Jaws' Story-Updated Dec 12/07--Follow-Up Pic (page 12)

[jaws]

MY STORY BEGINS: April 5 2005

So, like many others on this site, I've decided to share my story to help others and myself! So here goes!

My story begins when I was younger and my brother had really bad teeth. My mom could only afford to get braces for one of us, so I went without braces. My dentists bothered me for years to get braces, because of a lot of crowding in my lower teeth which makes them hard to clean.

So, at age 25, I've finally given in. I'm currently doing my Ph.D. in Psychology, and I didn't want to be a professor teaching classes of 500 people with braces on, so I decided to get them now before I finish grad school!

I go in for my spacers this Thursday (April 7th, 2005), and then I will get my full braces on April 11th 2005. I am opting for metal braces on the top and bottom, and I'm trying a "controlled arch" procedure. My dentist says that this procedure moves the teeth quickly without having to do any extractions. However I will have a little extra hardware in my mouth compared to most people, as I will have a wire bonded to the INSIDE of my teeth on the top and bottom (like a non-removable retainer), plus the brackets on the outside. I will also need to have some material put on the tops of my back molars to open my bite a bit, otherwise (because of my 'deep bite'), I will bite the braces off!

My total estimated treatment time is 18 months which isn't too bad. I'm a bit worried about how I am going to feel/look afterwards, but reading input on this site has really helped me out!

Here are some pics:

This is me last summer (the most close up pic I could find):



I know that my teeth don't look extremely crooked, because my problem is mostly with my bottom teeth.

Here is a closeup of my teeth before braces:



And a close up of my bottom teeth before braces:



Here are some top and bottom views of my mouth:





Finally, here is my profile before braces:



Suposedly after the braces have done their job my arch will have widened and my upper lip will look more "full".

I will post more pics once I actually get the braces on! Hopefully I can manage to keep everyone up to date on my progress as I go along--wish me luck! [/b]

[nahky]

Congrats on starting on your braces journey jaws

Looking at those pics.. ur gunna be so purrrrty when ur teeth are straightened up!!

Goodluck with the spacers, I had 8 put in, on my molars. hope that arent too much of a pain for ya. 18 months is gunna fly by in no time. I finish in 20 months supposedly so reckon we'll finish about the same time

How come you're not going for the ceramics on the top? I find it helps eases the embarrassment for me when i smile and show my braces. Its been a month for me now and my teeth have noticably straightened up so I'm smiling a whole lot more which suprised me because i thought i would always hide them. No one even notices them now.

The feeling of the new braces put was strange, the feeling of all this gunky metal in my mouth. Felt as if everyone around me knew i was wearing braces. feels as if my mouth was sticking out. After the first week, it'll start to feel kinda normal.. apart from the pain

keep us updated, nice pics

[chitato_80]

Good luck with the journey. I think I'm going to finish the same time with you.

I am also in the same situation with you that they had to put some stuff on my lower molars to open my bite a little bit.

[joplin]

What a perfect smile you will have! I think it's cute now, but it will be knock out gorgeus when you're done with braces! Good luck!

[jaws]

Thanks everyone for the support!

I go for the spacers tomorrow, so tonight I'm going shopping for a ton of mushy food and some painkillers!

I am a little worried about getting the stuff put on my back molars, since I'm sure it will feel weird at first--but I'm just hoping to take it one day at a time!!

[VisualForces]

wow...you're already cute...braces will just be icing on the cake!

[jaws]

APRIL 7TH, 2005

I just had my spacers put in around an hour ago. I must admit that I was really nervous (I get anxious really easily!), but the experience wasn't too bad. My teeth are really crowded, so she had a bit of trouble getting them in at first...but overall it just felt like she was flossing my teeth with REALLY thick floss!

So, now I have these in for 3-4 days, then I get my braces on Monday April 11th. So far no pain, it just feels weird--but I'm sure the pain will come! I've already stocked up on mushy food and advil/anbesol, so wish me luck!!

Here are some pics of my spacers:

Bottom Teeth:



Top Teeth:



I'll keep you all posted!

[jaws]

APRIL 8TH, 2005

Well, the spacers are still in and I'm surviving! I took a tylenol before bed last night because they were starting to ache, and I made it through the night ok. This morning they are aching quite a bit, but it's not completely debilitating or anything. I'm just eating some instant oatmeal for breakfast and planning to take another tylenol soon!

It's pretty funny because, as I mentioned before, I'm doing graduate work in psychology, and this week I had to read a chapter called "Health Behavior". There was a ton of evidence in the chapter about how optimism can make health treatment (i.e. braces!) go more smoothly. There was even a study where they exposed optimistic and pessimistic individuals to the influenza virus, and the optimistic people became less ill! Another important aspect of health behaviour is a feeling of self-efficacy (i.e. feeling like you have control over achieving the health outcome that you desire--like straight teeth!)...people with high self-efficacy also often do better health-wise.

I just thought I would share that bit of info to motivate people to keep a positive attitude--studies have shown that it really can help your progress in the long run!

I'll keep you all posted!

