Ive just been having dreams about my "protruded" jaw and I keep picturing myself horrid. I have a feeling Ill look kinda cute with them on, Im just...not looking forward to the awkward "its going to get worse, before it gets better" stage. Le sigh. 18-21 months if the canine isnt stubborn. Im going to have to deal with it.
Im not complaining. This is something Ive wanted since I was atleast 9 years old. I just wish I had the insurance and student coverage I did in Middle School and High School. Things would be a hell of a lot different. Im glad Im getting it done before I really start living life. -cough 21- I hope my mouth knows my anxiety and behaves and moves very fast!
As for the boyfriend....Like I hardly get to see him because we live a few hours apart and college distance makes it even worse. I probably wont even bother telling him until I get to see him next. Hes not shallow, but hes not exactly...hmm hes got the emotional depth of a puddle so Im assuming he will either make me feel sesame, or make me feel stupid for overreacting. Who knows. I get hit on with the way my teeth are now so its whatever. Just two years with this boy, damn. Its taking its toll!
Chelsea's Story.
Moderator: bbsadmin
Hey chelsea! I know what you mean, I wish I had gotten my braces on when I was younger. But, better late than never, right? Remember you are doing this for yourself, not for anybody else, so if anyone gives you lip about it, who cares? 
I find that people are either really supportive, or don't comment at all, simply because they don't see the big deal. Anyway, good luck on your journey and I look forward to your updates!
I find that people are either really supportive, or don't comment at all, simply because they don't see the big deal. Anyway, good luck on your journey and I look forward to your updates!
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cheyeaitsxchelsea
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 pm
Yes. I was told I have a protruded lower jaw, and he showed me my profile and explained why my chin and lower jawline is more profound. Which ive always been told I have a more masculine profile from the side, but nothing like ugly you know? Like I looked at my twin sister and I could see how her lower jaw line isnt quite as protruded as mine because her alignment is more straight. It explains why my lower arch is more outward I guess. He was explaining if like my case was more severe they would reconstruct it, but my braces will bring it back a little more, Im guessing.
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shinyRiver
- Posts: 244
- Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 6:14 am
- Location: Dayton, Ohio
I really don't think "protruded jaw" when I look at your pictures, but I guess orthos are trained to see that kind of thing. my ortho (unintentionally) makes me SO self conscious when he stares me down to check out my symmetry, my facial shape, my jaw alignment or whatever it is they're looking for! But braces do tend to pull back people's bottom teeth. I know mine have come back a lot, and not just because of the extractions. My ortho was explaining to me how as the bottom teeth move around, something makes the lower jaw sort of bow down into a sort of boat-like shape.
so from a side view, your teeth start out pretty parallel, albeit crooked:
----------
----------
then, as your teeth finish moving into place, the bottom premolars and molars start to sink away from the top teeth
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--____--
does that make sense? it's why people wear lots of elastics in their final months of treatment, to keep those teeth from sinking, and the lower jaw and lips from shrinking away from the tops.
I think a slight recession of the lower teeth might make someone's lower jaw and face overall appear softer and more feminine... I think that's why guys who get extractions sometimes look much different than guys who don't, because the effect of the lower jaw receding is compounded by both the upper arch and the lower arch shrinking... But I think the effect can be beneficial for girls...
That's so weird that you have a twin sister! I have a friend who has a twin, and she and her twin sister both had seriously protruding lower jaws as children, and had to have jaw surgery and then braces for several years... Their smiles are both gorgeous, but they are the only things about them that aren't identical. My friend's smile is broader, while her twin's smile is more narrow. Her twin's smaller smile makes her look just a little younger and more feminine, but her own smile is so big and beautiful... THE hollywood, crest-commercial smile. It's the best. Like, the kind of smile, when you see it, you can't help but smile back. Anyway, it must be so strange to have someone to compare your face shape with!
I was a little worried when I got my braces about my smile getting smaller, (or staying small, haha) but after meeting my friend the twin, I figure no matter what happens, the straightness will be beautiful and amazing.
