feeling like they are moving in their sockets...very strange feeling
I had curry last night...my ligs are now glow in the dark saffron colour, and do really notice, someone this morning said, I had tell tale curry for supper signs... ie on the ligs...being like curry spilt down the front of a white shirt
So the alarm, someone i spoke to yesterday also said it was probably a coincidence, or something else, just seemed funny to me anyway, I suppose the only parts that are metal are the back brackets and the archwire, and i think they are NiTi and so should not react anyway, as you said..(.perhaps it was the socks down my jumper...only joking..honest!!)
So I will let you all know what is said tomorrow on my return...from the ortho and the hospital.
Bye for now
Jon XX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi Friends
Just a quick post before going to the hospital to sort out this pain and for my usual medications (IVs)
Saw the orthodontist this morning, and i don't know what my worries were about, yes He is happy to move the two molars forward to fill the gap, so that means staying with this ortho rather than being pushed from pillar to post and being mucked about as i have previously mentioned seems to happen here. he actually said He did not know why it was not on His original brief, from the dentist, but then we can all be absent minded, i know i am often.
It will however push up the treatment time around another 12 months, but could be longer..it is a similar problem to your tooth Karen, which was interesting to see the photos of, to see how it has gone.
He has changed the ligs...bright blue, which said would be better.
Next date still on for the 11th April, with some extra stuff now...don't know what, but soon will do I'm sure.
I'm off to the hospital more later
Jon XX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi friends
Well I have managed to get on top of the pain, it seems that whilst one of my pain killers was ideal for the scar tissue/adhesions pain i have, it was stopping the pain relief i was taking for the mouth pain, so we have an alternative, which is helping. I have a little bit of a cut mouth at the moment, due to the wire sticking in, the ortho has moved it as much as possible, and I have covered it with wax, but its still sticking in a little, so I'm continuing the salt water rinses to stop infection..which is helping with soothing it as well, and i have my usual crohns topical meds to stop or at least help with the, ulcers that have formed.
So today...I'm feeling down and sad..but a little better, so I'd better tell you all the reason ...
I saw a friend(?) yesterday, and she had noticed the braces, which not many people have...since my lip covers the bottom arch well, and i had chosen not to tell everyone, just my good friends...and well what can I say I could not believe her response. Basically she said why bother?, and was this not just a complete waste of time, especially in an adult. I explained further to try and justify.(.although I don't know why i should have to justify my actions.)..and she just continued to say, well that's typical of you..so vain, and looking out for yourself!!!!...well she was so negative, and I could not believe how negative she was...but it really upset me...more than i think really,.... actually guys i'm going to be open at this point, it was not a friend who said this but my mother..whom i thought i would surprise in going for it, so how do you reply to that.?.if it had been a friend or someone else who said it, i would have possibly told them to piss off, but well not my mother...i know she wanted me to have it done years ago when I was 13, but I resisted...my choice...and i took the consequences of that action all those years...but we learn...and i have the opportunity to rectify that poor earlier decision..but i think it will be a while before I go to visit again, and i did not tell her about the top arch, being braced in a couple of weeks...did not think I could take the response.
This morning after a good sleep on it i decided to try and move on from it, and decided to speak to another friend..who is a dental nurse, i know quite well, I explained how I felt upset, and the reasons why...she said well Jon I want to say i'm so proud of you going for this as an adult, especially with everything else, and she saw it as a really positive move...so I'm holding on to that thought instead.

' if someone throws us a ball, we can catch it..or if we choose, we can just let it go'

Anyway thanks for listening. I'm actually quite impressed with my ortho, I just wanted to share that...its quite an amazing feat to know how to move teeth into new positions, with just pieces of wire and elastic
Bye for now
Jon XXX

[lionfish]

Interesting reaction from your mother, sounds like she may be carrying a bit of guilt on your behalf. Don't let it get to you.

My mother would react similarly if she had the mental capacity to twig that I had braces (her having dementia and my having upper linguals helps). Ya know what? I couldn't give a continental stuff.

[Nickie]

My mom, while not as harsh as yours, has said the same thing. And everyone asks why I'm doing it as my teeth are straight. I think they're trying to be kind but I don't like having to explain myself.

Really though, it's not your mum's or anyone's business but your own. You're doing something you want to do because it makes you happy and doesn't negatively impact on someone else, so try your best to let it go.

