Shell's Adventure (pictures included)

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#16 Post by **manglemouth** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 7:34 pm

AMAZING! That is quite the gap for just a couple of days! Awesome progress!

Congrats! You must be on

#17 Post by **shell1426** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:56 pm

Thanks so much Kim, KK, and Tina!!!

I am very happy that there has been such good progress but I am not very fond of the gap. It's only temporary though so it is something that I can deal with! I can only image how much more progress I can have until my appointment! I mean that gap is big considering I had only turned for 1 week!!! Well here's to more progress and the best week for all of you

Sun Feb 04, 2007 3:51 pm

Wonderful progress! I'm glad things are going good for you and I hope they go great as your smile improves everyday! How's the speaking going for ya? And you gap's smaller too...(Mine was HuGe at that time lol) lucky!

keep updating~!

-alix

#19 Post by **shell1426** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:55 pm

Hey, everyone! I apologize that it has been 17 days since I have updated my blog! My laptop died and I had to order a brand new one...the ONLY computer at my house is an EXTREMELY SLOW desktop and it's so slow with uploading my pics that I gave up trying. Thankfully I received my new laptop Thursday but am working all weekend so I promise to get pictures up this week from the past two weeks. I have all the pics on my digital camera but I just need to upload them! Wait until you see all the progress that has gone on! That little bitty gap from my last picture is NOTHING compared to my latest!

Here is a sum up of the past two weeks!

I had my orthodontist appointment on February 8th and it went extremely well! He said my progress was great and that I would only need to turn for ONE more week (which put me at 21.50 days of turning twice a day - 43 turns total) and they would put my top braces on at my next appointment. He looked at my bottoms and told the assistant to keep the same wire in but to change my ligs and make them figure 8's. I chose a bright blue color for my ligs and I really like the color! I made my appointment for February 15th to get my top braces on. That night I made my normal nightly turn and SOMETHING made a loud pop noise and the next two turns caused MAJOR pressure on my left back teeth and palate. I don't know what happened and at first I was scared the expander broke but the next night I turned and it was back to pretty even pressure on my palate. I think that my back molar tipped a bit but as long as my expander is doing it's job I know my orthodontist can fix a tipped molar later down the road.

February 15th I went in and my orthodontist told me that I was done turning and they put my top braces on the front six. I got regular ligs (no figure 8 on the top) in tooth color and the assistant put a 1 M powerchain on the front two teeth that have the gap. The 6 teeth that have the brackets have been pretty sore but my teeth don't meet correctly since the expansion so the only time it bothers me is when I have to bite on something in the front. Normal chewing on the back one's doesn't hurt at all.

Last night I had a back bottom bracket that broke! I was so upset about it and it's that very last molar so I wasn't sure if I should leave it on and hope for it to stay in place or take it out and cut the wire. I didn't want to call the emergency number at the orthodontist office since that's not an emergency so I just took it out to keep from it coming out on it's own and didn't have to cut the wire since it's resting on my tooth and not poking me at all. The top back wire is poking me and cutting my mouth and the sucky thing is that I can't cut it because I can't get anything back there to cut it! Since I am going to have to go in Monday for them to fix that broken bracket I will ask them to clip it for me!

I am happy to finally be done turning the RPE but I want it out now. It's still really hard to speak and most people that I have talked to ask if I'm either sick or eating a coughdrop or something. Now that my tops are on I have a lot of things in my mouth so it's a little harder to talk with everything in there! My expander is wide but it's not wide enough to make a big, big difference in my speech and when I eat. The assistant told me I have to wait 6 months to get the RPE out...I asked her "6 months from NOW or 6 months from the date it was put in?". "6 months from now," was her reply. Okay, I can do this...I will just sound sick and like I am eating something all the time. It could be worse!

Well I will be getting my pictures up from the past two weeks of progress this week. Again, sorry it took me so long to post an update! Hope everyone is doing excellent!

#20 Post by **shell1426** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:10 pm

Here are my updated pictures! Lots of progress!!!! I have my orthodontist appointment for that broken bracket to be fixed on Friday but they said it would be fine until then since it's not bothering me at all!

#21 Post by **manglemouth** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:36 pm

WOW Shell, I can't believe how HUGE that gap was in the end! Talk about the RPE working for you! That "pop" sounded scary though, did you ask your ortho about that? I keep thinking some bone cracked somewhere

Looks like that gap will close again quickly cause it already looks smaller to me, so seems like this was just a total success for you! That stinks though that you have to have it for another 6 months. It'll be SO worth it in the end though!

