where2be's brace story

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#1 Post by **where2be** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:39 pm

Here is my brace story.

I had a fairly open bite and a "fang" on my right side due to the open bite and a larger incisor compared to the somewhat unusually small tooth next to it. At 16 I had braces for 1.5 years which fairly well cleared up my open bite and straightened my teeth out nicely. Ah, but college (and a new boyfriend and wisdom teeth) came along within months and after enough pain with the new wisdom teeth coming in I stopped wearing my retainers. 12 years later and here I am. My teeth aren't back to being as bad as they started, but they're certainly no longer straight, my fang is returning , and my bite has opened up, albeit only a few mm.

My teeth have bothered me for past few years (though my fiance claims my fang is "cute") and after finally settling down in a new state this year, I went to see an orthodontist. Who not only recommended braces, but SURGERY. Which I knew was a fairly likely suggestion, but still - something I had hoped to avoid. I spent a few more months waiting for the consultation with the oral surgeon, debating whether I wanted surgery or not, and trying to decide whether to put the braces on before or after my wedding. But now, it's all decided.

I've got my brace dates set up (Oct 23 + 30 - after the wedding), scaling appointments with my dentist in September to get a thorough cleaning first, and my last few questions out to my orthodontist. I'm still not 100% sure of taking the surgical route or not, but will need to decide before my brace date.

#2 Post by **metalmom** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:10 am

Welcome!! Tip from me would be to read some of the other stories on here to help decide what to do about surgery. There seems to be quite a few, myself included, doing expansion as adults w/out the surgery. It wasn't something I knew could even be done! So far it's working well for me. One of the ladies at my ortho's office had the same thing done at 26 and she's 32 now and her teeth are still nice and straight. She said the expansion was the best thing she ever did.

Good luck w/whatever you decide and look forward to sharing this experience!

#3 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:22 am

Welcome and congratulations on your wedding coming up! I hope that you won't have to take the surgery route.

#4 Post by **where2be** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:36 pm

Well, I got braced today...mostly anyway. They put on uppers and lowers as well as spacers. No wire on the top yet. I go back in a week for molar bands and the upper wire. So far so good - I'll try to be back to post pictures soon.

#5 Post by **where2be** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:19 pm

Braces are still going well. Sticking to softer foods for now...many of my usual snack favorites like chewy candies and crackers are out for at least a while. I did have some cheek scratching, but that was fixed with a dab of wax. Will be happier next week when the spacers come out and the top wire goes in...less thrilling is the molar bands, but hey, they come with the package.

I do unfortunately have 3 teeth that are absolutely impossible to floss between. I will try again last night, but my guess is a tiny bit of the dental cement is stuck and my ortho will have to clean it out next week.

#6 Post by **METALMOUTHPOOH** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:33 pm

Welcome

Glad to hear u are doing well.... and flossing will get easier

Post pictures soon

#7 Post by **where2be** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 3:38 pm

Update...earlier this week, I got 3 of 4 of my 2nd molars banded and had brackets placed on my two lower wisdom teeth. This time they added the arch wire on the top teeth and left the lighter bottom wire as is. However, on one side, my wisdom tooth is fairly rotated, so I was biting down onto the bracket. They put a bumper on so I wouldn't bite directly onto the bracket, but that came off within hours. Since they don't have the arch wire going back there yet, I went back the next day to have them take off the back bracket - I can deal with it once they're actually moving the tooth, but before that? No thanks!

7 weeks until my first adjustment.

#8 Post by **where2be** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:28 pm

I'm now about 4 weeks into treatment...they've gone by pretty quickly. I generally have no difficulties eating though a recent BLTA sandwich was fairly challenging. I've seen a bit of movement, though not as much as I'd like (of course, I'd LIKE to be done by now...I didn't say I was hoping realistically

). Having issues getting pictures up, but still hoping to do so soon.

So far I think the most entertaining? interesting? thing is to feel the teeth moving individually. I have very little discomfort, but will occasionally feel different brackets poking my cheeks and when I use my tounge to push against my teeth individually, it always seems like a different tooth is on the move for the day since one is always just a littlle wobbly and ouchy when I poke it, but the others all feel like normal. Today I'm excited since my lower rotated canine is the sore tooth - I could see visible straightening yesteday on it, and I'm hoping with the soreness today that it will continue to pull into place.

#9 Post by **where2be** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:27 pm

Fun over the holidays involved eating the bracket on my lower wisdom tooth. Not sure how or exactly when, but at some point Friday I realized that it was no longer on my tooth. As the tooth wasn't in the archwire yet, losing the bracket wasn't a big deal, but yum

I am going in for my first adjustment in a few weeks and will be discussing how (if at all) my treatment would change if I had my wisdom teeth removed. For now, my dentist and ortho are in favor of keeping them, but as no one else has them, they interfere with my bite, and seem to be going to be a bear to move, I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of keeping them. Plus, it's already hard enough to floss between my first and second upper molars that are in the arch wire - it will be nearly impossible to floss between the second and third molars once they're in the wire - they're hard enough now!

#10 Post by **where2be** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:43 pm

And thanks metalmouth for your suggestions! Unfortunately it's not expansion I'd need, but a small jaw advancement and realignment. I have some crowding, but enough space overall for them to work with.

#11 Post by **where2be** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:55 am