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi Friends
Thanks for the support, i know I can always rely on you all for some sensible and non judgemental advice. I have been away at a medical conference this weekend, and i have just about come to the conclusion that braces in adults are still a new thing.. in the UK .i had so many questions asked of me after my report, and most of them were about the braces thing, rather than the research, which was a pity, and so typical of UK practitioners. They were so negative, i just had to smile , but then the sarcastic comments were a little harsh, but i can also be very sarcastic..I mentioned to one person after He said to me Braces? such a waste of money...well some things can be fixed...unfortunatly we still don't know enough about the brain......
I would like to add to all this that i think they thought i was an alien asking for vegan food, they don't seem to have any idea about preventative medicine and looking after the body..and mind.
So anyway I'm back home now, until the next event..i actually don't know how they noticed, must have been due to my face on the big screen, as my bottom lip is good at hiding the braces, but that means when I smile the top arch is going to be very noticable...but then we don't care about that do we?
So the pain has subsided, and i can even chew some soft stuff, I am careful about hard things because I was warned to be so, by the ortho and my sister.(.who was so pleased i had started the journey.she had hers done as a child..we were meant to go together, but i was the one who refused to have it done...so some good support from her when she is around (alas she lives a fair distance away from me))
So i have this week off work...its a reading week..due to exams, so lets hope the sun is going to shine, i have a couple of sports cars to renew MOT on and get ready for the London to Brighton run next sunday 1st Apr, this is a classic car event a club i belong to organizes, so if you are in the UK and have a classic (or like them ) come down to Madiera Drive in Brighton we have around 240 cars pre registered...come and say Hi.. Im in the booking in tent at the Brighton arrivals.
Im off to go and play with the car for a while.
Bye for now
Jon XXX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi Friends
well its now the long easter egg eating bank holiday weekend, and Im shortly off to follow an easter bunny back to their burrow full of chocolate, but just to update here.
Wednesday is my next B day..upper arch, so getting excited again, although still a little apprehensive, even though i am ready for the comments of others. Typical really i have a photo shoot of our band's album cover on the friday, perhaps i will have to have ligs that match my guitar and drums , lets hope not too many close ups or I will have to adopt a 'stone..Jagger type pout..
Bye for now
Jon XXX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi everyone
Well as of yesterday evening my upper arch is now braced, so i have a full set. and with bright purple ligs, which look really groovy, also looked good in the album cover photo shoot photos for my band.
Had quite a lot of pain this time, as the ortho decided to add some elastic to the bottom arch, to start the moving. although he seemed apprehensive to start so early but has a concern about me clattering my top teeth on the bottom brackets...i have quite a few chips in my teeth now, and the ortho does not have any other answer , just to get moving on the bottoms..HELP!! surely he should have an answer...i know what I am doing..i chew and bite on the back of my top arch, as he can quite clearly see.. but did not seem to concern himself with what to do...its just the dentist worrying about the chipped teeth...as is it me doing so also....the dentist also mentioned the bite turbos, but has not mentioned them to the ortho...one presumes he should know what to do...but then he did not know what a hawley retainer was also? hmmmmm gives me such confidence ...I also get the feeling if I mentioned what others have said he may get a little pissed off, he is that type of guy...in the nicest possible way, and i don't want to tread on anyones professional shoes.
So Ill continue with the wax until he sees the light... next appointment ion the 14th May unless any other problems
Bye for now
Jon XXX

[Dr Jon Harrow]

Hi Karen
Yes they feel better already...must be those purple ligs, but the little elastic the ortho tied around the brackets on the lower arch broke off today, was just hanging in my mouth...had a band practice, so could not sing with it hanging..or indeed play my flute or didjeridoo that well, so a friend pulled it and it came off in her hand , does that mean another blooming appointment next week? as im in the studio with the band everyother day, and at the hospital or work on those days I'm not in the studio.. ,errrr is it very essential, afer all if i had not told him about the teeth clattering, I would have not had this elastic anyway...and it did not seem to do anything...rather like the ortho really...yes I hate hating a practitioner who is useless as well, i would not dream of being so with my clients,which I think makes it all the more frustrating. I may post to one of the orthos on AW to find out what they suggest for the clattering, a friend has suggested it is a bad habit i need to break
Anyway off to practice again...got to lay down four different guitar tracks this evening..thats the problem when you play loads of instruments, as we all do Arcade Fire eat your heart out
Salt water really works well...amazing...rescue remedy is also good, as is tramadol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bye for now
Jon XXX