anxiousgirl's braces story.

[anxiousgirl]

Just keeping this as updated as i possibly can

The pain that i was having in some of my teeth went away. Not really sure when it went away, but it did.
HOWEVER, I am having some very painful pressure or sensitivity in some other teeth where the large gap on the right hand side is starting to close. (Or thats my theory anyway!) The teeth that are reeeeally feeling the pressure/sensitivity are: right central incisor, right lateral incisor and my right canine. The gap is between my right canine and my right first premolar.

If anyone reading this is thinking of getting braces, DO IT! My gosh have my teeth moved so god damn much already!
I have now had my braces for 2 months and 2 days and my lower arch has straightened out so so much! Just wait until you see the photos in my next update

My upcoming appointment is on the 27th of April so i will have an update with photos of all views shortly after that!

I'm not really sure how my upper arch is going, it is abit hard to tell because some teeth stick in and some stick out and you cant really tell how the overbite is going with the brackets attached. But im guessing that the overbite wont be fixed until elastics come into my treatment plan.

So yeah, thats all from me. I am so so glad i went ahead with this, i should have done it when i was 13 but i just couldn't. 5 months today until im 18 woooo

Oh and happy easter everyone!

[anxiousgirl]

Hi Everyone. Gosh my teeth are strange with pain!
So the 3 teeth have stopped hurting pretty much.
But now one of the teeth on the left that was hurting before has started again.
And one of my lower incisors is hurting where it is trying to straighten up. My lowers look amazing compared to the before shot!

C'mon people. My threads getting all lonely!

Ooh. I have to remember to keep flossing. Sometimes i forget and then a week later i remember and then when i floss all my gums bleed

Also, i cant believe how much my upper lateral incisors used to slope inwards!!!! They have improved alot when i look in the mirror.

[anxiousgirl]

Hi everyone! So my appointment was today!
I have included photos of my progress but first ill give a little "report" of what happened at this visit.
Well he opened all of the bracket doors on the damon q's on the upper arch and took out the top wire.
Then he tweaked the wire (yes, the one he took out, not a new one) and flipped it horizontally and put it back in and shut the bracket doors! One one of my left teeth where one bracket previously popped off, at a previous visit he left that bracket door open with a ligature around it. At this visit he took the lig off it and shut the door. It was as easy as that! In and out in about 10-15 minutes!
Nothing hurt, it is just always pressure when he uses the tool to open the bracket doors. He also said yet again that i am cleaning my teeth and braces very well which i was very pleased about My next appt is on June 15th. On my next visit i will get new wires on both the top and the bottom


Now for the photos! (You may have to refer to my previous photos as im not sure how many photos i can actually post!)
Sorry for the bad quality.. taken in bright light on my phone!

My natural smile. (ortho records photo and present photo)



Showing all of my teeth. (ortho records photo and present photo)



Lower arch photo. (ortho records photo and present photo)



Upper arch photo. (ortho records photo and present photo)



Photo of overbite and right hand side gap. (ortho records photo and present photo)




So yeah i can see some big improvements.. and many more to com e

2 months, 1 week with braces and i feel great!
and 12 kilos lighter

[stepher7]

All I can say is WOW!!! Your teeth look awesome after only 2 months, I'm so jealous! I've had mine about 1 month 3 weeks and they are definitely improved from day 1, but still have a long way to go, especially the bottoms. You must be so excited every time you look in the mirror or at your before photos! Your bottom teeth before remind me of mine a little bit, but yours weren't as crowded as mine. But my 2 front brackets on the bottom started really close together like yours and then the 2 teeth beside them were kind of pushed in behind. Keep the updates coming, I love following other people's progress!

[Tatumms]

Your arches are looking great! You can see a definite more U shape that the V you had. And your bite looks a lot better.
Isn't it weird how you know your teeth are crooked but then they start straightening and your like "WOW my teeth were SO crooked" and you realize how "bad" they were...The first month of straightening and I would have settled for that it was such an improvement xD

[Beauty is Pain]

Wow, your progress is AMAZING. I simply can not wait for my braces sentence to be over, even though it has only been 3 days.

[anxiousgirl]

All I can say is WOW!!! Your teeth look awesome after only 2 months, I'm so jealous! I've had mine about 1 month 3 weeks and they are definitely improved from day 1, but still have a long way to go, especially the bottoms. You must be so excited every time you look in the mirror or at your before photos! Your bottom teeth before remind me of mine a little bit, but yours weren't as crowded as mine. But my 2 front brackets on the bottom started really close together like yours and then the 2 teeth beside them were kind of pushed in behind. Keep the updates coming, I love following other people's progress!

Your arches are looking great! You can see a definite more U shape that the V you had. And your bite looks a lot better.
Isn't it weird how you know your teeth are crooked but then they start straightening and your like "WOW my teeth were SO crooked" and you realize how "bad" they were...The first month of straightening and I would have settled for that it was such an improvement xD

Wow, your progress is AMAZING. I simply can not wait for my braces sentence to be over, even though it has only been 3 days.

