OK, I give in *July 30 Adj. p37*

[Miss Smiley]

iBorg - Indeed we must had the same wit, as I find myself chuckling when I'm reading your story.

jt - goodness gracious, I wish I didn't have so much dental excitement.

ADJUSTMENT UPDATE

I have to say, these 6 months just flew by like nothing. Maybe it was from all this excitement but maybe because I've been busy with my life. WHO KNOWS. First off, the girl in the chair next to me got in trouble! Hahahaha She has been drinking tons of soda and not brushing well enough that he was seeing decalcification spots and tartar build up everywhere. He told her "I need to talk to your mom before I work on you." YIKES! Her mom was not happy to find out that her daughter had not been in since July when they were supposed to be working on closing gaps. After all that commotion, it was my turn and he said "I'm sorry for making those other gaps, and making them so large." I said "It's okay, it has to get worse before it can get better right?" Then he told me that I had a good attitude and what not. I must have gotten a new wire on the lowers and uppers because they are sore today! I felt it when he was putting the ligs and trying to fit the new wire, but I thought it was just me. But last night, it started to kick in around dinner. I guess I'll have to lay off the Cracker Jacks today and just have some yogurt as a snack. Okay, I started using the Topol toothpaste, I really don't see a difference in anything about it beside the active ingredient. Did I just go out and waste $3??? With which I could have bought my regular toothpaste which has twice as much in the tube?

[Andantae]

Hi there Ms Smiley!

Just checking in with you . Glad to hear the 6 month adjustment went so well. I think we are about a month apart getting started and I agree with you----this time has just zipped by. Do you find yourself liking the look of your teeth better now even with braces on than 6 months ago without? Why did your ortho do the wisdom tooth extraction 6 months into your treatment? ---forgive me if you've already explained this.

I just read your reply to my reply on Sept 27 just now. I think I have been missing the big picture on the Brace Stories Forum. I hardly come here and mostly have spent my time jumping between the Metal Mouth and Orthnagthic Surgery forum. Obviously, this is the place to keep up with things---I had that totally wrong. Hell--looo---ooooo!

I finally got an overexposed photo downloaded into my avatar!!! The overexposed photo hides all my faults and make my teeth look like chicklets! (unintentional, but they all turned out that way)Ha Ha. You are right, Ms. Smiley, I don't know why I feel so shy about it, my teeth really aren't that bad--just up close. So at your prompting, I will start my story by the end of the month---come and visit, won't you?

Andi

[iBorg]

Madame Smiley:
Since we agree we have the same demented wit, here's my side chair story. While getting my metal brackets, there was a high schooler a few chairs away getting a mold for her retainer. I'm sure you've have the same sense of jealously wondering when you'll be at the retainer stage.

Everything is really calm and quiet when all of a sudden you hear "BOWL!"
Apparently someone doesn't quite like the mold compound for her retainer.

All you can do is smile as the lip spreaders keep you from showing emotion which by good taste should be a hidden smile, not the laugh you feel deep down.

Have a great weekend!

Mike

[Teagan]

I love how your asking advice about whether or not to brush your teeth.

You're so daring!



Oh gosh, you have no idea how many times I've showed up looking completely zonked out and horrible for my orthodontist appointments.

[Miss Smiley]

Karen - I must have since I don't hear him talking to many patients, as they just sit then leave. I sit and talk to the assistants and we laugh about things. Then the Doc comes and joins in on the festivities. I'll use this tube of Topol but will most likely go back to using my regular paste once it's time for renewel.

Andi - Of course I'll come visit, just leave me a link to go to! Show dem chicklets off, people won't care. They'll just enjoy the fact that you have a big grin. Ahh...the infamous Mister Wisdom was left in to help push my other molars forward and hopefully finishing erupting. I'll post a pic later, but on the side where Mister Wisdom was, the premolar gap is already closed. Now that it has done part of its job and the bracket on the molar in front of it refused to stay on, they will have to band the 2nd molar. The 3rd molar's crown was pushing against the 2nd molars crown and did not allow a band to be placed. Now that the Mister Wisdom is gone, treatment can continue as planned. I'm not sad about the Wisdom being out, as I have it in my room in a little autoclave envelope.

iBorg - I couldn't help but to laugh at loud at my desk. My boss probably thinks I'm nuts as reading archwired at work constantly does this to me.

Teagan - Little is it daring, it's about being lazy. Too lazy to want to brush my teeth twice in one morning. I try to eat breakfast before I leave the house so that I won't have to brush again until after lunch. It's about being efficient.

[Miss Smiley]

Ladies and Gents, here are the pics I owe this thread.

Closed bite


Look at those gaps closing and opening


My left gap closed, right gap almost closed






Bight slightly open

[chillin-in-grilz]

Wow awesome pics!

[flesh-was-sweet]

Your teeth are fantastic - and SO white!!

Lovely!

