Lala's Story...braces again!!! UPDATED 12/7 NEW PICS!

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#1 Post by **Lala7603** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 2:21 pm

Ok so i thought i would make a little story to document this 2nd time around in braces. i guess i will start by summing up my first time in braces.

i got braces when i was 15 and a half. at the time i thought it was the end of the world. where i live, most of the kids are getting them off by that time and i was just getting them on. And worst of all I had a treatment time of 2 years so I wouldnâ€™t have the braces off for my senior pictures. Honestly that was the worst of my concerns...normal teenager I would think.

I got my braces on November 21st in the morning. I only got the uppers and had front 6 ceramics and the rest silver. CLEAR LIGS ALL AROUND. I didnâ€™t see much movement for a while.... but when I went in for my first adjustment my Ortho pointed out my movement. I donâ€™t remember when I got my bottoms on exactly...but I got them on and I had all metals. Clear ligs again. After a while I got coil springs to make room for my teeth to come forward (you will understand when you see the before pics) the 2 teeth were moved in line one by one.... with brackets popping off each of them at least once (back in the car...were going back to the ortho). I had power chains on uppers and lowers at some point and had elastics to correct my overbite. Overall.... I was ready for the braces to come off at 13 months.... 11 months early. I was soooo happy. Braces on November 21st, 2003, off December 17th, 2004

I loved when my braces came off...I ran and gave my ortho a BIG hug. I loved my new teeth. I waited a while and then got my Essex retainers. Wellll.... my stubborn teeth on my bottom just didnâ€™t want to stay put. I was told to wear my retainers at night.... so I did and my teeth would move during the day and then at night they would move back.... which hurt A LOT! I voiced my concerns to my ortho at my retainer check up and he agreed that a bonded retainer would be the nest option for me. I got my bonded retainer and all was well for I think 6 months. My teeth looked great and I was happy. Then my bonded retainer broke. I was flossing and it came off in one spot. I had to wait a week or 2 to get it fixed.... and my teeth had moved a *Slight* bit...it wasnâ€™t really that bad. Somewhere in there my top teeth moved.... I really didnâ€™t notice because it was rather gradual.... but my upper retainer slowly became harder and harder to put in every night until I finally couldnâ€™t put it in anymore. When I got my lower bonded retainer fixed I got a new Essex retainer. Might I say that I have never had my Essex retainers got to my last molar.... which makes things really uncomfortable because those teeth move up.... causing my bite to be off. )

Fast-forward a year and a half.

I got a hell of a cleaning from a new hygienist at my Dentist's office. She broke my bonded retainer. REALLY made me mad...made an ortho appointment and went in, got my bonded retainer fixed and I was on my way. I knew at this point that my teeth have shifted some...but until I pulled out my after pictures.... I really hadnâ€™t realized how much that had moved. I figured that I should talk to my ortho...went in and he wasnâ€™t there so I make an appointment and went in again. I was very nervous and ended up getting new retainers to stop any further movement. I was told at that appointment that the only was to fix me teeth would be to get braces again. When I went in to get my Essex retainers, I decided to ask him about braces. I really needed to know how much, because at 19 and a half...I am not made of money and my parents wouldnâ€™t pay (they thought my teeth were fine). So he agreed to put me in upper and lower braces again for 6 months.... at a cost of $500. This included retainers and all visits after retainers...I thought that was fair.

I got re-braced the next week. November 6th 2007. It has been almost 3 years since I got my braces off.

I went in...Got my records and everything done. Sat down...and got my bonded retainer taken off. OH MAN THAT HURT. My ortho could tell. He kept saying "sorry darlingâ€

#2 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 3:37 pm

500 bucks, what a steal! How long is your TX time this round?

#3 Post by **kirjax** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:37 am

Wow! honestly I think your teeth look fantastic but it's your mouth and I guess you know how it should feel. But I don't think I could do this a second time around so KUDOS to you for taking this journey not once but twice!!

I know a few people w. the permanent retainer. I have really bad rotated teeth and I was actually hoping for a permanent retainer but it seems like for you it was a hassle. What would be your suggestion on that? They haven't discussed retainers w/ me considering I am only 6 months into my treatment. But I am curious to know if you had a choice again would you go with permanent or removable retainers?

good luck this time around I hope you get the results you want!

#4 Post by **Lala7603** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:50 pm

KK i figure its better to do it now while the movement is not that bad that to wait and have to do it later. My teeth used to have ugly ridges on them....and i hated that. when i got my braces off my ortho shaped them and it really made a big difference. actually, my first day in braces the first time, my ortho shaved down my 2 front teeth...they had big ridges and were quite long. i have had quite a few people comment on my teeth tho(up untill my movement...lol) and it still makes me smile. before i had braces i never heard that and now i have to do a double take "are you talking to me?" lol....thanks so much for the comment....you make me blush oh and i do think a nice settled bite at the end will make me VERY happy....i can get rid of my headaches....

Miss SmileyMy treatment time is 6 months....it could go over that or under that and i dont really care. just as long as i get my perfect teeth back

Kirjax At different angles you could see where the teeth had moved. and this movement had been gradual and had been getting worse so i figured it would continue if i didnt do something about it. bonded retainer seems to be good for some people and not so good for others. For me...i had bad luck with mine. if it hadnt of broken the first time....i really dont think i would of had many problems. My ortho actually said we would try not to use a bonded retainer again. I would have a talk with your ortho and i would suggest that if you get a bonded retainer GET A REMOVABLE ONE TOO! you will always need a back up.