Thanks everyone The first day when i got them on the wire was so zig-zagged, now its straightened out so much!! I honestly cant believe how quickly my teeth have improved. I didnt think it would be this quick!!! I still have ages to go. The ortho said I would have them for 18-24 months. So about 22 to go! I can't believe my teeth were so gross, not trying to offend anybody else as i havent seen your teeth. Ive hated my teeth for YEARS but still always smiled in photos. Goodluck to all of you i am sure you will all see the same quick movement! And I will keep updating

[anxiousgirl]

In the last 6 days since i posted... ive lost another 2 kilos!
That is 14 kilos total since the day i got my braces put on

Im not going to lie... I don't eat healthy foods or exercise.. but i did walk quite a bit last week with a lotttt of shopping. So that could be it. But still.. No way i would have lost all of this weight if i didn't get braces!

I guess I don't eat messy foods because its not worth getting them stuck in my braces and then having to brush my teeth. And i also eat a lot less because of that. It's quite strange because before my braces I was a person who was always hungry and snacking every 5 minutes. Today i only ate breakfast and dinner.. no lunch. and had a thickshake inbetween and no snacks! Its so strange and unlike me haha. I hardly eat anything these days with my braces. It sounds worrying i know.

If my mum doesnt see me for a few days shes like. "Youve lost more weight i can tell in your face!"

:S

Has anyone else lost some weight since having their braces put on?

[klobird]

Hey Anxious--

I have been reading your blog...I got my braces 10days ago. I cannot believe how fast your teeth are moving. They look amazing!

Well, I'm sure glad walking while shopping counts as exercise!!! I'm like you--I don't exercise much and love the snacks--but most of the time the snacks aren't worth it because of the cleaning ritual afterward. I don't need to lose weight, but I finally am.

So, has the time gone fast for you? I have 2yrs also. When I watch youtube where people are getting their braces off, I get kind of jealous...but I guess I'm still ahead of the people who are getting their's today! I just can't compare,I guess, or I will go crazy....

Can't say I really like my ortho--I think if I didn't have a mouth, he probably wouldn't even know I was there. He's a nice enough young guy--but really intense--like he's studying for a test in his head or something...He's supposed to be the best and my regular dentist told me that to. But she also told me that if I need an advocate for anything, she would take care of it. I LOVE my regular dentist!

So, I guess we are on opposite sides of the age thing...I am 55 and first time in braces. I figured I'm still going to be 2yrs older in two years, so why not have straight teeth then too!

Does it ever feel like 2yrs is so long that you will have braces on for the rest of your life?

[anxiousgirl]

Hey Anxious--

I have been reading your blog...I got my braces 10days ago. I cannot believe how fast your teeth are moving. They look amazing!

Well, I'm sure glad walking while shopping counts as exercise!!! I'm like you--I don't exercise much and love the snacks--but most of the time the snacks aren't worth it because of the cleaning ritual afterward. I don't need to lose weight, but I finally am.

So, has the time gone fast for you? I have 2yrs also. When I watch youtube where people are getting their braces off, I get kind of jealous...but I guess I'm still ahead of the people who are getting their's today! I just can't compare,I guess, or I will go crazy....

Can't say I really like my ortho--I think if I didn't have a mouth, he probably wouldn't even know I was there. He's a nice enough young guy--but really intense--like he's studying for a test in his head or something...He's supposed to be the best and my regular dentist told me that to. But she also told me that if I need an advocate for anything, she would take care of it. I LOVE my regular dentist!

So, I guess we are on opposite sides of the age thing...I am 55 and first time in braces. I figured I'm still going to be 2yrs older in two years, so why not have straight teeth then too!

Does it ever feel like 2yrs is so long that you will have braces on for the rest of your life?

Sorry to reply so late, I haven't been here on a while as I have been very busy with VCE.
Thankyou for that compliment My teeth are really starting to look good and boost my confidence!

When I first got them on, the time went so slowwww! But it has already been 3 months and 1 week since brace day! I have friends who had braces and they tell me how exciting it is seeing the movements and then finally getting them off.

Thats no good that you don't like your ortho I am extremely happy with my ortho! He was also recommended to me by my regular dentist who is also amazing! I think my orthodontist is a specialist ortho or something though, im not too sure. I am not too fond of this one assistant of the ortho's who always seems to muck up when working on my mouth.

Don't worry about being 55 and in braces, just think about your amazing straight teeth at the end of this journey. To be honest, I was nervous about getting braces at 17 as all my friends got theirs off at about 15/16. But its nothing to be embarrassed about!

It does feel like this 2 years is going to go on FOREVER i must admit! By the time I get my braces off, I will have finished high school and STILL be in braces! 21 months to go!

My next appt isnt til like next month or something so no photos til then

Oh to anyone reading, is it bad to use whitening toothpaste with braces. I heard it can leave spots under the brackets or something? But the ortho didnt warn me...

