Scared Little School Girl

[iBorg]

As an avid recycler, I'm glad they were put to good use Now I know where they went.

Seriously I did get rather used to my braces being an ice breaker. It tended to cut across a broad spectrum of ages. I got to know a nine year old at church who wouldn't had spoken to me except for her "You got braces too" which became "You go braces and I don't" to many of my students in college and even older. I miss that. Do I miss the threader flosser or the bite plates or the worries that I didn't get them as clean as possible? Not in the least.

Your day is coming....

And yes several of us were worried and hoped things were okay. This is an interesting family. We are focused on our teeth and maybe will get to know the person behind them.

[iBorg]

Youngster.....I was a week away from 48. Got them off at 52. Without a doubt the best decision I made for my health. No regrets, not even if I'd done this sooner.... The technology is so much better now.

Mike

[mikesmile]

Hey Jen

Glad to hear everything's okay, that the little guy is fine, and that you've only been super busy! I can definitely relate to that, as there have been times I've been too straight out to visit here as well . Life goes on as our teeth slowly move...

Congrats on your decision to pursue some classes. I'm sure you fit right in at school with those braces...



Second Time In Braces - Estimate 12-14 Months

[jensceana73]

Well my braced friends....as you can see by my pictures....I....yes I received a power chain yesterday. A very loooooonnnnnngggggg powerchain. At least I think that's a power-chain. Or a chainsaw, or a powersawchain. Whatever it is, it's long.....and a pain in arss to clean under. Yep, after almost a year...I now have a little added flavor to my look. Sexy, ain't it?

So I had an adjustment yesterday. Coming up on my 1 year mark at the end of this month. On one hand, really glad to have a year under my belt....on the other....christallfriday why haven't these things moved more!!!!!
I got a new girl yesterday. Never seen her before, but I must say...she was wonderful!! Just spiffy. Be happy to have her hands in my mouth anytime. Mr. Happy Pants came over and the usual..."open...shut...open....shut....hmmmm???...open again.....shut again"...but this time instead of the, "ok, lig her up and get her out"....it was "so, what have you decided on the jaw surgery?"....
Was not, prepared for that. Nope..wasn't. So, I was like, well....I most defenitily need to be mulling things over with a surgeon and weighing all my options before I jump into that route...to which he was like...well, the time's now....so let me refer you to one and get on the ball. If I go the jaw surgery route treatment is one way.....If I don't...treatment is a whole different ball of yarn I guess..... "yes sir".
So, I have an appointment to go and speak with the surgeon later this month. Me...not....happy. Me...scared. Very, scared. Like a little school girl!!!
Anyway, he also informed me that my uppers were about the slowest moving teeth he'd ever seen. (gee, lucky me) and that he was going to put a heavier wire on, I want to say he said is was rectangular....but don't quote me on that....and that the pressure would be much greater...and then....then I heard the words......"and power chain her"..."those bottoms are getting ready".... Ready? Ready for what? Me love my bottom teeth.....please be nice to them. I actually was waiting for him to ask about when I was looking to start the implant route....but he didn't. I'm just as freaked about that....as I am about a jaw surgery. I'm going to start getting liquored up before my adjustments now. My "hoe humm" time is coming to an end. Now the hard parts are coming up.
Anyway.....I sure didn't expect to see this long ol power-chain...is this normal? I thought they were little. Like, over 2 teeth, not 15. Should I be scared? Concerned? Why.....have my teeth been naughty? Love the color though. Holy crap is it an awesome color. For some reason, I can't get my camera to show the right "lighting" so everything looks kinda orangish, yellowish,.....anyway.....in reality.....this teal color is so frickin awesome and somewhat florescent....it makes my teeth look supper....dupper white......my kids were like...whoa did you get your teeth whitened? I was like...I wish...but no. Love them to death! I'll probably do this color 100 times more.

Anywho...today my uppers are pretty sensitive. I woke up this morning and all my top teeth ached pretty good. Hard to chew too. My bottoms....nothing. No change. Can't even tell I have this thing on them....so hopefully...that will last. Very strange to see this running all along my bottom teeth. Holy cow....could you imagine if I would have gotten black!!!???? Here I would have thought it only went over 2 teeth and it's going all along my bottoms......ohh...that would have been sca....reee!

