Chelsea's Story.

[cheyeaitsxchelsea]

I have regular metal braces. Not damons. I wonder what those would be like on my teeth! Im so glad they have moved as fast as they did. Im not sure why...but I remember my Ortho saying they would move fast and he liked my mouth skeleton. Not sure what he meant by that. I actually only have some teeth braced. 4 on top 4 on bottom then two on the top molars and two on the bottom molars. So I havent even been FULLY braced yet.

Funny story actually I went to Wright State University in Dayton Ohio and there was a massive party of 500 people and I swear I looked like I was 13. Braces...tsk tsk. They look funny with a Dos Equis in your hand! (Do not drink it is bad.) I got so many looks. Oh well, when Im 21 these teeth are going to be gorgeous!

On the 22nd of July I have my exposure appointment and this TUESDAY I have my first adjustment! I am soooo excited to hear what he has to say about my teeth!

I have some concerns. My cheeks are hollowing in. Im not sure why but I noticed the change in my cheeks not long after I first got braces. But since I have been home from college (a week and a half) I have lost 6 pounds. I have no idea how this happened. Im already tiny (a size 3) and I have to buy all new jeans. Its scaring me quite a bit. Should I mention the hollowing cheeks?

My sister is getting braces sometime this summer. Although her teeth are straight she has a canine that sticks out and a DEEP DEEP overbite. Her new dentist asked if she ever had braces and was shocked when she said no. Its like hmmm...

Anyway heres some pictures! Im ready to see new changes!





Thats the problem area. It needs major work. However in the picture Im biting down weird. a missing canine, a lateral that has a spacing, and a premolar (i think) that is out of alignment. and a twisted bottom canine.

[jensceana73]

I've already told ya once a couple weeks ago, but was just looking over your pics again...lookin good!!! Your movement is totally awesome!! Look forward to some more pictures of some great progress. And congrats on getting one year of school behind you!

[cheyeaitsxchelsea]

Guess who got powerchains? Guess whose ticked off? :/

[cheyeaitsxchelsea]

Im too upset to type a lot. In all honesty im not sure why im upset, I just am. Too much going on.

So this morning my taxi company screwed up again, and so my father ended up driving 70mph all the way to the appointment. Usually it takes a good hour to get there, he got there in 40 minutes. He was not a happy camper with me.

I went in and the assistant wasnt my usual assistant. I was excited to see her too. ;/ Anyway the assistant said one of my brackets was loose and it fell off as she was taking the wire off so I got it replaced. And i heard my ortho talking and I didnt hear anything out of the ordinary. He didnt say much about my progress but meh. And so she asked the colors I wanted. This is where I get mad. I thought I was getting a thicker wire and color change on the ligs. thats it. So when i chose the colors I was like white ligs on top and purple on bottom. And she said okay. She put the wires in and oh my goodness...it hurt soooo bad. It was just soo much pressure. and then I was done and all that. When i got out to the car i looked in the mirror and gasped. I had powerchains. Ugly white power chains on the top! If I knew I was getting powerchains I wouldnt have gotten white. I guess...he wanted to get rid of the gaps.

Im in pain. :l

[catgyrl]

Hey Chelsea-

That really sucks!! I guess my ortho isn't the only one who follows the "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to what they're actually doing to your teeth. I guess you live too far away to go right back there and have them change the colors, huh? I live about 20 minutes away from mine, and you bet I woulda been back in my car (or marching back upstairs from the parking lot) had that happened to me. I've already had drama with bracket doors they've left open because one or the other (tech or ortho) failed to check. Aargh!

Anyway, sorry to rant! I don't blame you for being cranky. They really should've told you that you were getting powerchains. I don't understand why it's so hard to explain what they're doing to you. My gyno tells me every single thing she's doing every year... and I've been seeing her for 15 years!

Hang in there. Your teeth look great and I love watching your progress.

-Cathy

[pinkiipromise]

hey =)

I had a similar experience. My orthodontist doesn't talk to me much either. He never tells me what's going on.
I had my braces put on a couple days before my birthday without notice!! I was in pain for a whole week and my boyfriend had to cancel plans because I could barely eat anything apart from noodles =\ boooooooooo
I also had a huge spring on my left side which looks extremely obvious. I didn't bother taking photos on my birthday.

You should look on the bright side. Your movement is great! I had my braces put on 30/03/10, around the same time as you, and my teeth is moving sllloooooooowwwwlllllllyyyyyy..

Your white power chains don't look that bad. At least your gap is going to close soon. I hope you feel better soon!

