Last Months in Braces... Your experiences??

[ibraceface]

Hi all!

I am excited to report that after a way too long journey in my braces, I have been told, confidently by my ortho, that she envisions me coming out of my braces in SEPTEMBER!

It seems there is still a bit of fine tuning to do.. which has me curious. What were your final months in braces like?

My third to last wires have been 20x20 NiTi, second to last are 19x24 NiTi.... and when I go in a few weeks I am hoping to get my "finishing wires". No clue what size these will be.

RIght now, I am finishing up some elastic wear to move a pesky tooth and perfect my midline. I have two front teeth that are tipped a bit more than the others, so the roots are being worked on... and then, it's just getting every tooth edge in its most proper posistion and working on my bite a little more.

I am suprisingly still wearing molar bite plates..

Anyways.. this is what my finishing stages have been like.

I dont know about you.. but after 4 years (originally two), and a new set of braces later.. I am SOOOO EXCITED TO MEET MY NEW SMILE!!!!!!!!!!! I have been dreaming about corn on the cob since 2007... and am excited that dream will be coming a reality very soon!

Anyways, I know many of us get anxious towards the end of treatment, so thought it'd be neat and fun to see what everyone else's "finishing" phase is like.

Later!

[poppy123]

I've been dreaming about nibbling on Chinese spare ribs!! 3rd Aug is my date! these last few months have been slow and very little happening with my teeth, just stabilising them, felt like he was never gonna say the magic words ..'ok you're done' !! Am going back today tho as one tooth has tipped back very slightly,am a bit worried in case he puts back my d- date!

[poppy123]

I've been dreaming about nibbling on Chinese spare ribs!! 3rd Aug is my date! these last few months have been slow and very little happening with my teeth, just stabilising them, felt like he was never gonna say the magic words ..'ok you're done' !! Am going back today tho as one tooth has tipped back very slightly,am a bit worried in case he puts back my d- date!

[rhomboid]

I liked my last few months in braces. Elastics in place for midline correction up until the last two months and had been in .019x.024 SS wires for a quite a few months. I was just over 19 mos wearing braces and emotionally could have gone a lot longer with no worries, but also had not had extractions, turbos, spacers, expanders, springs, headgear and all of the such or I might have thought different. For me if longer is better results that's ok. Enjoy your last months and congratulations.

[thenumber12]

My case was horrific but it's a rarity I think. During the last months due to excess duration of elastic band wear, it altered my bite completely one night and suffered from intense pain no one could diagnose which got me spiraling into a depression. My orthodontist was unwilling to look into the complaints of pain and structural discomfort. Now my physicians are telling me that a bad bite could be the culprit which was something I suspected early on.

HOWEVER, for my sister (same ortho) things went ultra smooth and currently has nice, perfect, healthy teeth and no issues. I think the main difference was that she has badly crooked teeth while my teeth were pretty straight to the point most people didn't think I needed braces but this ortho insisted extraction of both of our 4 premolars and I had adverse reactions (aesthetically and functionally) while for her, the bite was "proper". And now I'm sure I'm a candidate for jaw surgery as my lower jaw is constricting my throat and causing severe neurological pain.

Hope I'm not scaring you as my issues are fairly rare and I was never happy about the aesthetic changes to my face early on but you seem to be in a similar boat as my sister.

[AnnR]

Went to the ortho on monday. Apparantly I'm in my finishing wire on top, second to last on the bottom! no idea how much longer, estimate was that I would be done by Feb 2012! but was v excited that I'm on the finishing wire! I know I have elastics to come once by bottom teeth sort themselves out a bit more but I'll cope because I feel the end is in sight! hoorah!

I dream of lots of things about my D-day! The ability to drink red wine without worrying, eat curry, bite a sandwich without bread getting stuck.....will be amazing!

[randirocks]

I've heard that I'm close to done. I'm not sure what's going to happen either. I had some set backs which extended my date out. I have to say that I'm willing to keep these on until they are absolutely sure that I'm done. Of course, I've only had them on slightly longer than a year and a half at this point. I'm willing to go the full two years.

[berry]

I got told today that I'm getting my top brace off in October! I've had them on for a year and 2 months but my bottom brace will probably be on for another year. I'm excited but a bit nervous too, because I'm so used to them and I started uni in them, so everybody there only knows me with braces!