[peacefrog]

I think your top teeth look like they have moved quite a bit from your last pictures! That lig color really does make your teeth look stark white!!!

[jensceana73]

Ok, can I just say....since the power chain....brushing about sends me into a tizzy!!!
Where I have the biggest gap...the teeth on both sides of that, yowzeeeeessss. Hoping it's just cause of the chain and not something else. What a pain in the bunghole though to clean under. I mean...more food gets caught in that thing than what I put in my fridge after a trip to the grocery store...no...LIE!

Top teeth are still just a titch tender. Not bad, not anything that's stopping or changing my eating habits. I just hope this new wires does it's job and gets this top arch rounding out.

I've had a few days now to think about going to see this oral surgeon. He better pull some rabbits outta his arss....cause as of right now...I'm pretty against it. More freaked at the thought than anything else. I mean, what if I go in for the surgery and come out looking like Elsa... (Only those of you who watch B R A V O would know what I'm talking about. Elephant woman....lets just leave it at that.)

[catgyrl]

Miss Jen, your teal powerchain looks totally FAB!!! It really does make your teeth look sparkling white. They are a beeyotch to clean, though. Do you own a Waterpik? I find thst it does help shoot out the food particles. I tend to turn up the level and just aim it at the brackets and chains, and not at my gums. Also, when I brush, I do the whole mouth, and then while the toothpaste is still in my mouth, I take a proxy brush and go over the yellower-than-normal areas, and that seems to help.

I don't envy you regarding your possible surgery, but you're a tough lady, and I know you can handle whatever comes your way.

And I guess I have to ask... Who is Elsa? Which show?

Cathy

[jensceana73]

Hey Catgyrl,

I do own a waterpik....and, it's a portable hand held one, which I just LOVE to death. In fact there are days where I will brush my teeth, and then use that thing and see all the food and gunk fall out into the sink and I'll think..."ok, didn't I JUST...brush my teeth????" , "why is all that stuff falling out???" I never thought one tool could be such a great investment...but that thing is awesome!!!!

I also wonder....just food for thought.....
I've become a much better eater since getting braces. I keep a close track of what I put into my mouth....(food wise.... ) and have often wondered, being the keeper of fat content that goes into my body, can I minus some fat grams off my daily intake??? Cause by looking at my basin, and seeing all the food that DIDN'T make it into my gullet.....doesn't that count for something? Huh? Think about it. I eat a hamburger. No bun of course. No, healthier yet, I eat a salad....get done, go brush....and half the lettuce is in my sink after brushing, waterpiking and flossing. I know....to much to think about. But I have wondered that more than once. I am just amazed.... at how much food gets caught/stuck in my braces and now....my lovely teal...powerchain. Which by the way....I love.

Thanks peacefrog on noticing movement on my uppers. It's only taken a century for that movement.....but hey, I'll take it.

[Under Construction]

Hey Jen,
I have the same problem as you do! My back teeth do not meet up at all. If I bite on the left the teeth on the right don't touch and if I bite on the right...well you get the idea. I am wondering if that's the reason you're being sent to a surgeon. (And I'm hoping it isn't!) I was told at my first consultation that my ortho recommended surgery and I gave him an emphatic NO. I'll fix my bite as well as I can without surgery, thank you very much. Good luck with your consult! I'll be watching your posts closely to see what happens!
Karen

[jensceana73]

DO YOU SEE THAT ....

LOOK....LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN....








RIGHT HERE...... LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN......CAN YOU GUESS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT????? HOLY CAT MAN DOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
(i'll fill in those of you who can't guess what it is........when...it...happens.... )betchacan'tguessbetchacan'tguessbetchacan'tguess......

[lilone]

Can I be the first to say "Happy Baceaversary!"?

[iBorg]

Oh you mean ONE YEAR for me being Brace FREE?

