Introduce yourself, say a few words, show us your website, etc. Include detailed personal information at your own risk. This board takes no responsibility for contact that results from you posting your personal information. Fetish postings, and detailed information regarding readers under age 18 will be removed promptly.
Hello everybody. I just payed off my balance with my doctor! That's great news; the total was just under $2,500 and I will either have a lower expander or a few extra visits past 12 months. I'm really glad to have the treatment prepaid for.
I had completely straight, beautiful teeth; up until 10th Grade. My teeth grew and moved rapidly at this point. By my Senior year I was extremely self conscious. I have since developed a psychosis. Physically, the constant tonging makes my jaw muscles tense and sometimes triggers headaches. I often cry, secretly.
But that's all going to be behind me. I had my X-rays and casting with that stuff. March 24th, 2010- I get my brackets on!
I'll keep everybody posted. Consider this my formal introduction. More later!
That's great that your journey will be starting soon. For me, I've been able to ease a lot of my fears by reading everyone elses stories on here. Hopefully the discomfort you feel will settle once you're a few adjustments in. This is the time when teeth will be moving a lot. Things will look and feel weird at first; it's a good indication that the braces are doing their job! Are you having spacers put in? What type of braces will you have? I found wearing lip balm the day of really helps because it keeps them in good condition while the ortho works on your teeth. Expect your teeth to feel tight or sore for a few hours, maybe even days afterwards, but that's normal and it'll pass. Also, take this to enjoy eating whatever you like! It took me a while to chew hard food again, but now I can eat almost anything!
I'm not hip on the terminology yet. I am most likely having an expander put into my bottom row as they are all tilted in towards my tongue. The doctor explained that if I do not end up with an expander on by bottoms then I will have a few extra treatments before finishing. He wasn't exactly sure until he accessed all the information from Houston. It was explained to me that my entire setup is designed and produced in Texas and the doctor here is simply a proxy. I have a special type of bracket and system, I believe- I don't think it's the standard brace. It's not ceramic and it's not clear either. That's okay though. Honestly the price point Blew my mind.
I will for sure be updating. I haven't been able to smile confidently for over 5 years. It's actually destroyed me emotionally in that "my situation" (teeth) has made me very bitter. Every time I am talking with somebody- I see their eyes focus on my mouth and teeth. I get so paranoid! I won't even sit on the left side of a girl at the movie theaters; my teeth are crooked on right; I'm that psyched out.
It's been weird. Really- what's the strangest- is the constant unrelenting tonguing and feeling. For years and years I haven't been able to keep myself from constantly examining my crooked teeth. I finger them, lick them, lip them, everyday- as if things are going to change. I sometimes wondered if I could just use enough pressure from my mouth, on my teeth, to change them over time. It's been so many years; obviously my problem is getting worse, not better; so I failed there. I have been subconsciously trying to alter my teeth myself this whole time. It's a bad habit. Very bad habit. Specially if somebody catches me doing it. They immediately understand that I am very very upset with my crooked teeth... or they think I'm getting some stuck food out.
I'm excited and I will be overwhelmed when the brackets are on. For now, things are extremely surreal. It hasn't hit me yet. Hasn't settled in that I'll have beautiful teeth again! More importantly, I'll be able to laugh and smile for the first time in a very very long time.
(I do "laugh and smile" a little now, only with a very fake grin- I spent many hours perfecting my grin to best hide my crooked teeth)
"The doctors of Fastbraces do not have to bend the wires used on the braces because they are, in a sense, "pre- programmed". They already have the torque and angulation for each tooth built into the bracket which allows for the three-dimensional movement of the teeth towards their final position. The wire that we use is "superelastic", very flexible, easy to insert and provides for variable light forces along its length. In addition, since Fastbraces® only uses one wire from start to finish, wire tightening is reduced to a minimum."
I think you describe what most of us are/were feeling before getting braces. It'll be sooo exciting once the progress begins. Keep that positive attitude up. It's funny, when I didn't have braces, I rarely smiled around others. Now I can smile without a little voice telling me, "close your ugly mouth before somebody sees." As my teeth straighten out, I'm gaining more confidence and smiling a lot more, which is something I'd NEVER do before I got braces. My extractions have given me a sunken in face, but that's just something I have to deal with. Someone once told me the face doesn't define who you are, and to embrace the changes as they come. It was a real eye opener. But I know this issue is a combination of inside and outside attributes, the inside part is something I am trying to work on while the ortho works on the physical part. Good luck.
