JackJack wants a pretty smile! :)*closing extractions!*

[jackjack]

Hi, I'm new to the message board and tired as it is almost 2 in the morning and have spent most of it reading your stories. I was a little reluctant to register and post but all of you seem really supportive and reassuring which i really need right now

This all started last week when I went for a consult and the ortho told me I would most likely not need any teeth pulled out and I was ready to be braced. Excited,soon I was back in the office putting on spacers and brackets on my uppers when the ortho informs me after looking at my xrays that i do need my first bicuspids (uppers/lowers) out for better results due to crowding and my small mouth. At first I was like okay I can handle that plus Im already commited since I signed papers and have top brackets on! So the plan was extract upper and lower bicuspids, brace uppers in two weeks and brace lowers in about a month or two due to how my bite is might ruin my top teeth if they put the lowers on now. Anyways, I would be totally fine if I just got braced and no extractions like he had told me in the first place but now with this whole extraction thingy Im so scared. I mean thats seems extreme and drastic for me even though i know its quite common reading some of your stories. But i just hate how i had absolutely no time to consider this plan before i had the brackets put on. Its like im stuck going through with it and not comfortable with going through with something if im not 100% sure. I would like if other people with extractions would like to share their experiences or outcomes? were they happy in the end? am i just being super paranoid and obsessive over the situation? some help plz

took some pics...not so great considering it was hard to take these pics but i did the best i could lol



closed


open


right side view


left side view


top


bottom

just thought id share my pre-brace teeth!
wow i never noticed how bad my teeth are!

[flesh-was-sweet]

Hi there!

First of all, congratulations on beginning your braces journey, the time will fly past!

I had 2 extractions before I got my braces, and there's nothing to worry about at all

I'd say it took about 6 seconds to pull each tooth, if that. I had absolutely no pain afterwards and things healed up very, fast.

I'm almost finished my braces treatment and I know they wouldn't have achieved such a good result without extractions. But if you are unsure about the extractions, why not talk it over with your orthodontist again?


Anyway, whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck with your braces treatment

Anni

[DaneAnthony]

Hey there jackjack,

Welcome to the wonderful world of braces!!! It's a pretty fun ride if you ask me!!!!

In my personal experience, extractions aren't as bad as they sound. I had 8 extractions in one go and I survived it without any problems whatsoever. Also, I kind of expected my face to look a bit different once all my teeth came out (I'd heard that extractions can change facial appearance sometimes), considering I'd had so many removed, but no changes really.

The swelling was very noticeable after the second day and granted, it was difficult to talk properly, however I didn't have any noticeable bruising and after about 5 days, the swelling had gone done considerably where people couldn't even notice it.

The key was to keep my mouth clean and avoid infection as much as possible. I used salt rinses and an antibacterial mouthwash very, very regularly throughout the days; switching between the two and using them after every single meal religiously.

In hindsight, I found the overall experience rather exciting, but that might just be me. Everyone's adventure is going to be different. Nonetheless, I wish you lots and lots of luck and look forward to following your progress!!!!

Take care,
Dane

[lueyfufu]

Welcome, jackjack!

I agree that you should talk it over with your doc if you're uncomfortable with the plan. That's what he/she is there for!

[jackjack]

first off thanx guys for ur support!
so im goin in today later this afternoon to talk to my doctor, so i feel a lil better about that and hope talking it over with him will make me feel more comfortable with what im about to go through..
if all goes well, tomorrow i get my upper 1st bicuspids taken out!!

[LongInTheT]

Hi, JackJack and welcome to Archwired.
I like your pics. Your teeth look very nice already - they will be great when the journey is done. Taking pics regularly will be a good way of tracking your progress.

It sounds like you have been lucky because the whole process of getting braces has started quickly for you and some of us had to wait a long time and were longing to get on with it all.. Downside is maybe you have not had quite long enough to think about it all (although thinking too much can be quite an agonising process, in my experience..). So I'm sure you are right to go and talk to your doc before the next step.
As many stories on this site suggest extractions often are needed to make room, unless ortho patients have already lost some teeth. My bottom teeth looked rathr like yrs at the start of treatment ie ok but a bit crowded (click on my www to see). However, as I'd already had teeth out due to gum disease (my wisdom teeth and 2 molars out at the bottom plus wisdom teeth at top and also 2 pre-molars at top to make space first time I had braces) my ortho said there was room to move teeth around. Having the teeth out may give the space needed. Yr doc/ortho is the one to know. Having said that don't go ahead unless you trust him/her.
By the way, having teeth out is not a big deal (at least not in my experience unless you have an impacted wisdom t).
Good luck!

Got braces April 8th. Click on www to read my story.

[jackjack]

okay so i just got back from seeing my ortho and he reassured me that everything will b okay and if i want better results i need the teeth out or else my teeth wont have space and move forward making me look horse like! he also recommended i get all 4 teeth out at once so i wont have to suffer twice and at my next appt which is august 2nd my uppers will b put on and maybe my lowers...if not lowers will have to wait a month...
im still scared but realize i have to go through the bad to get to the good.
so still not sure about get just 2 now or all 4...dont have much time considering my appt for extractions is tomorrow! ahh im so stressed

[jackjack]

omg so i just got back from getting my extractions done on my upper 1st bicuspids. i know im crazy i should b laying down or sumthing but want to keep track for myself on this crazy journey i just embarked on. So it was really fast and unpainful. The dentist said it went really well with no complications and i should have nothing to worry about...before the appt i was sooooo nervous and scared...when he was taking out the first tooth which was the one on the left i kind of felt like omg im really doing this but after it was out i was kind of relieved in a way. when he was doing the second one i kind of got a little adrenaline rush like hell yeah this is crazy im getting effin teeth pulled out! lol but now i feel really energized for sum reason!!! i guess cuz i was so apprehensive and worrysome but now theres no goin back....im in it to win it lol....ill prob post pics when their healed but for now im gunna chill and watch a movie.