OK well thanks on the support everyone. its great to have some from everyone here. Not many people know why i am doing this again.....but at least i do. i had a smile that made people go WOW....and i really want that back. It made me feel so good about myself. After having ugly teeth for my childhood....i KNOCKOUT teeth for my teenage years....and i will have them again for my early adult years. (21st b-day baby!)

I know that if i didnt correct this all now, i would regret it later and be SOOOOO mad at myself. And for the price.....why not???....lol!!!

SMIles
LALA

#5 Post by **Indalee** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:45 am

Hey Lala7603. Great job on getting your treatment for only $500! I only wish mine was that much. I do understand what you said about wanting to nip your movement in the bud before things get worse. I always said if my teeth started to move once the brace came off, I would get braces again. It's your smile and if it makes you more confident to have beautiful teeth then go for it I say! I look forward to hearing about your journey the 2nd time around.

#6 Post by **Lala7603** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:44 pm

Meryaten- I know right. i think the movement we see is due to the stripping. they basicallly filed between my teeth to make room and it caused some teeth to move....i was a happy person...lol

Indalee- i know right....i figured 500 was a damn good price. my original price for braces the first time was over $4000....so...i guess 500 is rather reasonable..lol i just loved my teeth how they were and was unhappy with the movement i was seeing and it was just getting worse....little bit by bit. I cant tell everyone enough about how much you get used to your new beautiful teeth after all of that work, you dont want them to change back at all. I know i loved them....and want them back forever!

ill be posting throughout this journey to document everything this time. ill keep everyone posted!

SMiles
LALA

ps...ill be posting 1 month progress pics in a week.....!!!

#7 Post by **sgguy** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:51 am

Lala,

$500 is cheap for braces..why is the price so low? Ur teeth looks wonderful !

#8 Post by **Lala7603** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 5:48 pm

its so low because this is my second time in brace and its only for 6 months. thanks....i didnt think they looked Bad....just not as wonderful as they did and they were slipping farther and farther away from being worderful. Oh and my ortho seems to like me...so that may have something to do with the low price.

SMiles
LALA

#9 Post by **LateStarter** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 1:29 am

Your teeth look great already, so by the time your treatment's finished they'll be spectacular

A quick question if I may - I read that you had clear brackets the first time around, but you've gone for metal this time - I was wondering why you decided to choose metal? I only ask because I'm trying to decide for sure whether to get clear or metal, so I'm interested to hear as many opinions as I can

#10 Post by **Spanner** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:09 am

Your teeth look beautiful to me but I'm sure they will look even more beautiful when it's all finished. It better to do things as soon as you see any changes rather than wait. I wish I had done something about mine years ago and not left it until they were in such a bad state that they need so much work.

#11 Post by **Lala7603** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:56 pm

hey all

so as promised here are my 1 month progress pics....i can see a lot of movement...can you spot it???

so im sure you can see teeth moving here and there. things all seem to be coming along nicely. OMG i didnt realize just how stained my ligs were untill i took these pictures!!! im going to call on tuesday and ask if i can go in and get them changed....what with christmas coming and all. gotta look good for my family. That and i kind of am tired of the clear ligs, im used to the braces and am ready for colors. oh and its the only christmas i will be having in braces and ive never had red and green ligs....!!!

LateStarter again, they were shifting more and more.....and i knew i had the most amazing smile...and really wanted that back and figured if i could...then damnit all i would. lol. i actually wasnt given a choice this time around but would have chosen metal anyway.

1.first of all....its only for 6 months...i figured i would just deal.

2. By the end of my treatment with ceramics the first time, i liked wearing colors on my lower metals. i just became comfortable and didnt really CARE what other people thought anymore.

3. staining clear ligs drive me nuts....im not getting them again....i swear!

4. The first time i was in high school and knew that i would be getting school pictures, and going to major danced with braces on and i wanted to be the center of attention...not my braces. and looking at my pictures, the ones for prom and homecomming...you cant even see the braces. this time around, i just didnt have anything big....no pictures....so i figured what the hell.

5. CERAMICS HURT LIKE H*LL when they came off. hurt hurt hurt....its not like that for everyone but it was like that for me. not fun!

6. Ceramics would have been more money i imagine and i wasnt going to spend any extra money...seeing as its mine this time around.

7. the metals are smaller and more comfortable for me.

here is a KEY thing IF I WERE TO DO THE FIRST TREATMENT OVER AGAIN I WOULD STILL DO CERAMICS! all in all they were just the right choice for my then. i really didnt want all metals...plain and simple.

overall....do what YOU will be most comfortable with. i know that the first time would have been much harder for me had i not had ceramics.

Spanner im sure planning on them looking even more beautiful! i knew i would regret not acting on the movement now when its rather easy to correct. ive heard so many people who have said just what you did...i wish i had done something about my teeth years ago....i really listened to everyone and just took the plunge and im getting my AWESOME smile back.!

Looking forward to more comments from everyone...it makes me soooo happy

SMiles
LALA

#12 Post by **LateStarter** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:42 pm

Thanks for the feedback about your brackets. I keep thinking that I'm definitely going to go with metal, and then these niggling doubts keep coming up! I think, though, that metal will be the best choice for me. Still, it's great to read other people's reasons for choosing what they do

#13 Post by **amandajane** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:22 am

I like your teeth they are very beautiful, your very wise to have them done at an early age. Unlike me I waited till 30

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Metal Mouth Message Board

Lala's Story...braces again!!! UPDATED 12/7 NEW PICS!

Lala's Story...braces again!!! UPDATED 12/7 NEW PICS!

Updated 12/07

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