elpi's toothie adventures - got my wisdoms braced...ouch!

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#46 Post by **Bekah** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:26 am

I think they look really good!!

#47 Post by **Britlaw** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:31 am

Hi Elpi, CONGRATS!!

Been away in London all week so missed posting on your brace day

. They look great and you have such a cute smile anyways

. Hope you're finding your way with them....after a week or so you'l pretty much forget they are there most of the time - except when maybe your significant other discreetly points to your mouth during dinner which is clue that you have something stuck in the front there! LOL Tip - when you are eating out, swish with water (or wine lol) after each course and use the back of the desert spoon as a convenient mirror to check your teeth!

Do you have an electric toothbrush? I find using a normal one painful but an electric one is not, and it gets round the gumline much more efficiently. Oral B vitality were half price in Boots & Superdrug at like Â£12 so I have a few stashed in places - one at home, one at work and even one in the car so I always have one with me. I got told to floss but not to be obsessive about it. My ortho told me about the black triangle thing and that these can come and go during orthodontics but said that he'd seen occassions where gum recession was exacerbated by obsessive brushing and flossing.

Like Martin, my ortho said the tiny wires get bent by chewing hard food so he didnt cover my gaps initially but the big boy wires I have now really help chop up the food and protect the gums around extraction sites - you should find the same with your 3 wires, this is probably why you have them.

I havent been able to bite down on the front since I was braced. However, I push crisps and hard food round the side to bite, so its easy to get by....improvisation!!

Really looking foward to seeing your progress. Replying to your other post - good to see another from the midlands

My ortho is in the city in Birmingham where I work usually but I live 40 miles away almost on the welsh borders. I dont practice law any more - I found something related which is well paid but that gives me more 'me time'

Your teeth will be a great investment for that inheritance.

#48 Post by **elpi** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:49 pm

Thanks Britlaw

I've got a sonicare toothbrush and it is less painful than using the manual one, though I'm finding the ortho manual one useful for a quick brush of the braces after a meal. It's funny how it feels more like scouring a grill pan than brushing teeth

Ooh I look forward to being able to bite with any of my teeth, I haven't been able to bite anything hard with my front teeth very well for years because they were so tilted (which I didn't actually realise till recently) so I'm not used to having that ability, but it would be soo cool to gain it when my teeth are straightened! fingers crossed!

#49 Post by **sksk11** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:06 am

How's it going Elpi? I hope you are managing to eat a little bit easier - I will be turning to you for advice about what to have when my turn comes!

The second picture of your braces looked much better. Are you getting used to the three wire set up over your extraction sites?

Can't to see pics of your progress. SK x

#50 Post by **Faerydust** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:42 pm

Sorry I'm a little late, but congrats on getting braced!

I like the way they look.

I remember the feeling of not being able to chew. I made an egg salad sandwich and tore it into tiny pieces thinking it would be soft enough, but nope! And bread and egg got stuck all over the place making it worse. I took lots of pain killers at first too!

Like you I didn't really bite with my front teeth before braces, in my case they are so far in front of the lower teeth that I can't really bite them together to tear through food. With my braces it still feels weird trying to bite into sandwiches and stuff, even though I mostly use the side teeth, my front teeth end up hurting. I can't wait till my teeth are aligned properly so I can bite normally with them!

I'm surprised at how many people like the Sonicare brush. I hardly use ours because it feels really uncomfortable, especially if I accidentally hit a bracket or wire with the back of the brush.

I feel like I have more control with a regular brush. I've never tried the ortho tip though. Maybe that's the problem.

Interesting setup over the extraction site! I have no idea what my ortho is gonna do, but maybe I'll end up with the same thing. It's neat seeing pics of someone with the same teeth missing. Monday is my adjustment so I'll post pics with my gaps right after!

I'll be tuning in for your progress!

#51 Post by **Jill52** » Sun May 25, 2008 2:05 pm

Hi elpi, I'm just about a month ahead of you - got braced on March 20th. Fortunately I didn't need any extractions for the braces, although I know what it's like. I had an impacted wisdom tooth and molar out a year ago. Anyway, just wanted to say that you will soon have less pain if you don't already. In this last week I have been able to bite with my front teeth for the first time, and eat more or less normally. Well, maybe I've forgotten what normal eating is like, but it's been encouraging to eat toast again and even some crisps and shortbread biscuits. For a while I thought I'd be living on bananas and soup. Look forward to seeing your progress. I hope all is still going OK.

#52 Post by **elpi** » Mon May 26, 2008 3:54 am

Hi Jill thanks

Yes my teeth are FAR better now, I can eat pretty much anything except the stuff they tell you to avoid! I'm getting progress too! woo! my two front teeth are looking far more symmetrical and the bottoms are starting to smooth out. I've got an adjustment in a little over a week so I'll post some progress pics then!

My multi-wire set up over the extraction sites has not been a problem either except for the few times the tip of my tongue has got caught between the wires... OUCH !!

#53 Post by **elpi** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:35 am

Gosh been busy and life's flown by but thought I'd do a quickie update

I had my first adjustment last week, it was mostly just a change of ligs. My ortho says he shan't be upgrading my wire for another 2 to 3 months because he wants the roots of my canines to rotate more first. When he upgrades the wire he'll brace my wisdom teeth too as the span is too large to brace them with the current wire and not have it pop out!

I am stunned by the progress I've had over the last 7 weeks, though it only hits me when I see old photos, here's a few quick snaps to illustrate.

Brace day top

7 weeks in

Brace day front

7 weeks in

Bottom Arch brace day

Bottom Arch at 7 weeks

Apologies that the camera angles are all a bit different and the different lighting makes my braces seem totally different shades of metal, but I hope you can still see my arches rounding out and my very wayward central incisor being tamed back!!!

#54 Post by **jenny101101** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:58 pm

Wow, elpi...looking terrific!!

Both arches are really coming along. You must be so pleased!

#55 Post by **Unhappy teeth** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:31 am

Making great progress Elpi, yay!

#56 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:47 am

wow thats amazing how fast they are moving!! Good luck!

#57 Post by **OhNicole** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:01 am

Your right Elpi, you've had astounding progress since your brace day! That is so inspiring to me - I hope I have great progress like you

Fingers crossed that things continue on in that manner for you!

#58 Post by **angel84** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:16 pm

AWESOME movement! Your bottom teeth made me go

. LOL!!! Looking great so far!!!

#59 Post by **elpi** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 3:07 am

Thanks for the encouraging words people, I think I may be entering a more boring phase now as I wait for my roots to move but I am fine with that cos things are looking good and feeling good too. Braces are cool aren't they?!

#60 Post by **braces4astw22** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:07 am

WOW

I just wanted to say your teeth are looking really great already! you must be thrilled to see that kind of progress so fast. Thats what I am waiting for lol to wake up and have them completely straight but I think for me its going to take a little longer.. but YAY teeth keep up the good work!!