[jackjack]

was changing my gauze last nite and when i took it out a freaking bracket came out with the gauze...so weird but at least its the one farthest in the back so u cant tell....extractions sites are healing very well...had minimal bleeding and no pain or swelling....been scared to eat but think im gunna soon cuz been feeling a little weak from no food and didnt sleep very well last nite. Still anxious about getting my bottom out and finally getting my darn braces on!

[jackjack]

its been one week since my first set of extractions...everything seems to b healing well...no infection my mouth almost feels normal again just hate eating cuz hate when food goes in my holes! plus still have on stupid spacers which make it a little difficult to eat....this saturday i get my top braces on...a little nervous...already got used to the brackets so we'll c about the wires...finding it hard to stay positive...tryin my best but still hard...have a lot of support though...this site helps alot when im feelin like im the only one going through this and my family is sooooo great! my sister in law just got her braces off couple weeks ago and she too had her 4 bicuspids out and has been helpful with questions...her smile looks beautiful and is living proof in front of me that things will work out...she is also very comforting when im down....
well hopefully things will start looking up...its only the beginning which i feel is the hardest with all the extractions and being patient until finally have the braces on! i am excited im on the road to a beautiful smile and that i am bettering myself but this is going to be a bumpy road but in the end kno will make me stronger..wow i wrote alot but alot of this is for me to keep track of my progress...physically and mentally...dont mind sharing it with the world....goodnite

[lueyfufu]

Hang in there jackjack. The hardest part is almost over, and it will be totally worth it!

[jackjack]

so here's the picture of my upper extraction sites...sorry about the up the nose shot but was too lazy to edit....no boogers right??? lol sites seem to b healing up well...a little over a week now...no pain or discomfort whatsoever...just the occsional rice stuck up there! get my uppers braced tomorrow! glad cuz been getting really anxious since i have these darn gaps and nuthing is going on! but whenever my anixiety kicks in i come back to my pictures and remind myself why i am doing this! i do not have the most beautiful smile and believe i do deserve one as do all of you!!! thanx to anyone out there for their support!

[real2]

By november you will have major results in your lower crowding, most likely

And the uppers will come in clean by december, for sure!! Just in time for christmas

[jackjack]

hello ppl!

so on august 2nd i finally got my top wire on and banded on all four of my first molars!! everyone on the board kept saying how the spacers are the worst part???? oh my gosh i hate these freakin bands!! does anyone else have issues with their bands??? i guess my bottom molars tip a bit and dont meet up that well with the top molars so my bands kind of hit each other! it makes it really annoying when i eat!! all that banging! plus there are these little hook thingys on the lingual side of my bands and those bug my tongue too! i kind of knew braces were a pain in the butt but guess i underestimated!! i hoped to put pictures up but batteries in my camera are dead...

august 27th get my lowers braced and sometime before that need my lower extractions on the bicuspids!!! dang when i was barely getting used to these holes i already have! doc said earliest date i have these suckers off is february 2010!

okay enough with my ranting!

[jackjack]

so here i am again...cant sleep not because of my braces though...sorta getting used to them, well at least the uppers i have so far...except for the bands which i am guessing will take a little more time to adjust to...but at least i am eating more solid foods and happy about that...i really dont mind getting food stuck in my braces because it just feels so good to have real food in my mouth!! just keep bottle of water close by to rinse.

what i really came on here for is not really concerning my braces themselves but all the emotions and things i have been realizing because of them. I still can't believe i am actually doing this but really proud of myself because this is so out of the ordinary considering my personality...Ive realized that for a long time I have been avoiding things i want to do because of my fears and negative approach to them or I just dont believe I have the strength, determination or faith to accomplish these things. I know these braces are only temporary but going to be on for awhile and are like a permanent reminder that i can do anything i put my mind to!!! what am i so scared of??? anyways...my point is that i have been holding myself back and getting in my way of my dreams....
I've really been finding myself these days...realizing certain strengths and weaknesses; faults I would like to change....even though most times i dislike my braces and all the stuff that comes along with it i must say it has been an eye opener and has brought me to reality!

as for my update...saturday is officially one week i have my uppers braced! lol waiiting for my camera batteries to charge and will have pics up...Socially...no impact so far...Ive been on vacation from school and work!!! a little nervous about going back to work because I work with young elementary children... i can just imagine all the comments! not too sure how co workers will react...people who do know i have braces so far keep commenting on how beautiful i already am!!! and asking why i got braces cuz they dont think i need them!! hello!!! havent all you seen my pictures???? well i do smile differently for pictures and around ppl and make it very convincing i have nice teeth lol...as for school...not too nervous...taking night classes, an online class and a dance class so not too worried about making too much contact even though i know i shouldnt be ashamed!!! As for dating...was shortly dating one fellow but i think after i mentioned i was getting braces he disappeared! lol i dont care thought because just shows me how shallow of a person he is and i dont want anyone like that!! Funny thing actually on my very first day of getting my uppers braced (feeling like a 15 year old since its bad enough i already look 17) and also not feeling too cute...i got my first experience kissing with braces on!! lol wow very interesting things ive been going through because of these lovely things we call braces...anyways time to go night night...here are the pics...3 of one week in ( no visable progress to me yet!) and a pic of me faking a nice teeth smile lol...
sorry the pics are soooo big...i tried resizing them a million times but wouldnt work!!! darn it...here they are anyways...
closed


open


arch


showing my good side...

See why ppl think i dont need braces???
so wrong...cant wait till i can smile straight on and not have to worry about angles!