Oh and remember, every painful step you take right now is taking you closer to beautiful gorgeous teeth =)

[cosmo]

Ms. Chelsea
Wow, I am so impressed by your progress. That's a total bummber that they didn't tell you but I wouldn't sweat it since your teeth already look strait it really doesn't even look bad. I can't believe how quickly your tetth have shifted I have damon and I can feel the chagne but I can't actually see them. IMy ortho is 2 1/2 hours away so I could understand why'd you be pist next time you got tell them can you give me heads up on what your doing and what I am choosing colors for. I mean we are paying all this money we have a right to ask.

I ask my ortho questions and he answeres them but i feel like I feel like I am questioning him despite the fact that he has been doing this for years.

Good luck! when is your next appointment?

[cheyeaitsxchelsea]

I remember hearing my Ortho saying chains and I thought he meant chains for the archwire that isnt bracketed to teeth. The gray tubing stuff. I had no idea I was getting powerchains. Its nice to know this kind of thing because the pressure of powerchains is.....incredible. It hurts pretty bad on my lateral incisors. I was upset. I wish I was told something. Powerchains arent like a regular thing! Theyre used towards the end of treatment and everything.

He didnt even say much about my progress either. All he said was "Were saying goodbye to the gaps and were still trying to make room on the bottom arch for those two teeth that are out of line". Gee thanks Ortho. Hes a sweet guy but urrf.

I absolutely hate the white. I was only going to get white if it was ligs, not a chain. :/

My next adjustment is June 22nd. Gaaahhh.

[b]

dont worry chels, you will get used to it really fast, I remember when I switched to black ligs and i looked in the mirror and freaked. After a few days, i got used to the change and I ended up actually liking the black the most.
As for the powerchains, I got my first chain last adjustment and it hurt soooo much the first day, but literally by the second or third day I coulndnt feel them at all.. however I am a lot futher in my treatment than you. Weird that you got them so early.. But its good because it will close those gaps right up!

[cheyeaitsxchelsea]

Im lucky to get them this early, I suppose. Ive gotten so used to the gaps. It will be neat to see the gap gone!

[cosmo]

that is odd, i didn't know they were used towards the end. wow your uppers are going to be so straight now, you have to be a tad excited

[cheyeaitsxchelsea]

Yeah the gaps are going to close probably this week! I just wish I was fully braced already. I dont know when it will be. Probably July. It sucks to be so used to the metal in your mouth and then have it changed to quickly. I wasnt prepared for the powerchains and I doubt they will tell me when I get fully braced until Im in the chair.

[cosmo]

Yeah the gaps are going to close probably this week! I just wish I was fully braced already. I dont know when it will be. Probably July. It sucks to be so used to the metal in your mouth and then have it changed to quickly. I wasnt prepared for the powerchains and I doubt they will tell me when I get fully braced until Im in the chair.

ha ha no kidding!

[shinyRiver]

Hey chelsea!

powerchains this early in treatment are a total pain, but partial powerchains aren't that uncommon, especially amongst us few whom have canine issues. With the strange spacing issues we have while we're waiting for a canine to erupt or come down, a LOT of space opens up really fast, creating weird gaps. Your ortho probably does want those to close quickly so he can get everything out of the way and held in place while you're waiting for your canine to come in. If you weren't powerchained, I think your teeth might drift apart even further or try to push into the space that's meant for your canine. And you want your midline to stay close, hence the bottom powerchain. My ortho used mostly used clear powerchains and zing strings when I was partially-powerchained, but you can see one or two pictures in my treatment where I have a partial purple or blue powerchain on only one side of my crooked grill. But don't worry, things even out much better AFTER the partial powerchains. Just hang in there!

And where on earth did your ortho get white powerchains?! I wanted white and they gave me clear (which I actually turned out liking,) but still! I want white!

In the meantime take some advil and chew a lot! I heard somewhere chewing meat, (like chicken or steak,) is good because it's got a soft, tough texture that doesn't hurt your teeth but encourages movement. The faster your teeth move, the less your powerchains will bug you. I hope they feel better soon!

[cheyeaitsxchelsea]

River, Im not sure where. He has quite a few colors. Clear, gray, and white are the like non bright ones. Ive been trying to chew as much as I can but gosh darn my molars hurt!

On my left front tooth I have a weird shade of gray/light green spot like right below my gum. Urrff Im tired of this enamel stuff. Plus I think my teeth look really yellow up close. I hate it. Anyway, the gap on my left lateral incisor has closed up most of the way within 3 days and my gap in the front has closed quite a bit aswell. The only thing Im concerned about now is the left lateral hasnt come out of the gum all the way. I had the same issue with the right one but it actually had time to come down and close without powerchains.

Closed smile.


Open smile.


Lateral that hasnt come out of the gum all the way. [and the problem area in the bottom arch.]