[Miss Smiley]

Chill & Flesh - Thanks for the kind words! I'm not feeling so awesome and fantastic with these gaps galore. It doesn't stop me from smiling big but it just makes me have that little bug in the back of my mind.

Hopefully, next appointment, things can get settled in with my 2nd molar and the band. I still need to get my crown re-cemented before the temp bond starts to leak.

[Miss Smiley]

Thank you Karen and Linda!

Yesterday, I got home from work and saw a package on the porch. I take it inside and GUESS WHAT?! It's from Waterpik, I finally got in my cordless irrigator! WOOHOOO!!!!! I plugged it in to charge right away so I can use it tonight for my cleaning ritual. Gee wiz, they tell you that the initial charge is 16 hours, isn't that crazy?? At least I finally got one in my hands. I also bought a few of their sonic toothbrushes to give as Christmas gifts since I got a professional discount which was like half off the retail prices in stores. Tis the season to have great oral hygiene. My friends think I'm nuts over brushing and keeping up, but then again, I'm also the one who had the check up and cleaning with no bleeding gums or cavities. I can't wait until Christmas to give my gifts! Who knew toothbrushes and oral care products could be so exciting! I'm excited for my date tonight, me and my Waterpik in my brightly lit bathroom.

[Miss Smiley]

I used the Waterpik tonight. YIKES, first I couldn't get the water to come out, when it finally did, it caught me off guard and I ended up rinsing down the bathroom mirror. I only used the regular tip, I'll try the ortho tip tomorrow and see how much different it feels. Wow, that Waterpik does really get things out that I didn't know were there. I found a piece of something which might have been the cause to my sore gums around a molar. When I tried to floss it out this morning there wasn't anything. BUT when I Waterpik'd it, it flew right out and instant relief on my gums. Geez, I thought I was doing a stellar job until this happened. The reservoir tank isn't very large but all I needed was a second fill up and I was good to go. I had my doubts about this Waterpik Ultra Cordless after having read some reviews from users of similar models. Now that I've used it, I'm convinced this was the right purchase. I'm glad they have improved some from the last cordless model, this was seems to be very comfy to use. Maybe not very compact but it would sure be smaller to take on vacation than my straightening iron.

[Andantae]

Hello Ms Smiley~

Your chicklets are so darn white!!!! They are really coming in to line--the gaps are much smaller and your arches are looking so nice. Does your ortho say why he predicts your treatment time up to 36 months? They just look so good right now

Congrats on your new toy! Aren't they great? I can brush my teeth and still occasionally work something out of a nook or cranny when I use the waterpic--and my mouth just feels so clean afterward. Who would have thought a year ago that we would be so excited about new/better ways to help keep our teeth clean???

I like to add a flavored mouthwash to the warm water. I had been using Listerine mint & vanilla, but since it has alcohol in it, I'm going to research other options.

BTW, interesting how they use your ortho used your wisdom tooth to help move the other molars forward. I had all 4 impacted and removed years ago. No fun, but those little guys were causing trouble for me so I'm afraid I wasn't very sentimental about losing them

[Miss Smiley]

Andi - I love love love my Waterpik!!! Really, I can't get enough of new oral hygiene products. I'm not sure why he said 3 years, I think maybe because of my age, he thought that it would take longer for my teeth to move around. He has been surprised at how fastthey atually have been moving. It feels like the movement is slow for me, but he is impressed. I hope that the sentence will be greatly reduced but I will not bet anything on it until we see how fast my bone regrows and how well my bite starts to settle. I really really hope hope hope that it's shorter than originally estimated. That Mister Wisdom was impacted for half a year, after I had that premolar extracted, it started to break the through the gums and the gap closed super fast. We had good times and Mister Wisdom will always be with me, not just in the memory of closing that gap really fast, but because I have it sitting in my desk.

[Andantae]

You are too funny Ms Smiley! I realize you aren't trying to be funny about keeping your wisdom tooth on your desk, but really, it conjures up such an excellent visual for me. I imagine your tooth under glass on a pedestal/shrine in a corner of your desk, and all your co-workers giving you just a little extra wide berth lately as they steal quick, covert glances when quickly walking past. Tell me that you place flowers under it daily and light a little incense at the proper time throughout the day, and my picture will be complete!

I know you have a good sense of humor and will know that I am just ribbing you. I could supply you with endless fodder to rib me about all my quirks!

Unique, original people who aren't afraid to be themselves are my favorites !

I would make a wager that you don't go 3 years in braces! No way!

Andi

[Miss Smiley]

Andi - I don't make wagers, as I am a walking rule of Murphy's Law. Also, I keep my Mister Wisdom with the premolar kids. Flowers I would have to say nay, as they wilt and die, death is something I don't want to cater around. BUT I do give them a good talking to as if they were still sround in my mouth. I tell the premolars how proud of them I am being so white with long, thick roots. The Mister Wisdom I tell him how great things could have been if he had just settled in and made himself known to the rest of my teeth. Oh how great things could have been. t