Mike

[jensceana73]

HAPPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO ME....MY TEETH...GUMS...HARDWARE....MOUTH.....SELF ESTEEM.....YOU NAME IT BABY....1 YEAR DOWN AND GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW MANY ARE LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YIPPPIEYIPPIESKIPEEEYIPPIEYIPPIESKIPEEEYIPPEEYIPPEESKIPEE

IBORG.....what...are you trying to rub it in that your DONE, FINISHED, LOVIN LIFE WITHOUT THESE THINGS??!!!!! So I'm jealous, I admit it.

Thanks lilone.....to be, the very......FIRST!!!

And.....before I forget....catgyrl.....ELSA is from the B R A V O show Real Housewives of Miami. She's the mother of one of the girls (I forget her name)...anyway, she looks like she's either had some very bad....and I mean....VERY BAD plastic surgery, or....a disease. She's very scary looking.....yet nobody ever addresses it. Weird. Although, I have to admit, I've only seen it in re-runs late at night when I can't sleep. Of course all those "Housewives" shows are kinda "scary" too me. SCARE----EEEEEEEEEE!

Will post more later today....about my pro's and con's.....of being braced....for 1 very interesting year!!!!

[iBorg]

Not rubbing it in.....just thankful that someone took my braces from me. I don't regret being braced one bit. I'm thrilled with the results as I'm sure you will be. I really think your teeth will be much nicer than mine as you don't have the grinding damage. Just think in a few months you'll be able to find a debanding/banding partner.

I have to say I can't remember what my braces even looked like although there's times I miss being able to scratch my tongue on them!

[jensceana73]

So, it's been a year. IT'S BEEN A YEAR!!??!! I cannot believe, that I....the scared little school girl that I was, made it through a year of braces. Wowzzees!!

There use to be a time, where I wouldn't go to the dentist.....I feared it that much. I would wait till I was just about passed out in pain before I walked through a dentist office.....and now, hell...you can't stop me! I love going. I love seeing and hearing about my progress. It's amazing to me that going to an orthodontics's office every month, has made it easy for me to go to the dentists office whenever I need or must go. Don't even blink twice now at the thought. That's a long way in a positive direction for me. A very long way.

Now, I must admit....I thought my teeth would be farther along at this point than they are. For sure thought they would be completely straight and aligned. Their getting there. Slowly but surly. It's amazing to me how much easier it is to clean and floss them. Oh, and of course, it's so much easier.....to smile now days!!

The best part of braces....minus the lovin to smile part....would have to be the 20lbs I've lost. Yeppers......lost 20lbs. My eating habits really changed when I got these on. No snackin. Who wants to go floss and brush.....just for a snack? NOTTAMEA. My husband and kids....well, they think I've turned into a freakazoid. And....I have. Can't help it. I stare in the mirror all the time. ALL...THE...TIME. Are my teeth moving? I think they just moved? Maybe there gonna move...and I for sure don't wanna miss it!!!! Ya....I've got mirrors all over the place. To look at my teeth of course.

I hate the time it takes to floss. But then again...I'm looking in a mirror while doing it...so it's not all that bad.. My husband, well....he thinks I spend to much time making love to them. I invited him in for a "3 some".....but, he's not interested...go figure. Obviously he's just jealous....that they get to spend more time in my mouth, than he does..

My visits with the ortho have gotten so much better than in the beginning. No more "Nurse Hatchet" and let me tell you.....thank the allmighty gods out there. It SUCKS when you get someone who doesn't know what the hell their doing, or isn't very gentle. Sure glad I finally spoke up.

I've mentioned this before, and I still am having "problems" with it....is that I'm still not real sure on how to smile. Sounds silly I know...but I spent many years trying to camouflage that, that now....I sorta feel dorky when I smile. Kinda like....hehe...haha. Smile, smile. Ya, I know...dumb but....I guess that's just going to take some time. I smile lots....it just doesn't seem like it's a very "natural" smile coming across my face. More like a "I just sh it my pants" smile.

I just hope I'm outta these things before I turn 40. I mean, I love em and all....more than willing to do what I have to do to get a decent smile, but.....I wanna boob job for my 40th....some tatoo's and peircings...and I just don't think the braces would go well with tripple F's (pierced of course)and a skull & crossbones...no?