Glad you're back, I was waiting for your return

#22 Post by **KJNELLAMORE** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:34 pm

Great progress. The 'pop' was most likely your palate ACTUALLY 'un-fusing'.

#23 Post by **shell1426** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 1:47 pm

Tina: I know it was SOOO big. My cousin said it cracked her up seeing me with that HUGE gap. I told her it was big but she didn't quite believe me. I didn't get a chance to ask the ortho about the pop noise but I will tell you this. In the second week when I pressed on the bridge of my nose it would pop too. I was freaking out and then it just STOPPED. I still can't believe all the progress but I want the gap to CLOSE quicker! If I ever am without a laptop for so long again I believe I will go crazy. It's amazing the withdrawals I was having! No need to worry though I will be on here for a LONG time to come!

KK: I am extremely stoked! Thanks for the advice on the pics. I was wondering why I kept having to scroll. I will make them two in a row and stack them next time I do it like that!! I appreciate it!

Denise: Thank you and I am very happy with my expansion. I believe now that the pop was my palate but there is no way to know for sure because I had a pretty big gap after 2 weeks and I don't think my palate would STRETCH that much before popping but there is ALWAYS a chance. There is a pretty big difference after just a few days with the powerchain but I am being impatient with the gap closing. I am thinking of asking them to put a new one on or a longer one or something to close it faster. I don't think my speech will get any better only because I am not expanding anymore and so the expander won't get wider but the speech thing is not horrible. I am just happy that my expander did it's job and it's only temporary.

Kim: Thank you very much. I know that pop scared me a little! Then the pressure on just one side scared me. I hope all is well for you!

Again, thanks to everyone for all the support and cheerfulness. You are much appreciated!

#24 Post by **manglemouth** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:41 pm

Hi Shell, what's new? Haven't heard from you in a while. Hope your laptop hasn't left you hanging again. Has your gap closed?

#25 Post by **smallbutmighty** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:58 pm

Gee, Rochelle, a couple of your posts sounded scary! I hope all of the snap, crackle, and pops are done! But some really amazing space has opened up for the further work. You are definitely more brave than I would be for that kind of treatment.
By the way, I believe that you can go to your picture page and edit it to rearrange the pictures. Just go to the beginnig of your thread and click the edit button up in the right hand corner, then scroll down the area that you want to change, and rearrange it, and then submit it again. If I am wrong on this, somebody please jump in and correct me.

#26 Post by **shell1426** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:57 am

I haven't completely disappeared. My new laptop is doing wonderfully but it's a pain in the butt to get away from my fiance. Work has been slow for him so he's been home a lot and I haven't been able to get on the computer for longer than about 5 minutes at a time. I will be taking my much overdue pictures very, very soon so all of you can see my progress. I have been rather aggrivated with my new band in the back because the assistant didn't push down the little things that poke out (the metal pieces on the inside of the band). I had to go back because it was hurting my tongue and the OTHER assistant said that whoever put my band on was supposed to push those things down BEFORE she glued the band on and they didn't want to take off the band and fix it so I have just been dealing with it. It hasn't been very fun at all. I go back to the orthodontist Thursday. My teeth have been abnormally sore lately, too! Lots of warm salt water rinses for me. I have to admit I am really ready to get the RPE taken out. Not because it's bothering me but more because I want to floss those teeth back there (haven't been able to since having it in because it's in the way of my gum line) AND because my molars are so tipped out of wack it's causing me to CLENCH almost all the time. Especially in my sleep! Other than that everything is going great. No cuts and no big problems. I don't think I will ever eat spinach again while my braces are on but that's little since my love is broccoli LOL! I have been on a diet for my wedding and I am hoping the braces will help with that since I haven't really been eating TOO much JUNK with them in. Well that's my written update...I promise I will get pics up SOON! Thanks so much for all the support and compliments on my progress! Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Mine is FULL!

#27 Post by **manglemouth** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:17 pm

I have been rather aggrivated with my new band in the back because the assistant didn't push down the little things that poke out (the metal pieces on the inside of the band). I had to go back because it was hurting my tongue and the OTHER assistant said that whoever put my band on was supposed to push those things down BEFORE she glued the band on and they didn't want to take off the band and fix it so I have just been dealing with it.

OY...that stinks

I would definitely bring that up again and get that fixed. You shouldn't be forced to have something that uncomfortable in your mouth!

I have to admit I am really ready to get the RPE taken out. Not because it's bothering me but more because I want to floss those teeth back there (haven't been able to since having it in because it's in the way of my gum line) AND because my molars are so tipped out of wack it's causing me to CLENCH almost all the time.