[klobird]

Hey anxious--

Ya, I was told not to use anything to whiten my teeth--by that I mean special teeth whitening products. Regular toothpaste with whitening properties should be OK because that's what my ortho gave me in my goody bag. Besides, all
toothpastes state on the front that they are whitening toothpaste. But I'm going to stay away from stuff like Crest 3-D
whitening products etc.

I feel like my teeth look yellower with braces on--I don't like it at all--and the day I get my braces off I definitely am going to have a teeth whitening scheduled with my regular dentist!

I guess if you use whitening stuff, your teeth will look different colors when you get your braces off, but I'm not sure about that...

[Beauty is Pain]

Hi anxiousgirl, how did you VCE go??

I know the feeling when all my friends got their braces off 2-3 years ago, and here is me getting them on now Thank god 1 month and a bit has already passed. I am enjoying the gaps that are created in my bottom row of teeth. You progress pictures have given me hope! hahah same, I would be in uni when I eventually get my braces off! ah, then retainers - talk about the slow progress

[anxiousgirl]

Hey anxious--

Ya, I was told not to use anything to whiten my teeth--by that I mean special teeth whitening products. Regular toothpaste with whitening properties should be OK because that's what my ortho gave me in my goody bag. Besides, all
toothpastes state on the front that they are whitening toothpaste. But I'm going to stay away from stuff like Crest 3-D
whitening products etc.

I feel like my teeth look yellower with braces on--I don't like it at all--and the day I get my braces off I definitely am going to have a teeth whitening scheduled with my regular dentist!

I guess if you use whitening stuff, your teeth will look different colors when you get your braces off, but I'm not sure about that...

Im still using the colgate whitening toothpaste ocassionally but not daily, i use my normal colgate maximum cavity protection toothpaste daily as i am scared that the whitening one may leave me with bracket marks when i eventually get my braces off.

My teeth are a bit whiter with braces i think? But they are beginning to go a bit yellow below the brackets on the bottom arch. and also the top canines stain easy somehow. Once my braces are off I will most definitely have my teeth whitened Thats a long way off for me though!!

Hi anxiousgirl, how did you VCE go??

I know the feeling when all my friends got their braces off 2-3 years ago, and here is me getting them on now Thank god 1 month and a bit has already passed. I am enjoying the gaps that are created in my bottom row of teeth. You progress pictures have given me hope! hahah same, I would be in uni when I eventually get my braces off! ah, then retainers - talk about the slow progress

Yeah it is a bit frustrating with all my friends having perfect teeth but me! But atleast they know what im going through. Yeah noticing little changes is fun and exciting Yeah same here i think - and then retainers for life probably!

Im still doing my VCE nearly finished unit 1!

One thing I have noticed is that with the damon q's - I don't have brackets on my back teeth. (Well I do on the lower right back tooth because I have teeth missing that side) But not on the last tooth of the lower left and not on the top right or left either.
As the teeth are straightening, the back tooth is staying there and the teeth that are shifting to be straight are shifting away from the back tooth. Will my ortho put a bracket on the last tooth later on? It's kindof bugging me because I want perfect teeth!

Next appt still isnt til the 15th. I havent noticed any drastic changes but the novelty of looking at my teeth every 5 minutes in the mirror and looking at my teeth pictures has worn off

[Beauty is Pain]

wow wow, you teeth are coming along amazingly! Oh sorry, didn't see your previous reply, but my back teeth (the last ones of all four sides) don't have brackets. My ortho said not to worry because those are possibly still growing and also when all the teeth are adjusted to their 'perfect' positions, these 'naturally growing' teeth would just move along...magic! hahah same, each time I clean my teeth, I stand in front of the mirror for about 10 minutes examining the changes that have resulted since braces

[anxiousgirl]

wow wow, you teeth are coming along amazingly! Oh sorry, didn't see your previous reply, but my back teeth (the last ones of all four sides) don't have brackets. My ortho said not to worry because those are possibly still growing and also when all the teeth are adjusted to their 'perfect' positions, these 'naturally growing' teeth would just move along...magic! hahah same, each time I clean my teeth, I stand in front of the mirror for about 10 minutes examining the changes that have resulted since braces

thankyou!
that's okay! oh okay thanks for clearing that up!

so yes my next appt still isnt until the 15th and I will be getting thicker wires top and bottom then.
i also made an appt for my regular dentist who I will be seeing on the 27th because my gums on one side are in a bit of pain.

anybody reading this in braces who gets their teeth cleaned, who should i see about doing that WHILE BRACED? my dentist or ortho? i will ask my ortho when i go in anyway i guess because they have a dental hygenist and that appt is my first one.

progress photos will be up on the 15th or 16th after i get the thicker wires in my teeth are looking great!



also, is it strange that my FIRST adjustment isnt until around my 4th month mark of being in braces?