Anyway, best of luck with the rest of your fillings and braces prep! I know it feels incessantly "le sigh" at this stage, but those pepe le pew feelings seem to dissipate for most people once they begin to see some change.
so from a side view, your teeth start out pretty parallel, albeit crooked:
----------
----------
then, as your teeth finish moving into place, the bottom premolars and molars start to sink away from the top teeth
----------
--____--
does that make sense? it's why people wear lots of elastics in their final months of treatment, to keep those teeth from sinking, and the lower jaw and lips from shrinking away from the tops.
I think a slight recession of the lower teeth might make someone's lower jaw and face overall appear softer and more feminine... I think that's why guys who get extractions sometimes look much different than guys who don't, because the effect of the lower jaw receding is compounded by both the upper arch and the lower arch shrinking... But I think the effect can be beneficial for girls...
That's so weird that you have a twin sister! I have a friend who has a twin, and she and her twin sister both had seriously protruding lower jaws as children, and had to have jaw surgery and then braces for several years... Their smiles are both gorgeous, but they are the only things about them that aren't identical. My friend's smile is broader, while her twin's smile is more narrow. Her twin's smaller smile makes her look just a little younger and more feminine, but her own smile is so big and beautiful... THE hollywood, crest-commercial smile. It's the best. Like, the kind of smile, when you see it, you can't help but smile back. Anyway, it must be so strange to have someone to compare your face shape with!
I was a little worried when I got my braces about my smile getting smaller, (or staying small, haha) but after meeting my friend the twin, I figure no matter what happens, the straightness will be beautiful and amazing.
Anyway, best of luck with the rest of your fillings and braces prep! I know it feels incessantly "le sigh" at this stage, but those pepe le pew feelings seem to dissipate for most people once they begin to see some change.
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cheyeaitsxchelsea
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 pm
He showed me a model of my face and it had two lines one where my lower jaw should be, and one where mine is, its kinda far off and he mentioned surgery but I said no right away and he said braces would fix it pretty okay. and he said that my front teeth are pretty flat like this:
l
l
l
which makes from my nose down very straight. which hes going to make the front teeth more like \ but not bucky you know? so my face is going to look someone like
|
|
\ (top jaw)
| (lower jaw)
And yep I have a twin sister and I could kinda see where he was going.
Ohhhh well....Ill deal!
l
l
l
which makes from my nose down very straight. which hes going to make the front teeth more like \ but not bucky you know? so my face is going to look someone like
|
|
\ (top jaw)
| (lower jaw)
And yep I have a twin sister and I could kinda see where he was going.
Ohhhh well....Ill deal!
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shinyRiver
- Posts: 244
- Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 6:14 am
- Location: Dayton, Ohio
My top teeth have definitely \.
They're talking about putting something called a reverse curve wire on top to keep them from tipping out any more than they already have, but I kind of like where they are. I know a lot of girls who have had braces whose top teeth are kinda \ but I just think it makes their smiles bigger and toothier, you know what I mean? It will be a problem if the wire keeps pulling them out further though. My top teeth already overlap my bottom brackets. That's an overjet of like 1.5 mm!
They're talking about putting something called a reverse curve wire on top to keep them from tipping out any more than they already have, but I kind of like where they are. I know a lot of girls who have had braces whose top teeth are kinda \ but I just think it makes their smiles bigger and toothier, you know what I mean? It will be a problem if the wire keeps pulling them out further though. My top teeth already overlap my bottom brackets. That's an overjet of like 1.5 mm!
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cheyeaitsxchelsea
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 pm
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shinyRiver
- Posts: 244
- Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 6:14 am
- Location: Dayton, Ohio
Funny you should ask, Chelsea! I will be braced until August at the very latest- hopefully I won't have to get them put back on after my wedding. But switching orthos (my ortho student graduated) is creating some problems. The guy they gave my case to has NO TIME for me on his schedule, so I'm going to have to find a different student- but when I called OSU they told me they'd take care of it and call me back with a new appointment date and never did. It's rough because I live so far away from columbus and I can't go in twice a day or two times a week just to get brackets on my sevens... which I don't want anyway! my old ortho said I didn't need them so I don't need them! ya know how he knows?! he went to Harvard, that's how! ya know how I know?! cuz I'm the BRIDE! I'll do what I WANT! GRR! RAWR! BRIDEZILLA! RAWR!
