BRACES ARE OFF!!!!!!!

Message

#31 Post by **mikecl** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 3:30 pm

Claire

Thanks for explaining how it's done - I didn't see the little hooks on your brackets but what you say makes perfect sense.

I'm due some extra stuff at the next appointment when the ortho will start on closing the gap in my lower arch caused by the extraction - I am expecting power chains but we will see what happens.

Your progress to date has been amazing and I think it makes dealing with braces much easier when you can see the difference they are making.

Cheers

Mike

#32 Post by **Laurie** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:15 pm

Wow! Looking good!

#33 Post by **rhonda30** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:27 pm

Your teeth are looking very nice. Getting elastics that early in the treatment I think is a positive sign. Who wrote elastics are fun, (Miss Smiley) probably someone who hasn't had the pleasure of them yet.

I hope you are enjoying garlic bread by now.

#34 Post by **Clairey Fairey** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:09 am

They are kinda fun now they've stopped hurting!!

Neon colours sounds soooo funky!! Mine are just boring white but i only wear them at night so colour doesn't matter to much coz no one sees them....until the next adjustment that is!

#35 Post by **cwatt1** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 7:10 pm

Hi Claire,

Still catching up on everyone's blogs, but I have to tell you your progress is terrific, and your arches are looking beautiful -- really symmetrical looking! I hope my ortho can get mine to look like that!

Elastics are in my future too, so I'm hoping they really are fun, HE HE

#36 Post by **Clairey Fairey** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:16 am

Thank you!!

Bring on the next adjustment!!

(oh and I think I would go for neon shades if I ever got the chance, I love bright colours!!)

#37 Post by **M1k3y** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:29 am

I had those elastics last month. Boy do they put pressure on my teeth.

#38 Post by **Clairey Fairey** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:44 pm

Hello to anyone reading this!!

4th adjustment took place about a week ago, unfortunately not much happened so I'm afraid this won't be a very exciting post!!

Ortho was very pleased with the movement from the elastics, and so am I as my top and bottom front teeth now meet when I bite down, which they hadn't done since the spacers. So its nice to be able to notice a big improvement in my bite already.

I now have to wear 2 elastics on the right side only, as that side needs more movement. I need to wear them for at least 16 hours a day but I keep forgetting (oops) not good coz I don't want to pro-long the treatment.

Theres been no pain what so ever since the adjustment, but on the down side I can't see or feel any movement. But as I've already learnt, that doesn't mean that nothing is happening. Although it might help if I wore the elastics for the full 16 hours!!

Oh I do have some exciting news!! It's IPR on my next adjustment YEY. I'm excited coz thats a massive step into getting my new smile!! It will be on the 29th October so BRING IT ON!!

#39 Post by **Clairey Fairey** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:28 am

DELETED - Yey the edit button is back

#40 Post by **Clairey Fairey** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:29 am

DELETED!! (Too many spelling mistakes)

#41 Post by **Clairey Fairey** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:44 am

I have been so busy these last two months that I almost forgot about this forum!! But I'm back and I have one big...long....update!!

The 5th adjustment:
This one was waaaay back in the beginning on November. It was a complete nightmare because my car broke down on the way which made me miss the appiontment and have to wait in the cold, rainy weather for 2 hours to be picked up, and then fork out Â£100 to get the car fixed!! argh.
Anyway luckily my ortho could still fit me in at the end of the day so I managed to drag my dad all the way home from work so he could take me there in his work lorry!!

The appointment itself went well. It was IPR time!! Yey
The IPR itself didn't hurt, just felt strange, kind of like pressing an electric toothbrush really hard onto my teeth. I got powerchains on either side of my front teeth to start pulling the teeth in and closing the newly created gaps. I ended up with approx 5mm of new space created from the IPR. It felt weird to see gaps in my mouth after my teeth had been so crowded previously. I was also very consious of the powerchains being there, they are really un-noticeable because they're white but they felt weird. My ortho also changed the wire on the upper teeth back to a circular one rather than the rectanguar wire that I had before. This new wire looks tiny compared to the old one and u can hardly see it

There was a bit of pain over the next few days from the powerchains but nothing compared to spacers, or when I first got elastics. I'm still wearing elastics for about 12 hours a day, two on the right side of my mouth and one on the left (the right side is stubborn and doesn't want to move as quickly as the left!!)

The 6th Adjustment @ 3.12.07:
This time my car didn't break down - yey!!
It was a very simple adjustment, the powerchains and ligs were changed and another powerchain has been added to go across the front teeth.
Both the ortho and assistant commented on how much my teeth have moved which is exciting because I have also noticed that they seem to have moved inwards a bit. This is the bit of the treatment I have most been looking forward to (no more sticking out teeth!!)

I'm feeling really good about my treatment at the minute. My overjet is now only 3mm, you can really see a difference when looking at my profile. I have a wider arch and much straighter teeth. I still have one gap that hasn't closed yet and my bite still needs working on, the right side is still being stubborn and itsn't moving as fast as it should!! I'm wearing the elastics as much as possible to help it along!!

Heres some progress pics:

Arch Before

Arch Now

Teeth now - notice the white powerchain across the front

You can see the right side still needs working on!! I think it's improved a bit, the pic below is old was taken after the 4th ajustment:

Overjet - Look how close they are!!

Theres the gap!! and powerchains

Well it has been 9 months into the treatment...woohoo. Expected 'go naked' time - May 2008!!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

#42 Post by **Clairey Fairey** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:24 am

I am being de-braced on the 12th of May!!!!!

Woohoo I'm so happy!! Went for adjustment the other day which was when I was told the good news. Basically my teeth are straight, we are just working on the bite. I'm wearing a strange elastic configuration now!! I'll put the pics up asap.

Got a couple more adjustments before they come off but the de-brace appiontment has been set and I'm so excited!!

It's 2 days before my birthday aswell so a double celebration me thinks!!

#43 Post by **kittymeow84** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:12 pm

Congratulations!!!! That's great news. Your teeth are looking beautiful

#44 Post by **Lisa65** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:45 pm

Claire they look great! Roll on 12th May

#45 Post by **Clairey Fairey** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:18 pm

Thanks kittymeow84 and Lisa65

Unfortunately I'm getting a bit slack at updating this thing...2 more adjustments have gone by since my last proper update. There was one in early Jan. This one was exciting coz I got a new elastic configurement to try out:

(I'm forcing the bottom teeth forward in this pic, this isn't how they are naturally)

As you can hopefully tell in the pics the elastics go from the top bracket hook, forwards to the bottom bracket hook and then right back to the hook on the molar band. It's quite difficult to put on and they keep 'pinging' off. I've founds loads scattered all over my floor!!

The front powerchain also snapped and I had to sneak another appointment in only 3 weeks after the adjustment to get a new powerchain. This was good though coz I got a nice new white one!!

The next adjustment was 3 weeks ago (end of Feb), this was the one where I got told I was having them off in May (woohoo!!).
Oh and I tell u what, my teeth didn't half move since wearing the elastics in this new way!! The overjet has really closed up and my bite feels to much better (my front teeth meet when closing my mouth for a start). I can now bite down into food using my front teeth AND use them to cut sellotape (I've never been able to do this before coz there was too much of an overjet).

My only concern now is my remaining gummy smile. I've been told the only option for this is surgery, but I think thats a bit too drastic (and very expensive) I also think my fiance will kill me because he says he loves my smile the way it is!!

Heres some old pics of my gummy smile!!

Anyway I'll take some more up to date pics of my teeth and get them uploaded soon!!

I'm soooo excited.....12th of May....no more braces!! (fingers tightly crossed)