If you have finished with your orthodontic treatment and are wearing retainers (or will be soon), this is a special place to connect with others in your (enviable) situation. Ask a question or make a comment about life post-braces.
Joplin is joining the naked!
I was debanded yesterday and here are the results:
Here's the before pic:
I'm wearing a "2 in 1" kind of Hawley-retainer-expander for the first couple of weeks/months before getting to final retention phase. Ortho still wants to manipulate my upper left molars that tend to lean into a cross bite. This appliance is supposed to fix that.
I also have permanent retainers behind both my front uppers and lowers. See here for more details on my retainer experience so far: viewtopic.php?t=444&start=405
I hope to get that missing corner of the left (my left) front tooth fixed at some point, although it doesn't look as bad in this picture as in some of the earlier ones.
I have just started my journey- and I have spent many days wondering if it really will be worth it- but looking at your beautiful perfect smile it will be. congrats..... you must be so proud
xxx
Age 28- Upper lingual- Lower Ceramic Braces
Fitted 27th May 08
Phots on www
- updated a year on with pictures! (look bottom of pg 1)
First of all: boy I love posting in the Naked Tooth section now after a long stay at Our Braces Stories
The latest: I had my first post-braces appointment at the ortho's today. Turned out that there is a new tongue related problem: previously the problem was that my tongue insisted on resting behind the lowers and I needed to learn to make it rest up against the palate. I learned, but now the tongue is pushing my upper teeth outwards on the left side and opening up gaps between those teeth.
OK, this is a problem, but I think I quite like the solution my ortho suggested: they are making me a positioner (like this http://www.woodlandsorthodontist.com/im ... tioner.jpg) to wear at night only. It should "teach" my tongue to behave and simultaneously do a final touch up for my bite. The good news is that if it works I wouldn't have to wear a day time retainer at all - besides the permanent ones on both top and bottom, of course.
Next appiontment is for the molds (yack!) next week, and the week after that I'm going to get the positioner.
Oh, and on Monday I'm going in for my first post-braces dentist's appointment - hoping no cavities will be found! I will also ask my dentist is she thinks that broken corner of my left front tooth could be fixed a little.
Case: Impacted canines, crowding & crossbite.
Treatment: SARPE 2004/10/6, RPE 2004/9/28 - 2005/1/31, w-arch until 2005/11/22, impacted canines extracted 2005/5/18.
Braces on: top 2005/6/2, bottom 2005/8/30.
Braces off: 2008/6/9.
Retainers, phase one: expanding Hawley retainer 24/7, bonded retainers on top & bottom.
Retainers, phase two: Hawley on top, bonded both top & bottom, positioner for night time use.