Does it hurt when they're removed? Do they just pull them off?

[Snowglobe32]

The worst part about being in the "last months"- going to my adjustment today thinking I was getting wire #4 of 5 (and whatever else)...turns out, it was just an elastic check!
Ugh. I still have 2 more SureSmile wires to go. I highly doubt these things are coming off in two months.

I guess my next goal will be braces off by my birthday/Christmas. (this smiley is crossing his fingers but you can't see them)

It is a bit discouraging when your last two appointments are for elastic checks. Atleast I only had to work half a day... came home, ate lunch then took an hour nap before I had to go to the dreaded "elastic check."

[Gennie 50]

My deband date is Aug 9th. I was not prepared for that date because, my treatment will be only 14 months! I'm scared that the Orthodontist will change her mind and tell me that I need more time in braces. That will be a total bummer.

I've been in elastic for the past 10 months of the last 14. I guess the elastics helped move thing along. I've had cancer sores, dry mouth, feelings that I've been hit in the mouth with a baseball bat. You name it, I've been through it. Aug 9th can not come fast enough. My deband appointment is at 8am and believe me, I will be there anxiously waiting.

Gennie 50

[Gennie 50]

My deband date is Aug 9th. I was not prepared for that date because, my treatment will be only 14 months! I'm scared that the Orthodontist will change her mind and tell me that I need more time in braces. That will be a total bummer.

I've been in elastic for the past 10 months of the last 14. I guess the elastics helped move thing along. I've had cancer sores, dry mouth, feelings that I've been hit in the mouth with a baseball bat. You name it, I've been through it. Aug 9th can not come fast enough. My deband appointment is at 8am and believe me, I will be there anxiously waiting.

My first meals after braces will be popcorn, corn on the cob and pork chops-I gnaw on the bones

Gennie 50

[rhomboid]

Answer to the question from berry does it hurt when they are removed, not at all. Mine were removed by the same assistant that installed them 19 mos previously, she used pliers to attach to the brackets then rotated them in a vertical direction. Both sets were off in a minute or so, then the Ortho polished the glue off of each of 28 teeth, that took longer and neither did that hurt. All good.

[sea54change]

At my last appointment in early July, the ortho told me my braces would come off in early Sept. a year after they were installed. HURRAH!!! I have one more appointment on August 8 for a final adjustment.

Ibraceface: I have not idea what size wires I'm wearing. I didn't even know they came in different sizes. I will have to ask my ortho at my next visit what size I'm in.

[seriousthinker]

Hi,

Just wondering how your teeth look? At my last appointment mine put on the thickest wire (his words). And a power chain and told me I had 3 months left. Since that appointment (6 weeks ago) I've noticed my right front tooth poking forward and the tiny black triangle on the other side is still as prominent as ever.

I go back tomorrow and will mention my concerns but I'm ready for him to either say that's the way it is or longer treatment. Might actually post a Q.

ST

[mettle]

Hello ibraceface,
Sounds like you're almost there! Agree that one cannot get excited enough so close to the end. I was in damon metal braces for two and a half years, the last four months of which were, like you, spent in the thickest wires up and down, as well as elastics on both sides of the jaw to move the midline. In the final two months though, the wearing of elastics was only at nights, but then my bottom middle teeth started moving toward their original concaved positions, so the orthodontist replaced the bottom archwire with two(!) of the thinnest/beginner wires and told me to stop wearing the elastics completely.
Just yesterday I went for a routine check, and after discussion we agreed that while my midline is still a bit off, I was happy with the results and not too concerned about having the lower teeth's midline match up completely. So my orthodontist announced that we could remove my braces. Which we did, with great alacrity!
I had gone into the clinic hoping to get the all-clear, but still tampering my expectations 'just in case'. So it was really brilliant to hear the announcement and come out of the appointment without metal in my mouth. I was grinning madly for the rest of the day, and this morning started grinning again when tooth-brushing was a pleasurable exercise and chomping into my breakfast was truly enjoyable.
Picking up my retainers in a couple of days and I'm sure wearing those will be a breeze compared to the braces.
You've been in braces twice as long but you are almost there, so good luck, and enjoy that corn on the cob! :)