Finally braces at 21

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#1 Post by **Schwe** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:47 pm

Hello folks,

I have always wanted/needed braces, but my family could never afford it.

Finally, at the age of 21 I got braces. My gear is self-ligating Damon brackets, clear on top and stainless on the bottom. I was fitted and soon after geared up. When I had the molds taken, my jaw was so small even the smallest children's molds were painful as they hit my gums and teeth in various places. I have been grinding my teeth since childhood and chipped my two top incisors clenching and grinding my teeth. I also had (have) a pretty decent overbite.

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures when I first got the braces on, but here are a few pictures I dug up of my smile pre-braces:

These are after 1 adjustment, 8 weeks into treatment. A Dramatic improvement on the top arch!

#2 Post by **wallywest** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:49 pm

That upperarch looks almost done to me !
Great Progress ! I just started my treatment and I have to wait for 2 months for the first adjustment.

Cheers

#3 Post by **Schwe** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:23 pm

woops, I posted instead of previewing!

Pardon the food in the lower arch photos in the previous post. So the braces went on July 28, 2008. I am now 22 and my teeth look like this!

The crazy shark-tooth on the bottom is now bracketed and being painfully yanked in place. (A spring was put between the teeth on either side of the shark-tooth bicuspid at the 3rd adjustment and then at the last adjustment bracketed and wired onto the archwire. I had 3 appointments in a row that were fairly close together. It started with the bracket popping off of the molar that is now banded. I had a spacer put in and then a week later returned to get the band placed and bracket put on the wayward bicuspid and wired onto the archwire. That is also when I started wearing my Penguin elastics 24/7. (They HURT at first!) 4 weeks after that (this past Monday) The wire was tightened, causing the archwire to bend like that all over again.

Overbite progress

I feel like my mid-line on the top and bottom jaw are aligned, but that it is not in line with my nose.

I am hoping that my smile will get wider with further adjustments. I feel that the bicuspid on the bottom will be the biggest hurdle in finishing my treatment. I was scheduled as a 28 month treatment, but after my second adjustment the Orthodontist said I was doing better than expected and ahead of schedule! YES!

#4 Post by **Schwe** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:54 pm

Golly, I wish I was hearing a little more from the sounding board!

I was wondering if anyone has gotten copies of the photos the Orthodontist takes before being fitted? I don't have any photos of my teeth pre-braces and I would like to have a copy if possible for records. The lower incisors were really crowded and have straightened out wonderfully... I wish I could share.

#5 Post by **Tommm** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:51 pm

Congrats on your progress! I'm sure that the ortho will give you a copy of your before pics if you request it. Looking forward to the progress of your "shark tooth"

#6 Post by **brika** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:03 pm

Hi Schwe!
Your arches have rounded out beautifully! I'm glad you're now ready to pull that "shark tooth" into line! (Even though I'm sure it hurts...ouchies!)
It's great to hear you're running ahead of schedule. What wonderful news! :D
I can't wait to see your progress!

#7 Post by **Schwe** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:06 pm

Small update:

The wire attaching the bicuspid to the arch wire is bothering me. I feel that the twisted portion of the wire where the Orthodontist tightened the wire at the adjustment is too long and I am biting it at times, which produces a strange and uncomfortable feeling. I want to go in and have it trimmed, but I already take time out from work to make it to the appt's, I can't take any more time off to get it trimmed. I can't make patients get rescheduled unnecessarily.

My next appointment is in April, so I think I'll be waiting until then unless I have a day that I am able to get out from work early. The Ortho is not open on Fridays when we only have patients in the AM.

I'm not seeing too much progress on that bicuspid.

I have to apologize for any food you might find in the above pictures, as we just got home from a 30th birthday party. The chompers aren't looking pearly white either since I had a couple glasses of Cabernet tonight.

Gotta ease my chronic lower back pain somehow!

Hey... Here's a question. Does anyone else not have their last upper molars bracket/braced? I asked the Ortho about that and he said it was to see how the jaw behaves? Huh?