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cheyeaitsxchelsea
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 pm
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cheyeaitsxchelsea
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 pm
Ive branded this week as "hell week." Things with the boyfriend are not going well at all. In fact communication has been limited to about an hour every like 5 days? Its a long story. But, many would come to the conclusion of infidelity...but thats not it. Le sigh.
Spacers tomorrow. Ive read things like wear lip balm, pop a few pills and such, but what about eating? What can I eat?
Braces on the 30th. I have a fillings appointment on the 25th. My mouth is going to be in much pain.
I guess Im welcoming Hell Week with clamped arms and a whole lot of heartbreak in every aspect of life. :/
Spacers tomorrow. Ive read things like wear lip balm, pop a few pills and such, but what about eating? What can I eat?
Braces on the 30th. I have a fillings appointment on the 25th. My mouth is going to be in much pain.
I guess Im welcoming Hell Week with clamped arms and a whole lot of heartbreak in every aspect of life. :/
Hi Chelsea,
Dont worry about the spacers, I think everyone makes them sound alot worse than they are. They wont hurt the first day, they just feel.. tight. Then the next day they hurt quite a bit (more than braces) and You wont be able to clench your jaw or eat anything hard. You will know what you can and cant eat, but try not to baby them too much, or they wont get better. I found that the more I clenched my teeth and the more I tried eating more solid foods, the faster I got used to them. Within a few days to a week, you wont even notice them anymore.
As for getting fillings right before braces.. I got one filling and it was right on the tooth that I got the metal cap on, so it had more pressure on it, which hurt alot! It went away pretty quick though, but even now it is still really sensitive to cold.
Dont worry about the spacers, I think everyone makes them sound alot worse than they are. They wont hurt the first day, they just feel.. tight. Then the next day they hurt quite a bit (more than braces) and You wont be able to clench your jaw or eat anything hard. You will know what you can and cant eat, but try not to baby them too much, or they wont get better. I found that the more I clenched my teeth and the more I tried eating more solid foods, the faster I got used to them. Within a few days to a week, you wont even notice them anymore.
As for getting fillings right before braces.. I got one filling and it was right on the tooth that I got the metal cap on, so it had more pressure on it, which hurt alot! It went away pretty quick though, but even now it is still really sensitive to cold.
Spacers in Aug. '09
MARA without elbows on Aug/09
Braces on Nov. 20/09
Elbows for MARA in Feb. 25/10
Braces off August 26, 2010!
Essix Retainers
my story: http://archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=33571
MARA without elbows on Aug/09
Braces on Nov. 20/09
Elbows for MARA in Feb. 25/10
Braces off August 26, 2010!
Essix Retainers
my story: http://archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=33571
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cheyeaitsxchelsea
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 pm
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cheyeaitsxchelsea
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 pm
Soooo I got spacers. And let me tell you, its no picnic. My teeth are really tight so when they put the eight spacers my gums just bled soooo badly. And the pain was so intense. And my tech is so rad she was like eek its like im killing your mouth, i promise im not! she was hilarious. But I got my two front teeth x-rayed and then the two bottom. Not sure why but yeah. XD
Anyway, my jaw just hurts really bad. Its always hurt and popped sometimes. But right now it feels like I havent closed my mouth in years. My actual teeth dont hurt bad yet, just a little strange, possibly some aches in the lower ones. But I know tomorrow is going to be bad.
Anyway, my jaw just hurts really bad. Its always hurt and popped sometimes. But right now it feels like I havent closed my mouth in years. My actual teeth dont hurt bad yet, just a little strange, possibly some aches in the lower ones. But I know tomorrow is going to be bad.