Rachel's journey - better photos

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#1 Post by **Rachel B** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:56 am

Hi People,

I did start my story last week but I think it went a bit wrong because I was new to all this websitey stuff. So, I've decided to start it again - sorry!

I have just been braced after having 4 teeth extracted and spacers.
The reason I decided to have braces was because I had overcrowding on the bottom and a real problem on the top; I had a peg shaped lateral incisor on one side (and was given the lovely nickname "white fang" at secondary school by my friends!) and a canine and milk tooth on the other. As you can see from my pics, my mid-line was also WAY out. So the plan was to have 4 teeth taken out, including the peg shaped lateral and the milk tooth on the top and two 1st pre-molars on the bottom. I would then be braced with ice brackets and possibly need a TAD in the future to correct my midline. This would then leave me with my canines next to my central incisors which I could then have bonding/veneers on if I chose to.

I had absolutely no issues with having teeth out because in my case, there really was no other option. The extractions were ok but I am sooo glad that's all over because it wasn't very nice. The spacers were the worst thing and I am so happy to be able to chew again today!!!

So I am now braced and have two gaps right at the front of my teeth at the top. I am really excited and happy and can't wait to see some progress. I'm very happy with my orthodontist and I actually quite like my braces!!

I am a primary school teacher in South West England and my class have been really excited about all my teeth work. They asked what would happen if I put my teeth under my pillow. I hoped for shoes but alas the tooth fairy never delivered. So now my teeth are sat on my desk in school and the children love looking at them and going "urgh!"
I'm glad my job involves working with such accepting and non-image conscious people!!!

I am attaching a photo of me before any treatment (although it's not great and I'm sorry it's my whole face as I know that's not really allowed), some black and white ones because I feel like my teeth looked a bit yellow in my colour photos and one colour photo that didn't look too bad.

Thanks for reading and I will keep updating as my teeth develop.

xxxxxx

Rach

#2 Post by **pisceangirl** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 9:38 am

Hi there!

Congrats on starting the brace journey

I'm a UK girl too, aged 31, and have had my upper brace on for 11 days. Each day it feels more a part of me. (The lowers go on when I have my first adjustment on 16 March).

Keep us posted with your progress!

#3 Post by **Rachel B** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:07 am

Hey Picean girl, nice to know there's some other UKbies here. I'm a picean girl too - March 3rd. Your birthday must be coming up too?

So three days in, I know it seems silly but I think I can see some movement in my teeth already. The bottom incisors look a bit straighter. It's really encouraging.

I'm so happy to be able to eat again. I went to pizza hut yesterday and had a pasta bake which was really nice and manageable. I need to put on a few pounds that I seem to have lost as I'm looking a bit skinny. Gonna have some Golden syrup ice cream in a minute - so yum!

I seem to be sooo paranoid about staining my nice clear ligs as I am drinking my tea through a straw and avoiding anything that could cause considerable staining. Don't know how long that'll last for tho!! I'm bound to get lazier as time goes on.

My class haven't really reacted to my newly braced teeth, apart from asking me to open up while they peer in and compare their toothy gaps with mine lol! Love kids, they're so accepting. I've had lots of questions from parents about how I'm getting on too so that's quite nice.

Rach x

#4 Post by **Tommm** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:14 am

Congrats on getting through the painful part and getting your braces! The pizza hut pasta sounds so good that I'm hungry now.

Anyways, keep us posted on your progress k?

#5 Post by **pisceangirl** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:25 pm

Hi Rachel

My birthday is March 4th!

Your schoolkids sound really sweet...... my job involves working with the public and for a day or two I did feel self-conscious but now I'm ok with it.

I know what you mean about movement.....my second tooth has moved maybe half a millimetre or something as I can now get the little floss brush to go through the teeny gap.....I couldn't do that before. My ortho reckons I'll start to see real changes at the 3 months mark.

Have you been given an idea of how long your treatment is likely to take?

#6 Post by **Rachel B** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:56 pm

Hi guys,

Thanks Tommm, glad we can share in our journeys and the pasta was good - I almost didn't want pizza (kind of).

Piscean girl - we're birthday buddies! My treatment is the usual 18-24 month duration which probably means anything after a year and a half lol!

I seem to be addicted to clicking my teeth with my tongue - I know it should be worrying that they are moving very slightly when I nudge them but to me it's reassuring because I know things are happening.

I am officially OBSESSED with dental products - spent a ridiculous amount of money on a new electric toothbrush and other gadgets and all the things that go with keeping teeth clean - the dental isle seems to be my favourite place in the shops and suprmarkets - lol. It's like I've transferred a shoe fetish (particularly uggs, I have 4 pairs) onto a teeth fetish - errr no hang on, that sounds TOTALLY wrong!!!!!! I don't mean that, more an obsession with teeth and all things toothy (not vampires tho). I actually look forward to cleaning my teeth and want to do it all the time.

I seem to be managing to take some better photos on my camera so I thought I'd post some more as that's what people like to see. I think my lower teeth are moving slowly and maybe my uppers too. I've also labelled my uppers so people can hopefully understand the tricky problem with them.

Enjoy Rach xxxxx

#7 Post by **Tommm** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:13 am

I'm so with you on the dental product obsession. I'm currently cycling through 3 different mouthwashes, 2 different toothpastes, 3 types of floss (I hate flossing!, and 3 toothbrushes (1 electric rotadent, 1 normal, 1 travel). I was thinking about getting a waterpik but I restrained myself. We're all early on our journeys but I can't wait until we all have nice straight (and clean) teeth! Looking forward to your updates.

