Finally braced! Progress pics included

[klobird]

AMAZING PROGRESS!!!!!

[belistic10]

that is awesome progress pictures!! they have changed so much!!

[stepher7]

Thanks klobird and belistic10! It really is neat to see the pictures all lined up like that and see the progress from one picture to the next. They might even look different now compared to the most recent pics on there because those were taken over a month ago. I just find that things are changing so slowly now that I take the pictures further apart to actually see the changes. Next adjustment is November 15th, so 3 weeks away. I really hope that there's some more progress with those tilted premolars. I think things will really start falling into place nicely once those are wired!

[Marley]

Your smile is looking great! You have beautiful shaped teeth! I know the wait can seem forever, but hang in there. They will be off in no time!!!

[stepher7]

Thanks Marley! It's actually been 8 months today, and although some days it feels like I'll be in braces forever, the last 8 months has completely flown by. I think part of my frustration is the fact that I still have those 2 premolars that aren't attached to the wire yet, but I know it will happen eventually and then everything will really start lining up nicely. I am thrilled with how things are moving over all, and I know it will all be worth it in the end! Here's to hoping that the next 16 months go by quickly!!

[stepher7]

So yesterday I had my second cleaning with braces. I remember back in April when I had the first one, I was worried beforehand how it would all work, and my teeth were still pretty jumbled since I'd only had my braces just over a month at that point. So yesterday I wasn't really that worried, because I'd had a cleaning with braces already, and my teeth have straightened out tons. I thought "This will be a breeze!" WRONG!! I don't know if it was because it was a different hygienist, and they all have their own way of doing things, or whether I've just had a lot of build-up since April, but oh man!! She used a sonic water scaling machine on my bottom teeth to clean around the brackets better. That would have been fine, except she didn't seem to notice when it would slip and the extremely high powered, high pressure stream of water would zap me on the inside of my lip!! I didn't say anything the first time, but the second time I sort of made an "Mmm" sound and she says "What was that mmm about?" Oh, I don't know....maybe you blasting my mouth with a miniature pressure washer!? Yikes....not wanting her the next time I go! However, I was told by the hygienist and the dentist that I have very nice teeth and that I'm doing a really good job keeping them clean So, my mouth was a bit sensitive yesterday and I can still feel the spots where I was blasted, but over all my mouth feels fine today. Next adjustment (#4) is next week, so if there's any progress I will post again then, probably with pictures.

[stepher7]

Had my 4th adjustment today. Nothing too exciting...the stupid coil springs are still there, I guess they haven't done their job yet. I got a stronger wire on the bottom and a powerchain on the top to help close up some funky gaps that have been going on. I love that the powerchain is completely invisible, but now I'm super paranoid that I'm going to stain it. I go back in 5 weeks to get a new one put on, so hopefully it isn't too gross by then! Anyway, I'm going to post some pics. It looks like nothing has changed for the better. There are lots of little things that look worse...mainly my left central incisor looks to be quite a bit longer than the right one. It's not super noticeable when I smile, but when I took the pictures I could really see it. Oh well, it will all be sorted out in time.

Day 1


8 Months 1 Week(ish)


Day 1


8 Months 1 Week(ish)


Day 1


8 Months 1 Week(ish)

[Lamis]

Wow! Thanks for posting! Amazing progress!

[stepher7]

Thanks Lamis! It's definitely helpful to look at the pictures from the first day compared to now. Still a long way to go, but I'm also very happy with the improvements so far!

[lau]

wow! nice- good job. how much longer?

[Rivvie]

Wow, your progress pics are amazing, especially the lower teeth!

[anngie27]

wow, you have had so much progress in such a short time. congrats!
did you have any extractions?

[stepher7]

Thanks for the kind words everyone! My estimated date of removal is March 2013, which would make it 2 years of total treatment time. I guess there's no way of knowing how much longer it will actually be though. Some people get quoted 2 years and have them off in 15 months and other people get quoted 2 years and it's closer to 3. I'm really hoping it's 2 years or less, but I'll keep them on as long as I need to. There's no point in spending so much money on them if they don't come out as close to perfect as possible! I luckily didn't have any extractions. That, however, is why I've had coil springs over my bottom 2 premolars since day 1. Both of those teeth are tilted in and there isn't room for them yet, so the springs are slowly making room. Every adjustment I've gone in hoping that it would be the time to get the springs off and finally have those teeth attached to the wire, but it hasn't happened yet. I think it's just about there, there's definitely more room around those teeth. I notice a big difference when flossing. I guess we could have pulled those teeth, but that would have meant pulling 2 premolars on the top too so that everything matched, and that would be 4 healthy teeth gone. Then I would have been waiting for months and months for the gaps to close, so I'd rather wait months and months to make space for those teeth and get to keep my entire mouth full of teeth and end up with a wider and fuller smile in the end. I'm also noticing from my most recent pictures that I'll definitely be treating myself to teeth whitening when my braces finally come off!! Ugh, how do they look so much more yellow that at the start? My oral hygiene is probably way better now! lol

[stepher7]

Just had to add in....last night I was telling my boyfriend about what I had done at my appointment yesterday and was showing him how invisible the powerchain is, etc. He was looking at my teeth saying "They look pretty straight" and then pulled up a picture of us from January, pre-braces, trying to look at my before smile to compare. He thought my pre-braces smile was fine and said "You didn't even need braces hun" hahahaha oh boy, love really is blind isn't it? He even had braces for like 3 years in high school, so you'd think he'd notice teeth more lol I'm definitely not showing him any of the before pictures. Maybe some day in the future once my teeth are all perfect I MIGHT show him. Just proves that we always notice our own flaws way more than others do!

[rwashington007]

awww...kudos for him loving your smile before and after....when people say that to me I say "Whelp...i guess you will like me teeth even more after my braces come off then...lol

Your teeth definatly look FAB!!!!!

Just had to add in....last night I was telling my boyfriend about what I had done at my appointment yesterday and was showing him how invisible the powerchain is, etc. He was looking at my teeth saying "They look pretty straight" and then pulled up a picture of us from January, pre-braces, trying to look at my before smile to compare. He thought my pre-braces smile was fine and said "You didn't even need braces hun" hahahaha oh boy, love really is blind isn't it? He even had braces for like 3 years in high school, so you'd think he'd notice teeth more lol I'm definitely not showing him any of the before pictures. Maybe some day in the future once my teeth are all perfect I MIGHT show him. Just proves that we always notice our own flaws way more than others do!