[jaws]

APRIL 9TH, 2005

Well, I'm on day 2-3 of my spacers. Yesterday they hurt pretty badly, but I took an Advil Liqui-Gel caplet (400mg of Ibuprofen), and it worked GREAT! I've tried both tylenol and this advil, and the advil definitely worked better for me.

I also managed to eat some crusty bread today by breaking it into tiny pieces...I can't chew very well, but the food is managing to go down!

Anyways, I'm counting down the days until these little things are out of my mouth! This is almost making me look forward to Monday when my braces go on!

[jaws]

APRIL 11TH, 2005

Hi everyone,

Well, I got my braces on today...so I thought I would share my 'first day in braces' story. When I went in I was really nervous, but it really wasn't that bad. Overall, it took around an hour and a half. First, the hygenist polished my teeth. Then the ortho came in and started my "controlled arch" procedure. Controlled arch means that I have a wire on the inside of my teeth on the top and bottom, which is supposed to work almost like an expander to widen my arch and keep me from having to get any teeth extracted.

So, they took out my spacers (yay!) and then fitted the metal bands around my 2nd last molars (top and bottom). The wire on the inside of my teeth is attached to both of these bands.

Then the ortho put some kind of liquid on my teeth, blew them so they were dry, and then applied each bracket to each individual tooth. Then the hygenist flashed each bracket with some sort of blue light that cemented the brackets in place. After this process, the hygenist put the wire in on the outside of my teeth (from bracket to bracket), and put the elastics around the ligatures.

Finally, the ortho had to put some material on my back molars to open up my bite a bit, so that I wouldn't bite my bottom brackets off! This feels a little strange now because I can't close my mouth all the way--and the material that they used is red so my back molars look red! Ha ha!

Overall, the experience wasn't too bad. The brackets are already starting to bug the insides of my lips, and my teeth are already aching, but I'm ready for the pain because that means the teeth are moving! The biggest thing that I'm going to have to get used to are these 'expander' wires on the inside of my teeth, as the top one gives me a TERRIBLE lisp!! Hopefully that will go away at some point!

Here are some pictures of me--day 1 in braces!





In terms of my self-esteem...I do feel pretty hideous--but I don't look any worse than I expected to look! I definitely look younger (I'm 25), but hopefully I'll get used to the way Ilook and I won't feel like some kind of monster! Honestly, I don't feel too bad about the appearance, because I know that my friends and family will be supportive and will get used to it in time. I already sent my boyfriend the pictures and he has been SO wonderful and supportive, which gives me hope!

Here are pictures of the top and bottom of my mouth--you can see the wire on the inside of my teeth and the red molars!





So, overall I would say that my first day in braces has gone fairly well. I have lots of mushy food on hand, so I'm ready to eat only liquids for awhile! I'll definitely keep posting on this site to let people in on my progress!

[marcTO]

awww you look so cute!!!

one of my friends had to wear those wired behind there teeth, and she has difficulty talking with it, she got used to it, but still talked like that through out the whole treatment!!! no worries, you look great

keep smilling, it gets better!!!

[jaws]

APRIL 12TH, 2005

Well, here I am, day 2 in braces. I must admit, they do ache quite a bit, and the brackets are shredding up the insides of my lips! The biggest cuts are coming from the bands around my molars--my poor tongue is definitely suffering!

That being said...I've been taking lots of advil and managing to eat some soup/yogurt, etc. (I even ate a little piece of chocolate by sucking it to death!). Things haven't been too bad. I'm basically experiencing the amount of pain/cuts that I expected.

In terms of people's reactions--at first I felt like every random stranger on the street was looking at me (I have metal brackets on top and bottom)! But I soon realized that I was being paranoid. I came to campus today to get some work done, and all of my friends have been SO supportive. There have been a few jokes about my lisp, but nothing cruel, and I have actually joined in on the jokes--I'm finding that using humour is helping out a lot.

My friends have basically all said that the braces are definitely noticable, but I'm not hideous looking or anything. Most of them just say that I look "cute" and that I look younger, but that's all. It's been nice to get out into public today and get the initial shock over with. Hopefully the more I talk the less I will lisp, and then I'll be all set!

[Vonster]

You were pretty before you got the braces, but now I think you are absolutely adorable!

I can't decide if my lisp is getting better, or I'm just getting used to it...probably the latter. Either way, it's bothering me less, and I'm sure you will have the same result. My son told me to "be a man" about the brackets cutting up my lips, and not use wax so they would toughen up...pretty funny thing to tell your mom!

Good luck!

Vonster

[jaws]

APRIL 13TH, 2005

Thanks for all the support guys! Well, it's day 3 in braces for me, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to rip them out!! I have a crazy headache, and my lips/cheeks/tongue have been torn up pretty badly. But, I know that this is all part of the process so I'm trying to keep a positive attitude. I know that I will love my teeth in the end...and every time I feel some pain I just picture that beautiful smile that I'm going to have in a year and a half!

[Dodger(UK)]

Yes, always stay positive and think of the finishing line. Even if you have to drag yourself there on your hand and knee's, it will all be worth the pain, canker sores, eating difficulties, and other brace hardships, when you see that end result!!