Thanks Gokix. Apart from appealing to the eye, it's been made apparent that my teeth need to be straightened to maintain health. It's 99% about the health of my teeth and 1% about how I look. I don't think that requiring a straight smile should be looked down on as shallow simply because straight teeth tend to stay healthier, longer, and are much easier to keep clean. That's my thought anyway. My room mate is an EDDA Dental Ass. and I get my teeth cleaned free. They aren't as yellow as the pictures make them look- bad lighting.
I agree. Orthodontic treatment is something I wanted to do for long-term functional reasons as well as cosmetic reasons. Mine were mostly for functional reasons since I had a really bad underbite. I've found that it's quite a positive experience. There's nothing wrong with wanting nice teeth! If it's important to you, it's worth it. And don't be worried about the shading when taking photos, it's totally normal. Until next time, keep smiling!
I just looked at your story and Wow what a miracle story you have. To add, I don't think the extractions have mauled your appearance in any way. About the under bite, I was told I have a slight over bite. I don't notice what-so-ever. I was told this wasn't going to be corrected; I don't mind at all. In fact, my bottom teeth are tucked in behind, not a very large gap at all between the top/bottom.
My brackets are triangular. I use one (1) wire only and the brackets have trap doors for the wire. If anyone else reads this and has had that setup link me to your story please
Does anybody know, from experience, which teeth I can expect to move first? Is it generally the most crooked that are first to move? I sure hope so! My front tooth jettisons out and with the bracket- I'm hoping my lipline don't bulge or show distortion. Or that I get cut; don't want to get cut.
Dentist just called to confirm my appointment! Today is the big day. Last night I was thinking "Wow the very last time I fall asleep with teeth like this.."
I'll post pictures as soon as possible! Anyone have any good "First day" tips? I expect my tongue and lips to be sore from the metal? Not sure hmmm
Just eat soft food. I just had mine put on 2 weeks ago and the first time eating is tricky. I made the mistake of trying to eat a medium Arbys Melt and a Curly Fry. I was able to eat it............. with a fork.....in about an hour lol. It wasn't so much pain as it was my bite being off and trying to learn how to chew with teeth that suddenly didn't go together(they had to put glue on a tooth to stop my bite, otherwise I'd bite off the brackets on my bottom left side.
I have my first four brackets on my top first four teeth! My teeth are sore. I am trying my best not to nudge, knock, or touch these teeth or the surrounding teeth. Ouch. I had a large McDonalds Milkshake and french fries for dinner. I had one tooth roughly slenderized for now to make some room for movement. I am having issues with my net and I will post pictures soon. I will probably have soup for lunch. Today I had chocolate MaltOMeal for breakfast. Let me also say, I love Wax! It has saved my lips/mouth.
I'm way excited. My next appointment is in six weeks. I get the full upper braces up on then and the first four of my lowers.
That pressure will start to go away in a few weeks....then after another few weeks it'll be time for an adjustment followed by more pressure and a few days of sensitive teeth. Its a viscious cycle it seems.
To update; things are going really well. My lips went through a phase; scabbed over after ripping/peeling/etc. I'm actually off the wax completely as my lips have thickened up a lot. In the beginning I was getting poked by the arch wire and now I can still feel the wire catch my lip but never punctures anymore. No visible movement yet.
I am brushing, flossing, and mouth washing Sooo Much More Often than I ever have before. I think I brush after literally everything I do! hahaha
Going in for my full uppers and partial lowers! More brackets and more wire in my mouth Yay!
My front four teeth have moved considerably. The arche wire was hanging off the Left hand side and has now completely moved to the Right hand side. There is barely any wire at all poking out of my left most bracket. The movement is visual in one tooth as well- it's come forward a millimeter or two.
Very excited! Although I might have to get One filling today; wouldn't be to fun and I would rather be In-and-Out quickly. I'll post new pictures with the rest of my brackets when I can.
Good luck everyone reading. Wish me luck!
PS. All of my friends and family have taken well to the braces. Every single comment from anyone has been positive positive positive.
