Catgyrl's (Cathy's) Journey at age 42...

[tashay1985]

wow your teeth are looking amazing! they are so pretty & white! Lovin the plum ligs, I am so tempted to be brave and try a color besides the inconspicuous ones that I've always gotten like the clears, pearls and whites. Your smile is going to be Gorgeous when they come off For the longest time I wanted to ask the "question" but was too scared to lol, but I'm glad to finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and it looks like you might soon as well, they look amazing!!

take care,
Tasha

[Roboto]

"Thank you so much, Roboto! That's very kind of you. Have you decided what kind of brackets you're getting, yet? Are you stocking up on all your dental doo-dads? I've become quite obsessed with/addicted to the dental aisle in Walmart. "

Whoops, sorry I haven't replied yet! I'm going to go with all metal. My teeth aren't too big.. I'm afraid ceramics would be the same size as them lol. I'm also really confident in my ortho so I'm going to stick with his suggestions.
..and yes! I have to stop myself from buying things just yet, but I'm always in the dental aisle looking at all the do-dads! haha

I keep coming back to look at your progress pics.. so excited!

[HeyBuckey!]

Close darn it!!!! Close!!!!

There's nothing more stubborn than an extraction gap!

Evil, evil, EVIL little things!

[catgyrl]

Thanks so much, everyone, for your wonderful comments! Glad I took that pic right after the adjustment, because now, just 5 days later, my bite and midline are so far off it's ridiculous. I'm curious to see what the end result of this right-side-only elastic thing is going to be, because right now... it 'aint lookin' too pretty.

Close darn it!!!! Close!!!!
There's nothing more stubborn than an extraction gap!
Evil, evil, EVIL little things!

YES! Especially when one gap turns into two small ones and you start to look like a Jack-O-Lantern at certain angles. I'm ready for my ortho to lasso those buggers together and close them up!

[Under Construction]

I'm feeling your pain about the gaps! The one on the left side of my mouth has been nicely closed for almost two months, but the one on the right is being stubborn. It's very frustrating because I can tell my doc wants to start working on my bite, which feels like real progress! But I'm pretty sure he can't truly fix my bite with that mean old gap there!
So, I could have gone back through your story to get this answer, but...your teeth all look so perfectly aligned and even. In other words, if you drew a line along the bottom of your front top teeth it would be nearly straight, but mine would be a jagged mess. Have you had IPL to straighten out those edges? They look mah-velous!

[catgyrl]

I'm feeling your pain about the gaps! The one on the left side of my mouth has been nicely closed for almost two months, but the one on the right is being stubborn. It's very frustrating because I can tell my doc wants to start working on my bite, which feels like real progress! But I'm pretty sure he can't truly fix my bite with that mean old gap there!
So, I could have gone back through your story to get this answer, but...your teeth all look so perfectly aligned and even. In other words, if you drew a line along the bottom of your front top teeth it would be nearly straight, but mine would be a jagged mess. Have you had IPL to straighten out those edges? They look mah-velous!

You are so sweet! As my lower teeth started to move (being pulled outward), I noticed the edges looking horribly jagged. One edge was so sharp it would scrape my lip, so I did ask him if he could shave it just a bit. He did round it out a little, but said he didn't want to do anymore until later because my teeth were still moving. "Maybe a couple more wires from now". That was MONTHS ago, so I'm not holding my breath. Heck, I thought they looked good back then, but now I can see the lower tooth edges finally straightening out. My bottom teeth look much better than my top. My upper teeth are only even from the back-left until the right canine... then there's a HUGE difference. I'm curious to see if that tooth will be pulled upwards, or if he'll have to just shave it. I want to take that sander-thingie and sand it down myself! You can't really tell from the picture because I'm semi-looking up. (Good camouflage...)

GAPS BE GONE!!!!

[HeyBuckey!]

Hey Catgyrl!

You are so right!!! Those gaps do make mouths look like a jack-o-lantern!

I'm having the same problem as Under Construction except on the opposite side. The gap on the right is pretty much closed. The one on the left seems almost the size of the grand canyon in comparison.

It's amazing what one day does after a visit to the Orthodontist. I hope your bite starts to shift in the right direction (definitely no pun intended).