#8 Post by **pisceangirl** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:37 pm

Hi guys......

Hey Rachel you're a whizz with the camera and the pc! I will have to try and take some pics of my teeth from other angles, although I'm trying to hold out till the one month mark to see if I can spot any improvement since the first pic

lol about products......I had a weird freak out when I brushed my teeth after lunch today as I thought my brackets looked a little off colour. When I brushed again after dinner they looked ok so I'm thinking some lights reflect strangely on the brackets and make them look kind of yellow.......it's just my neurotic nature to find something to worry about!

I borrowed my dad's Waterpik (he bought one a while ago) and if you want to have a laugh give it a go. I swear I ended up having hysterics as the water goes EVERYWHERE but in your mouth! There must be a real knack to using it

Whatever you're doing with the cleaning Rachel keep it up! Your teeth look really white! I've returned to drinking my tea and coffee through a straw again which makes me look kind of weird but hey ho!

#9 Post by **Stayc1803** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:48 pm

congrats on getting braced. sux about the extrations...well the pain anyways in the long run it will be for the best. and the spacers omg they are the worst part! keep updating!

#10 Post by **Rachel B** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:27 am

Hello everyone, It's a snow day today so I don't have to go to school and teach - hooray!!! The snow is really thick and so unusual for this part of England.

Piscean girl, I always think I'm not very good at computers but I guess I must be!! Took me ages to get good pics tho. By the way, one of the reasons my teeth look white is because I found the "cool" colour setting on my camera

lol!!!

So, I got my new whizzy toothbrush, it has a little display and it counts down where you should brush for how long and has a thing that tells you if you brush too hard. It also has as smiley face when you've brushed for long enough - love that!! Anyway, besides the gimmicky nonsense, it actually is a very good brush. I thought it was going to brush my braces literally off my teeth when I first used it because it is really strong but I think it's really good (although it should be for the amount I paid for it!!!).
I also bought some orthodontic brush heads for it (oral B) and they are brilliant, perfect for around the brackets and then in between and so the gadget obsession continues.

I went out for dinner last night for my brother's girlfriend's birthday and ate:
ham, egg and chips (fries if you're American)
Waffles with bananas and ice cream
OMG it was soooo good. I have been dying to eat proper food for ages and now I can woo hoo!! The pounds I have shed are coming back on nicely!
My sister took some family photos but alas I still look like a toothy gappy pirate in all of them. Never mind. I think I'll have to find a reason to dress up as Captain Jack Sparrow for something lol!

My boyfriend is having a cow about my avatar pic- "Stupid girl, don't put a picture of your face, there's weirdos out there." Whatever. I may change it but we'll see. I like the cat picture

Rach x

#11 Post by **lieyssa** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:19 pm

Hello everyone! i need help, i have only 28 teeth, but my ortho said need to take off my 4 premolar for braces...im worried cuz, i saw online that Western Dental has a bad feedback

...

pls help me, ive done my rubber spacer now, they already put my 2 spacers, and 4 braket on my canine and 4 on my molar beside my spacer...

#12 Post by bb » Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:22 pm

lieyssa, get one or two other opinions before you get the extractions. You need to put your mind at ease.

#13 Post by **Rachel B** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:55 am

12 days in now.

It's all good.

I'm a bit less obsessed with the staining issue now, it seems to be ok. My ligs aren't staining loads probably because I am not eating anything strongly coloured. I miss curry though!!!!!

My teeth are DEFINITELY moving. My crooked lower canines seem to be shifting into my extraction sites allowing my lower incisors to get straighter - hooray. I tried to take some photos but it's really hard to take good ones. I'll keep trying.

The only downside to movement (not that I'm complaining because I really AM NOT!) is that my brackets seem to start cutting up a slighty different part of my cheeks and lips. I take it as progress though, as they say, no pain no gain.

I went to a meeting today for work and the lady running it was like, "Have you got braces?" so I showed her (and the 10 other people who could not have helped overhearing as she practically shouted it). She told me she had them when she was 50 and it was worth it so that kind of encouraged me further.

Hopefully I'll post some pics soon.

Rach x

#14 Post by **Tommm** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:10 pm

Congrats on week 2 Rach! Our numbers are getting up there.

#15 Post by **martinboyce** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:17 am

Hi Rach,

Just been reading through your story. Its really nice to meet you, and thanks for posting on my story.

You say you got braces due to overcrowding, but why did you initiate getting braces?

How old are you? (sorry not supposed to ask a ladies age) your obviously an adult and have coped with your teeth as they were for some years, i always like to know what spurred on the intial decision.

Your a very pretty lady if you dont mind me saying and looking at your before pic cant really see your teeth problems.

But scrolling down i see everything you are talking about. I love piccies

Your pics are a little overexposed, a little tip, dont use flash when taking photos in your mouth, get a bright light shining in there a lamp or something, turn macro mode on your camera (little flower symbol usually on cameras) and you get crisp clean photos.

Whats happening between your front right incisor and right canine, is there a lateral incisor in there somewhere, i can t quite see.

Its all good chic, before long youll have significantly improved teeth. I noticed so much happening in the first 6 months, its a very exciting time.

It is after all a journey we are all on.