I can't even imagine how strong that desire to floss must be! I was going nuts just from two weeks of spacers...and the stuff I saw on my floss when I finally flossed there when they took them out, well it was BEYOND gross! I am surprised they don't have another way of doing that, it can't be good to not floss there for so long? Maybe you'll get it off ahead of schedule and then hoorrayyy floss!!

I have been clenching too the past few days, but it seems to be a little better now. Amazing how fast that habit can develop when something is off with your bite

I hope it resolves itself for you too. I have heard mouthgards are good for nighttime clenching. You'll still clench but at least you can't force it quite as much.

Oh and you need to kick your fiance off more often, LOL...tell him all of us on here said that! CONGRATULATIONS on having a wedding date...I assume you do? I only knew you were engaged...great news!! Oh hey you could have blue ligs on for the big day and that could be your "something blue"

#28 Post by **shell1426** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:16 pm

Alright! The moment you've all been waiting for....MY UPDATED PICS!!!!!

Yes, my ortho should have pushed the offending metal against the bands but the problem was there was glue stuck in the gaps so it was very hard to push it down. He pushed down one of them after telling me "You'll get used to it. Your tongue isn't even red." I got kind of upset at that because I shouldn't have to get used to it and he should gladly have pushed it down or made it right. I haven't went back but it still bothers me. I figured I'd tough it out until my appointment Thursday. I will get them to fix it then. I am going to ask about not being able to floss my back teeth with my RPE because I am sure most people can floss but my teeth aren't very long so the metal piece doesn't allow me to push the floss to the gumline. It does suck but getting in there really well with my Waterpik helps a little.

Denise, you didn't miss the story about my wedding. Haven't really talked much about it on here.

Denise, KK, & Tina:
I have been engaged for 2 years (Christmas Eve 2007 will be 3 years) and we set the date May 24, 2008 when we first got engaged. We haven't really been actively planning since it was so far away but we recently decided (after much resistance from him in the beginning of our engagement) to go on cruise and get married at one of the ports so we are changing the date to March (around easter break for family members that are going with children in school) 2008. I am very, very excited. We are either going to get married in Montego Bay, Jamaica OR St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. We are still up in the air about WHICH cruise we are going on (they both depart from different ports) but at least we know we ARE going on a cruise to get married and we will have an Island (beach) wedding and a reception on the cruise ship immediately following the wedding. Thanks very much for the congrats!

ENJOY and I will let you all know what happens on Thursday!!!!

#29 Post by **MissJoey** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:25 pm

Hello!!!

Quick question: How long are you prescribed to wear your expander? I will be getting one, and I know it breaks the bite slowly over time, but I was just curious as to how long (approximately) I'd have to have it in. Thanks!!! Take care of yourself during treatment!

MissJoey

#30 Post by **shell1426** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:21 am

MissJoey - I got my RPE January 24th and turned twice a day for three weeks (one appointment after 2 weeks to check its progress). On February 15th I was done turning but they want to keep the RPE in for 6 months so that the bone can grow where the space was created. My orthodontist told me yesterday that he will take it out a bit sooner than he would for a child but I still have a while to go before he pulls it out. He didn't give me a specific date but I would assume in the next 3-4 months since August will be my 6th month after I finished turning. I hope that helped. Everyone is different but the main waiting time from start to finish of the RPE is 6 months AFTER their done turning. Keep your head up and good luck! I will be looking for an update from you! If you have ANY more questions or problems I am happy to help!

KK & Denise - Thanks for the picture compliment! It's funny because I don't see much progress (aside from the change from no gap to big gap and back to no gap) in my teeth but that's kind of like if I lose weight someone that sees me everyday wouldn't notice as much as someone who hasn't seen me in a month or so. They really didn't say anything about my not being able to floss just that it's normal with the RPE. I have had gum disease as well so I freak out when I can't floss but I have a sonicare toothbrush and a waterpik so I hope that will hold out until I am able to floss! He did say that he will be taking my RPE out a little early so that made me super excited! The gap took about as long to close as it took to create it. I am happy it's finally closed. They put a 18N wire up top and kept the 16N on the bottom. They also put a longer powerchain on this time and that hurt pretty badly. My teeth were really, really sore. The cleat on that band couldn't be pushed down much more at all (the front one is down but the back one isn't). The only option they said was to take that cleat off completely but they didn't want to do that because they will need them for leverage when they pull the band off. So they pushed it down a little more but it would only go so much. It's a little better but didn't make a big difference. So looks like I will have to go the old school way! It only bothers me a little when I drink now. When I eat and talk I feel it but it doesn't bother me. It's not nearly as bad as when it was first put in so I think it's something I will be able to live with for 16 more months.