[catgyrl]

Well, these elastics sure are doing their thing. What, exactly, they're doing I have no idea. I just know that my bite is now the WORST it's ever been in a year. I have one looooong right canine that is now banging into my bottom teeth. I think I've gone from a huge overjet, to now-almost-no-overjet and a crossbite. My lower midline, which was near-perfect to start with, is now about 1/2 a tooth's width off from the top, which appears almost straight...for the moment. LOL! Wonder if it has to do with my now only having to wear one elastic on the right side? Everything feels so lopsided. I honestly have no clue as to how this is all going to get fixed.

GAPS: Still there... taking a little vacation, kickin' back at the beach... Maybe they'll get up and move next month.

On a brighter note... My 1-year BRACEVERSARY is coming up on Saturday, 4/9. I'm astonished that I've survived this long, but a bit concerned that I'm getting impatient. My teeth are probably at their worst stage they'll ever be at, so it's probably not good to feel like, "I want these off!" I must practice what I preach to others on here to BE PATIENT.

-Cathy

[BracedMyself2011]

Hi Cathy,

I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed reading through your journey today. I have been hooked on this site every since I came across it yesterday. It's nice to read through different people's experiences.

I had my first orthodontist consultation this week, and I plan on getting braces in the beginning of May. I am getting excited!!!

Take care

Shavon

[catgyrl]

Hi Shavon (what a pretty name!)

Thank you so much for your kind words. I have been addicted to this site for over a year! I'm on here almost every single day and even though I'm (hopefully!) halfway through my treatment, I still find great information from everyone here.

Are you going with the orthodontist you saw for your first consultation, or will you be getting more consults? I had only two, but since they both basically told me the same thing (extract at least one tooth), I went with the cheaper... and cuter... ortho.

Good luck to you, and I look forward to reading your story!

-Cathy

[BracedMyself2011]

Thanks Cathy!

Yes, I will be going with the first orthodontist. He did my older sister and brother's (they were the lucky ones!) braces, and they have the most perfect smile now! My dentist also recommended this same guy, so I went to check him out. I instantly felt comfortable with him, and his treatment plan.

I wish I had braces when I was younger, but it is never too late. I will soon start my story and post pictures from my consultation.

I hope you are well!

Shavon

[catgyrl]

HAPPY BRACEVERSARY TO ME!!!

Funny... My teeth don't FEEL a year older. It's very interesting how they can look better AND worse at the same time. And how obsessed am I that the first thing I did when I woke up today was brush my teeth and take pics of them. (Hey, I was hungry for breakfast and wanted to eat...)

I must say that I'm rather proud of myself for doing this AND for sticking it out. I had a bad "elastics day" yesterday and for the first time in a year i said out loud "I want these damn things OFF!" But i woke up this morning feeling much better about things. For those of you who have doubts whether or not braces are "worth it"... They most definitely are!

Cathy

[BracedMyself2011]

I am a few days late, but here it is... HAPPY BRACEVERSARY!!!

[catgyrl]

I am a few days late, but here it is... HAPPY BRACEVERSARY!!!

Thank you so much, Shavon! I did nothing special to celebrate. LOL! My next adjustment is next week, and I'm trying to think of questions to ask him, since it's been so long since I've bombarded him with any good ones. Last one was sometime last year, when I asked how long it would take gaps to close and he not-so-jokingly said, "A LOOOONG TIME!" I think that's ortho-speak for "Stop asking me that..."

[klobird]

Hi Cathy,

I am very new here, in fact your journal is the first that I have read...and I am encouraged...I am 55 and am getting braces for the first time on May 17th (spacers on May 9th)...

I have been super excited--as you were before you got your braces--I have a 6mm overjet also. I will be getting Damon Q all
metal self ligating and eventually a Forsus appliance (I guess it's like the Herbst appliance). And maybe bite turbos too which I guess are pretty miserable.

I feel like I kind of need a mentor or something. I have studied braces up and down, and have looked at tons of youtube videos, and blogs. Tonight I was reading a website of all adults who claimed that getting braces was the worst mistake they ever made.
And then I got scared and came here to Archwired. I have read stuff on this website but have not gotten actively involved.
As a 55 yr old adult, I am so glad that this website is available to us newbies!!

I just really want to do something just for me, and believe me I REALLY want braces, but I have soooo many questions.

Well, I am going back to look at your journal some more....

I am so glad for the people like you who have done this before me, and are helping those of us on the 'verge'.

Klobird